2012-09-01
Consultancy – a lifeline for anyone who’s ever needed help with a problem. And for those facing the problems of the future, the availability of expert, on-demand resources, will continue to be the lifeline that gets them through.
Since the creation of the company in 2006, DataConsulting has been providing support for its clients. Whether its advice, training, or technical resources, we’ve been providing expert services to a range of companies, public sector organisations and industries. Today we have over 100 clients on our books.
It’s easy to think that in these austere times companies are closing their doors to consultancies but with change comes opportunity: opportunities for companies to find value in their investments, and to gain competitive advantage against their rivals. This they can do through growth, investment; or simply finding efficiencies in other ways.
It’s true that fewer organisations today can afford to keep fully funded analysts on their books. And no more so than in the public sector. But for organisations that still require data analysis as part of their audit function, or more widely in the business; and where investment in training, resources or software is unrealistic, consultancies such as ours have provided resources to help with a range of problems.
For some, it’s the development of complex analytics that presents the challenge. Our team has assisted revenue assurance, fraud, finance teams and internal audit departments across many industries over many years. We’ve helped organisations to develop analytics that identify and quantify missing revenue, audit the various business cycles, move business as usual process out of spreadsheets and establish the extent of exposed frauds: to name but a few.
But with cuts in funding and the promise of more, public sector organisations are looking for ways to find efficiencies. Sometimes this means pooling their resources, sharing their back office functions, or creating collaborative teams. Sometimes it means purchasing specialist resources to undertake one off tasks. Not everyone needs or can afford a data analysis function, and it’s for this reasons that DataConsulting sees an opportunity to help.
Our employees are dedicated data analysts. It’s because we live and breathe our tools that we know how to get the most out of them. And it’s for this reason that many find the quickest, and most cost effective, route to results through DataConsulting. Whether that’s single engagements or more in depth secondments, working collaboratively with us ensures our clients get value from the time they purchase, and that problems are dealt with quickly, effectively, and with the minimum of cost or fuss.
But it’s not always the development of analytics that has led people to our door. For those who have developed analytics themselves and reach an impasse, or are unsure of how their achievements stack up against others, we have performed data analytic reviews. We look at the analytics, the staff and the overall environment. Then, taking into account goals and aspirations, we benchmark the organisation’s evolution against well documented markers; validating attainments; identifying areas for improvement; and producing a route map to higher achievement. By conducting in depth surveys, analysing the responses and formulating opinions, our advice is clear and unambiguous, and based on real and tangible evidence.
For some it’s the skills gap which prevents them from moving forward or at times, from even maintaining their position. When key people leave, advances in analytics and reporting can be seriously affected, and finding replacements can be a difficult and time consuming task. Consultancies like ours help to bridge the gaps, keeping things ticking over whilst you concentrate on the difficult task of finding a replacement. Sometimes our clients just need a boost, or a push in the right direction, and a placement from one of our consultants gives them the help they need.
For organisations that are ready to make the investment into software and resources, we provide training across a range of abilities – from the fundamentals of ACL Analytics to more advanced scripting courses and content focussed on fraud or business cycle analysis. And whether they’ve purchased open enrolment courses or onsite training, our clients get the highest standards of training possible – with professional certification as standard. And beyond that, where courses need to be tailored, we develop materials to accommodate almost any request.
And of course, not everyone is interested in products and tools necessarily. For some, it’s the analytics landscape they want to learn more about. What does it look like? What are the pitfalls and problems they’ll face when setting up their own analytics function? What are the first things they need to think about, and how will they develop the right relationships? What strategies should they adopt, and what are the benefits they are realised ultimately. Robin Clough, as the Managing Director, has been delivering and advising on analytics strategy for several years, and continues to provide advice to this day.
As a well-rounded consultancy DataConsulting provides a managed software selection solution. Whether its desktop analysis or server based analytics that are of interest, we advise and tailor our client’s requests to ensure that they only get what they need.
And to finish where we started with an idea: Consultancy – a lifeline for anyone who’s ever needed help with a problem. And for those facing the problems of the future, the availability of expert, on-demand resources, will continue to be the lifeline that gets them through.
