DataFactZ

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive vice president (EVP) of a global marketing and customer relationship agency that serves Fortune 500 companies. We focus on creative strategy, technology, and brand development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Datafactz?

We were seeking a partner to better serve our clients. Essentially, we were looking to augment our staffing on some projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

So far, Datafactz has provided assistance in the integration, management, visualization of data. They engaged with technologies like Tableau and worked with SQL. They’ve also worked in larger data environments like Snowflake, an analytic data warehouse. They continue to ensure that we have the right skills and resources for every product we want to deliver. 

In one instance, we worked on a shotgun data visualization project where we needed to roll out our business intelligence platform under a strict timeline. We brought them on board and doubled up dashboards and reports for a whole new set of markets. In addition to that, they normalized data sources to cleanse and automate the data ingestion process.

What is the team composition?

While it depends on the program and product, we typically worked with a team of 5­–10 people. 

How did you come to work with Datafactz?

We met at an industry event. Their services struck us as being complementary to what we do, and in light of our resource fluctuations, they quickly became a partner.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The quality of their work is excellent. They’re smart, efficient, and delivery-oriented. Their team is also endowed with the right skills, so I continue to rely on their capability to deliver at a high level.

How did Datafactz perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very efficient. They know how to manage products and programs; they’ve demonstrated that their client-relationship management skills are very good. They’re responsive and collaborative.

Most importantly, they’ve embedded their resources within our organization, so they were not only well-positioned to understand our requirements, but to cooperate with our internal development team as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The depth of their bench—or the strength of their team, is very impressive. I’d also highlight their flexibility, responsiveness, and ability to deal with ambiguous problems.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. We’re looking to establish more of a strategic partnership with them, moving forward. As opposed to simply providing technical manpower, they’re fully capable of taking on advanced analytics projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a professional company that’s skilled and profits-oriented, I’d recommend them for sure.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of consulting management for a managed services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DataFactZ?

We had no Talend expertise on our team, which we needed for several projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DataFactZ augmented our staff. First, we described our needs during an initial phone call. Then, their team got back to us with several candidates that could meet our needs. Once we determined the right candidate, they sent us over the contract, and we got the ball rolling. It was seamless.

What is the team composition?

Mostly, we worked with one person but two were involved. We collaborated with one for a period of four months and the other for 8–9 months.

How did you come to work with DataFactZ?

A colleague referred DataFactZ to us. They had a master services agreement with us already, which made it easy to start working with them

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $200,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in April 2019 and the last contract finished in November.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We dropped their team members into our projects, and they fit in well. Their team delivered capably on assignments.

How did DataFactZ perform from a project management standpoint?

After the candidates came on board, we communicated with DataFactZ monthly. They didn’t do any project management because this was a pure staff augmentation engagement. Their team members completed tasks on time and communicated well with everyone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DataFactZ was knowledgeable in the areas where we needed support. They executed everything we asked for well. Aside from the team members who joined us, their customer service was good. They were responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I saw.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear and concise on your expectations. You should be able to get what you’re seeking.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a technical architect for an IT services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DataFactZ?

We hired DataFactZ to help address a gap in our technical expertise around big data, specifically with products for Cloudera and other platforms.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DataFactZ provided some consulting services to our team regarding technology implementation. They helped us build a cloud-native platform around Cloudera, specifically for Kafka and Nifi services that were available in AWS to meet our client’s requirements. 

We had a bit of experience working in these types of software but needed additional labor support to do it in the cloud. They worked in several technologies, including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, and others. Their team was responsible for integrating all of these components back into our corporate platforms. 

What is the team composition?

Two people from their team worked with us. My main contact was Vivek (Solutions Architect, DataFactZ), who was the lead consultant. 

How did you come to work with DataFactZ?

We found them through a traditional RFP process. We thought they were a good fit because they showed the ability to be a niche player and personalize their approach. We felt we’d get a special amount of attention since they aren’t a huge firm. We liked that they also seemed to know what they were doing and had some experience, so it was a perfect fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2018. This project was completed, but we have an open-ended agreement so they can provide additional hours and support as needed. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Overall, the quality of the work was good. They provided great resources and everything worked out well between our teams for that project. 

How did DataFactZ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a responsive team. They communicate well and reliably. Whenever we needed to ask for information from their team, they searched for the right answer and got back to us. The challenging part was staying in contact about the security integrations we were doing, but it worked out well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If we face a challenge with one of the technologies, they respond quickly and walk us through it. Whenever we need them, they are there and able to move quickly with us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and willing to learn alongside a trusted partner. It’ll help increase your speed to market. Allowing ourselves to work closely with them was key to our success. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal architect for a big data company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DataFactZ?

We hired DataFactZ to provide consulting services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at DataFactZ helped us in several areas. One of them surrounded our big data systems, Hadoop, Spark, and Kafka. They built out a big data platform, providing services around managing, operating, and supporting the platform. Their team supplied resources and consultants to help with our standup and data analytic platform that also included big data components.

Another area involved Teradata, BI, and Tableau where they assisted with data visualization, business intelligence, and data warehouse transformation services. They helped convert into more cloud-based services.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was the director of operations. For one project, we had two resources. On another, we had around six.

How did you come to work with DataFactZ?

I’m not sure how we initially came into contact with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with DataFactZ started in August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The team at DataFactZ has expertise across a wide variety of domains. We’ve leveraged them in several areas. Another project kicked off with their team this month. Their work is well-received.

How did DataFactZ perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management aspect, they’re excellent. They regularly send updates along with their quality work. We communicate using Slack and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The working relationships have been good with excellent communication. They’re able to provide us resources on short notice. In terms of how they helped us, they’re flexible. The skillsets they provide is definitely a big piece of it as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have onshore and offshore operations. While they’ve done a good job of collaborating between there, the offshore resources are sometimes hit or miss.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s best to start an engagement by getting the initial communication squared away and straight. Be specific around the project plan and management. Have them sign a defined project plan that they can execute. Going with a loose ended approach tends not to work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of analysis and reporting at a bank.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DataFactZ?

We wanted to build a predictive model to help us discover customers who’re most likely to withdraw deposits from our bank.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They analyzed several months of historical data on the customers that we provided. It contained several variables associated with them and their activity. They defined what the data meant and did some data modeling to format it into something that could be fed into a model.

From there, they ran a statistical analysis to find out which variables had the most influence on predicting attrition. They used R to create the deposit attrition model with data science. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was a data scientist, who had 2–3 people working under them.

How did you come to work with DataFactZ?

I was introduced to them through a work colleague. We had discussions with them and liked what they had to offer. They were also local, which appealed to us. After comparing them to other vendors and realizing their willingness to do this as proof of concept for a business relationship, we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

They were willing to invest in the project themselves because they wanted to establish a business relationship with us. It was proof of concept, in a sense. We paid $31,000, but the total value was probably double that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from October 2016–February 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The quality of their work was very thorough. They were able to meet our major goal, delivering a functional model to improve our knowledge of our customers. The first model they completed had a few flaws, but they made the effort to redo the mistakes, which was a bright spot on their part.  

How did DataFactZ perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed and made sure they produced the correct result. We were happy with that experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their commitment to delivering what was promised was most important to us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Senior Director of our Professional Services Team responsible for all customers on EAST coast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DataFactZ?

Assist one of our strategic customers to design and implement a Big Data datalake used for business analytics

What were your goals for this project?

A highly secure platform built upon the Cloudera software stack with automation for data ingestion and self-service analytics

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

customer testimonial and we interviewed their staff

Describe the project in detail.

just did above

What was the team composition?

Senior Architect and two Senior Consultants plus one Service Delivery Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The customer has continued to renew their support contracts and expanded their footprint by 50% over the last year and a half.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

excellent

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're trustworthy and delivered on all commitments with speed and efficiency.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none