Building a Foundation for Meaningful GPS Data Analysis
Collecting GPS data is only the starting point. Turning it into clear, confident performance decisions requires the right foundation.
This onboarding journey is designed to help you move beyond simply gathering data and start generating reliable, actionable insights. It combines:
The technical setup required for clean, accurate data
The sport science principles needed to interpret that data effectively
Practical workflows for consistent reporting and communication
By completing onboarding in the correct order, you ensure that every report you produce is built on accurate, consistent, and meaningful information.
Why Completing Onboarding in Order Matters
GPS analysis is cumulative. Each step builds on the one before it.
If foundational elements (such as system configuration or workflow structure) are skipped or completed out of sequence, it can lead to:
Inconsistent data between sessions
Misinterpretation of training loads
Reporting errors
Reduced confidence in decision-making
Following the recommended order ensures:
Accurate tracking of individual load fluctuations during training and matches
Precise planning of daily, weekly, and monthly workloads
Clearer visualisations and stronger reporting standards
Greater alignment between performance staff
The Onboarding Structure
The onboarding follows the natural GPS system workflow.
1️⃣ Foundation: Essential Setup (Complete First)
These steps establish your long-term system structure and should remain consistent across your workflow:
System configuration
Profile and parameter setup
Workflow standardisation
Core sport science metrics alignment
This stage ensures your data is reliable before you begin analysis.
2️⃣ The Ongoing Performance Cycle
Once your setup is complete, you’ll move into the recurring analysis cycle:
Cutting and editing data
Interpreting results
Creating reports
Exporting insights
This cycle repeats daily, weekly, and monthly throughout the season.
Note: In some workflows, exporting may occur before report creation as is represented by dashed arrows.
What You'll Gain
This onboarding path provides a strong grounding in both:
Technical system proficiency
Applied sport science workflow
You’ll learn how to confidently use key features within:
OpenField Cloud
Excel
API workflows
While not every advanced feature is covered, this journey gives you a structured foundation you can build on as your analysis evolves.
Flexible but Structured
The journey is designed to be flexible - but with intention.
Essential setup tasks must be completed first.
After that, you can move between sections based on your immediate needs.
Modules can be revisited at any time to refine workflows or refresh knowledge.
The Goal
By the end of onboarding, you won’t just know how to operate the system.
You’ll understand:
Why each step matters
How each stage connects
How to transform raw GPS data into actionable performance insights
A strong foundation today leads to confident decisions all season long.
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