Connecting data to transform defence reporting

THE CHALLENGE

Catalyze are a management consultancy that specialise in helping organisations to make and implement effective decisions to achieve their strategic goals.

They were working with a defence client that recognised the power of the raw data they held in their systems and wanted to use it to make more informed and evidence-based decisions. However, the data was sitting in disparate systems which led to siloed reporting and disconnected understanding.

Although Catalyze have significant data capability, the requirements of this particular project and tight timescales, meant they wanted to find a partner that would not only enable greater capacity but also add specialist expertise in key areas.

“We are an employee-owned business, so we wanted to join forces with an organisation who had similar principles to us so we could ensure that we maintained trust with our client. Climber BI showed that commitment from the outset and we worked as a hybrid team together. From the outside we were one team.”

Claire Spencer, Managing Consultant

THE APPROACH

Our Power Bl developer built a strong relationship with Catalyze and the client to quickly understand the challenges the client was facing.

With no automatic way of joining data, the client was wasting a lot of manual effort which led to inconsistency and data being missed. We knew that their data needed to tell a cohesive story by using tools that they were familiar with. The first phase of the project focused on developing a solution in Microsoft Power Bl that would show progress and benefit to the business. This was about more than proving the concept of the technology, it was about proving that they could change their ways of working.

“This was a new way of working for Catalyze but the results have proved themselves. We had a strong relationship with the client and a particular understanding of their challenges, while Climber brought the technical expertise. We have also done the right thing for the client by ensuring they have the skills they need to keep moving forward with their reporting.”

Claire Spencer, Managing Consultant

THE RESULT

The Power Bl reporting solution has enabled the client to see historical data that they can use to campare as they move through the year. It is a tactical and practical tool that is based on a thorough understanding of best practice. By demonstrating to the client that it can help them solve genuine business problems, it has laid solid foundations to evolve from in the future. Efficiency has also improved, as data extraction that used to take a couple of days now only takes a couple of hours. Leaders at the client are very enthusiastic and supportive, and importantly the Climber and Catalyze team have ensured that skills are transferred to them so they are able to take control of their reporting.

The reporting tool has helped to tackle the first couple of major use cases for the client and can now be moved on further to include additional data sources. It has laid the foundations for a possible enterprise-wide solution that can improve reporting across the clients’ business.