If you have ever watched an American football game, you have heard announcers mention that a coach or player “saw something on tape” or “will have to go back and watch the film.”
You have likely heard it most often during post-game interviews when a losing coach says something like:
“We’ll go back and watch the film and see what happened.”
Even though everything today is digitally recorded, coaches still refer to game recordings as “film” or “tape,” referencing the technologies used decades ago.
But what most fans do not realize is that the film coaches review is not the same broadcast you see on television.
Teams record their own games.
And they record them from multiple angles.
Throughout the stadium, cameras capture the action from different perspectives such as the sidelines, end zones, elevated platforms, etc. These angles allow coaches and players to break down every detail of the game.
Even at the high school level, teams watch film of both themselves and their opponents.
My son played collegiate football at the Division II and Division III levels, and even there they recorded practices from multiple angles. Cameras were positioned on lifts in the end zones and along the sidelines so coaches could analyze every movement on the field. They even had “film study” as a daily collegiate class during the season.
When studying film, teams analyze two things:
- Their own performance
- Their opponent’s tendencies
And the details they study are incredible.
Players examine foot placement, hand position, shoulder angles, spacing, leverage, and timing; things the average viewer sitting on their couch would never notice.
That is why commentators like Tom Brady and Tony Romo are so exceptional at calling games. They can instantly recognize formations, reads, and tendencies because they spent years studying the film. They see things others simply cannot.
So, What Does This Have to Do with Business?
Everything.
In business, your accounting data is your game film.
It is the recording of how your company actually performs.
But just like football coaches, the quality of what you learn depends entirely on how the game was recorded in the first place.
If your accounting system is not set up properly, your data will never tell the full story.
When setting up your accounting software, you must make sure you are capturing the right angles.
Ask yourself:
- Is your general ledger structured properly?
- Are costs assigned to the correct projects?
- Are accounts payable entries hitting the correct G/L codes and job numbers?
- Can you clearly see department performance?
Just like game film, if the camera angle is wrong, you will miss the play.
Every Industry Needs Different Angles
Just as football teams record offense, defense, and special teams separately, businesses must capture performance data that fits their industry.
Manufacturing
Manufacturers often need to track:
- Equipment setup time
- Production hours
- Equipment speed
- Material costs
- Setup waste
- Production waste
Without capturing these details, it becomes almost impossible to identify inefficiencies or improvement opportunities.
Commercial Construction
In commercial construction, project tracking includes items such as:
- Supervision time
- Labor hours
- Material costs (including waste)
- Subcontractor costs
- AIA cost codes tied to specific scopes of work.
When recorded properly, these numbers tell the true story of a project.
When the System Is Built Right, the Story Comes to Life
When your accounting system is structured correctly, your data becomes incredibly powerful.
Your projects come to life.
You can clearly see:
- Which departments perform well.
- Where money is being lost.
- Which projects are profitable.
- How management costs affect performance.
Just like a football team has offense, defense, coaches, and support staff, your business has direct and indirect costs that must be understood.
When you capture the right data, your accounting system becomes your game film revealing exactly how your business is performing.
Ask Yourself This
Does your business capture the proper angles of your performance?
Do you have clear shooting lanes, or is your data obstructed?
Does your accounting system provide a crystal-clear 4K picture of your business…
Or does it look more like those old rabbit-ear televisions with a fuzzy signal?
Because if the picture is not clear, it is nearly impossible to make the right adjustments.
Get Your Game Film Right
Great football teams improve because they study the film and great businesses do the same.
If you need help structuring your accounting systems so your data tells the real story of your business performance, I can help.
Contact CollineIQ today and let’s make sure your game film is capturing the plays that matter most.
