Consultancy from CSM is delivered in four basic forms:

Turnkey projects

Projects where CSM develops a brief together with the client and delivers the agreed project combining the main elements of internal data, external data (if appropriate), the provision of the necessary statistical and analytical skills, modelling and business insight.

It can’t be over-emphasised how important it is for the client to work with CSM in a collaborative manner in such projects. Occasionally, projects of this nature can be seen as a ‘competition’ between internal and external resources: this is extremely counter-productive unless we are being asked to provide an (external) second-opinion. But even then, it is vital that CSM has free and unfettered access to internal data.

Skills

CSM can provide key skills or services such as –

• Data profiling and cleansing
• Geocoding
• Creation of a Single Customer View (SCV)
• Data analytics including clustering
• Predictive analytics

Intervention and guidance

Occasionally, clients simply want guidance at the outset of projects (in essence, the formulation of a project plan to be implemented with either client resources or a combination of internal and external resources).

Over the years, CSM has developed a robust methodology for creating such plans and we can also oversee progress from a distance; in essence, we can take the role of an independent QA monitor for data-driven projects.

Project management

In principle, CSM can provide hands-on project management but this is the least satisfactory approach for big data projects which benefit from daily supervision by a resident project manager. However, in situations such as this, CSM can mentor an internal project manager and thereby contribute to institutional strengthening.