Executives, including those in the shooting sports industry, have the opportunity to lead their business into a more data-driven culture. One Harvard Business Review study, which surveyed 646 executives, managers and professionals from all industries around the globe, found many corporations are integrating data capture and analysis into their decision-making processes. In fact, many business executives are enhancing their skills to allow them to integrate analytical tools into their business decision-making practices.

Big data is all the rage right now, and while it may seem like just a buzzword, there are real, tangible benefits to incorporating data into your business’ processes. One of those benefits is the ability to more easily collaborate across your company and the shooting sports industry.

Whether you have a full-service marketing team in-house, a single marketing employee or you hire an agency to do it for you, your marketing team already knows how important data is. They’re likely digging into Google Analytics, Facebook Analytics and other sophisticated platforms on a daily basis to better understand and reach your current and prospective buyers. What they may not have, though, is the data platform created just for the shooting sports industry. 

As many things begin to return to “normal” this summer, the big question is whether or not the shooting sports industry will return to normal as well. This quarter, we may have our answer. After a year of trying to keep up with the demand for firearms and accessories, the last month has shown a year-over-year decrease in firearm sales – the second month of decreasing sales since the beginning of 2021 – according to Small Arms Analytics. That said, the overall sales of 2021 so far are still outpacing 2020.

As our world becomes more digitized, data is becoming more and more valuable to businesses – and those in the shooting sports industry are no exception. Pulling pertinent data together and organizing it in a helpful way requires data inputs, resources and technical knowledge. Many of these barriers have long held the shooting sports industry back when it comes to advancing with big data. SCOPE is here to change that. 

Research is a key component of growing a business. In shooting sports, manufacturers are grasping for answers and inputs to decide how to maximize profitability, develop new products and more. But when it comes to the inputs of market research — the data inputs matter most.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) designed its SCOPE suite of tools with usability in mind. NASGW believes that SCOPE’s powerful data should be useful and accessible to all of its members, not just data analysts. When it comes to manufacturing, several departments and roles can utilize SCOPE’s intel and insights to improve processes and support decision-making, from sales to product design, to operations and even payroll. Here are 5 positions within your organization that will benefit from using SCOPE.

It’s no secret that data is changing our world in a big way. With digital transformation comes the ability to track nearly everything, from purchases to locations, even interests and life events. Many industries have found ways to harness this data for good, creating more efficient processes internally and decision-making that’s backed by facts instead of feelings.

Since 2016, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) has been working to collect, standardize, and analyze industry data that strengthens shooting sports businesses through a project called SCOPE. It’s been an exciting and collaborative process with manufacturers, distributors and retailers — and last week was an exciting leap forward for this effort. In two Launch Party Webinars, NASGW announced updates and additions to the SCOPE suite of tools, including SCOPE DLX, SCOPE CLX and SCOPE PLX.