Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru

The Classification Guru Ltd

I love improving the quality of procurement spend data, giving teams clarity so they can make better business decisions and cost savings.

Why not let me take the pain out of laborious data issues and make your life easier?

Whether it's a small or large data set, the accuracy can be improved by identifying classification errors, conflicts or gaps. I can provide a data verification service to efficiently find and correct these in a fraction of the time it would take you or a team member.

And a crucial part of having accurate data is also working with a comprehensive taxonomy, something that can be easily overlooked. I can provide a taxonomy development service to ensure you have all the vital areas covered for the greatest visibility - job done!

If you struggle with the time, resources or willingness to tackle your data, why not get in touch to see how I can make your life easier.

Founder/MD (Mistress of Data)

I love improving the quality of procurement spend data, giving teams clarity so they can make better business decisions and cost savings.

Why not let me take the pain out of laborious data issues and make your life easier?

Whether it's a small or large data set, the accuracy can be improved by identifying classification errors, conflicts or gaps.  I can provide a data verification service to efficiently find and correct these in a fraction of the time it would take you or a team member.

And a crucial part of having accurate data is also working with a comprehensive taxonomy, something that can be easily overlooked.  I can provide a taxonomy development service to ensure you have all the vital areas covered for the greatest visibility - job done!

If you struggle with the time, resources or willingness to tackle your data, why not get in touch to see how I can make your life easier.

Founder

Data Collaboration Alliance

I am a member of the Advisory Committee at the Data Collaboration Alliance, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to establishing CONTROL as the basis for meaningful Data Ownership and global Collaborative Intelligence. Our approach of eliminating data silos and copy-based data integration is similar to how societies already protect the value of their currency, identities, and intellectual property - and it works for data, too. My fellow advisors include the Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation and the ex-CIO of Dropbox. I'm also a contributor to the Data Collaboration Community which offers open datasets, free tools, and free training in the data-centric skills of the future. Visit: https://www.datacollaboration.org/community

Advisory Committee / Instructor

Facet Publishing

Dirty data is a problem that costs businesses thousands, if not millions, every year. In organisations large and small across the globe you will hear talk of data quality issues. What you will rarely hear about is the consequences or how to fix it.

Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data draws on classification expert Susan Walsh's decade of experience in data classification to present a fool-proof method for cleaning and classifying your data. The book covers everything from the very basics of data classification to normalisation, taxonomies and presents the author's proven COAT methodology, helping ensure an organisation's data is Consistent, Organised, Accurate and Trustworthy. A series of data horror stories outlines what can go wrong in managing data, and if it does, how it can be fixed.

After reading this book, regardless of your level of experience, not only will you be able to work with your data more efficiently, but you will also understand the impact the work you do with it has, and how it affects the rest of the organisation.

Written in an engaging and highly practical manner, Between the Spreadsheets gives readers of all levels a deep understanding of the dangers of dirty data and the confidence and skills to work more efficiently and effectively with it.

Author - Between the Spreadsheets

CONSTELLIA LIMITED

Connecting Professional Services Procurement people to the Consultancy Procurement Council

Membership Manager

Simfoni

+ Lead spend analytics project delivery across Europe & Middle East
+ Project Implementation​
+ Delivery of product demos
+ Development and delivery of training for Analytics team
+ Product development support
+ Spend analytics
+ Taxonomy development​

Senior Analytics Project Lead - Europe & Middle East

Highways England

Project Support Officer

Philips

Data Verification

+	Administration of product database
+	Working with cross functional teams to resolve issues
+	Develop and deliver training for business hubs to improve processes

Data Product Researcher

Coupa Software

+	Project managing multiple projects simultaneously ensuring all were delivered within time and on budget
+	Management of a team of 14 QA staff
+	Developed and implemented training plan and best practice documents
+	Recruit and train new staff
+	Ensuring consistent quality of work  produced by team

QA Manager

Spend360

+	QA, classification and review of data
+	Excellent attention to detail
+	Managing workload to tight deadlines

Data Services -QA

Fixer of dirty data ★ Spend data classification, supplier normalisation, and taxonomies ★ DataIQ100 x 2 ★DataIQ Data Champion 2022★ Author "Between the Spreadsheets" ★ Creator of COAT ★ TEDx - say NO to NO ★ DataVenger

Are you struggling to get reliable insights from your data?  Do you have duplicates, multiple versions of the same supplier or customer, and multiple date and address formats?  And is it saved in multiple different systems?

The Classification Guru can help.

If you’re in procurement, do you find it hard to see how much you are really spending with one supplier, and on what?  Have you got free text descriptions which mean you have multiple versions of the same item, often misspelt and not against the correct GL or categorisation? How can you make the best negotiations with your suppliers, the biggest cost savings, or manage your supplier list if you don’t have the correct information?

Or if you work in sales or marketing, is your CRM full of junk data, poorly formatted and even missing information, and maybe saved in multiple different systems?  Your team could be wasting time contacting redundant leads, or worse you could be sending out expensive print out to the same address twice, or addresses that don’t even exist.

We bring clarity and accuracy to data and help teams work more effectively and efficiently, finding cost savings through spend and time management, supporting better, more informed business decisions, delivering a strong ROI and delivering back to your organisation faster and more cost-effectively than using large consultancies or spend analytics providers.

While most people dread having to classify or cleanse data, my team and I love it! We are hugely passionate about providing clients with accurate and meaningful data, and because I have been doing this for a decade, I can do this much faster and more accurately than people who might look at their data infrequently.

We can help prevent costly mistakes from happening.

There are many solutions available to automate data classification, but these are never 100% accurate. I've developed a method that my team use to efficiently and accurately classify, cleanse and verify data to minimise the errors in the same amount of time.

When working with large volumes of data it's hard to spot these errors even if you know what you're looking for and especially in Excel, let alone if you don't. With my team and I’s knowledge, experience and tools we can do this for you, freeing up your internal resources.

Fix your dirty data now - www.theclassificationguru.com

Peabody

Enhance and progress development of Data Governance & Data Management capabilities
Identify and develop data tools capabilities
Develop data ownership roles and responsibilities
Aid development of decentralised approach to data management

Data Governance Consultant

The Oakland Group

Leading their Data Governance, Data Management & Data Mesh Solutions.  Driving forward partnership with Starburst into a range of industry sectors.

Principal Consultant - Data Management & Data Governance

Associate helping drive their Data Governance proposition across a portfolio of clients that include Sky Bet, Vodafone, Yorkshire Water, Kaplan &, Klarna.  Supporting the growth of the Oakland business through strategic partnerships with Starburst, the global leader in Data Mesh technologies.

Data Governance Lead

Techolony

Techolony provide specialist advice and support on the data protection, data management and data architecture aspects of digital transformation programmes

Data Partner

First Central

Leading the Data Governance, Data to Insights and Operating Model projects for one of country's leading motor insurers to help them drive forward their data transformation programme

Data Transformation Project Manager

Covéa Insurance

Completed in 6 months the design and delivery of a data governance framework - working out how to bring together their 3 insurance businesses - Provident (Halifax), MMA (Reading) & Sterling (West Malling) given their separate systems, cultures and data needs.   This included design of the work to fix data quality, data access, data ethics and data artefact challenges.  Mobilised senior stakeholder forums to get positive traction and acted as bridge between the business and IT data requirements including alignment to GDPR requirements.

The Very Group

Led the data readiness agenda for the launch of a multi-million pound Shop Direct digital transformation programme with the creation of a new credit environment at its heart.  This business transformation initiative spans the Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.co.uk brands in the UK and Ireland.  These brands collectively receive over 1 million website visits a day with some 70% of online sales made through mobile devices. This is a major digital transformation working with the Shop Direct IT, IBM IT & Customer Intelligence teams (which includes Data Science, Data Analytics and Customer Management functions).

Data Strategy & Data Quality Lead

Scottish Water Business Stream

Business Stream is the leading retail provider of water and waste water services and solutions to Scotland's commercial businesses.  It operates at "arms length" from its wholesale parent, Scottish Water.  It is actively involved in working with OFWAT and other regulatory bodies ahead of the deregulation of the English water and waste water markets in 2017.

1. Responsibility for the design, implementation and management of the Data Governance and the Data Culture business strategy for Scotland's leading provider of water and waste water to commercial businesses across Scotland. 

2. Responsibility for driving revenue maximisation opportunities in Scotland from Gap and Vacant Premises and Contracts inorder to generate wholesale billing income and associated incentive income from the Wholesaler.  

- Creation & implementation of current Business Stream data strategy 
- Leadership of 25 people in Data and Gaps and Vacants premises teams
- Lead responsibility with Scottish regulators (WICS & CMA) on all data issues
- Lead responsibility for implementation of business process governance framework
- Lead responsibility for management of 2014 WICS market data alignment programme 
- Lead responsibility for developing market capability within England ahead of deregulation
- Lead responsibility for developing data and information interfaces with Scottish Water
- Lead responsibility for contracts team setting up relationships with TPIs and Brokers

Head of Data

National Australia Bank

Responsible for implementation of the National Australia Bank Data Management Strategy across the UK region

Head of Data Governance & Data Culture

Leading team of 57 people within the Finance functions responsible for Financial Governance, Financial Systems and Data Management within National Australia Bank.

Head of Financial Governance & Insight, Finance UK

Treating customers fairly is a key focus for financial services organisations. The FSA require firms to demonstrate the correct behaviours in the way in which they deal with customers.

Treating Customers Fairly Programme Director

This involved the development of a agricultural banking operation in the midwest. This included the acquisition of a regional bank - Great Western Bank, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Due diligence was done in Chicago in November 2007.

Marketing & Proposition Manager - North America

Led and direct the design, build and implementation of a innovative private banking proposition driving significant uplift in customer acquisition rates

Head of Private Marketing

Yorkshire Bank

Management and coordinatiuon of all internal and external research for Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks

Market Research Manager

I am a data and project management expert with 16 years experience working with businesses that have digital data challenges.  

I am passionate about supporting businesses to get their employees to understand how to get the best out of their data.  This is achieved by working shoulder to shoulder with each company to design, pilot and implement a tailored approach to its needs.   I act as the crucial communication bridge between the IT community and the wider business (especially with the Data Protection and Data Security teams) to help demystify and simplify how a company generates, uses and cares for its data assets.   

I have successfully worked in the UK and overseas transforming businesses in Insurance, Retailing, Utilities and Financial Services.  A recent implementation took under 6 months at Covea Insurance to set their data strategy road map, drive some immediate data initiatives to show benefit, create and chair senior stakeholder data forums and recruit the team that would ultimately take it forward into business as usual.

I am an expert in the following data specialisms:- 

- Data Governance  
- Data Management
- Data Mesh
- Data Strategy 
- Data Quality
- Data Assurance
- Digital Data Transformation

Please contact me if you feel you are not getting the most out of your data in your organisation.

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The Battle

Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru

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