Read on for some examples of how we can help you to solve real business problems.
GDPR Data Audit – membership organisation
An organisation with a sizeable, diverse membership needed to better understand how to store their data – especially the member database – in a GDPR compliant manner. We spent a couple of days shadowing administrative staff to understand current workflows, including what data was gathered at different stages, what was stored where, and how and when it was updated. We identified some substantial issues around keeping contact details up to date, especially address and phone number, which were rarely used but needed to be accurate to comply with GDPR. We designed some new policies and workflows that reduced the need to collect these details at sign-up, meaning that they could be supplied when needed rather than kept (potentially out of date) on the database. This was also an improvement for privacy, as less data was stored about individuals, reducing the risks in the event of a data breach.
Knowledge Management Review – large research organisation
A large research organisation needed help to improve their knowledge and information management. This began with a review of current practice, including interviews with a number of staff members to understand what was currently happening. We identified a lack of effective processes across the organisation, and a sense that very busy staff members felt that their management did not prioritise long-term knowledge capture. By contrast, management felt that it was very important for the long term success of the organisation, and didn’t understand why staff didn’t seem to share this view. This highlights that what are seen as ‘data problems’ can sometimes be organisational culture problems, and can only be resolved by taking a holistic, sociotechnical approach. We were able to recommend a practical blend of improved process and communications.