In a world where data drives decision-making, businesses often find themselves at crossroads—struggling to keep up with scaling systems or stuck with outdated processes that hinder growth. That’s where data consulting projects come in. At Sesame Software, we’ve worked with companies to transform how they handle and use their data, ensuring they’re equipped to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Here’s a closer look at the ins and outs of data consulting projects and what you should consider before starting one.
When Should You Initiate a Data Consulting Project?
The decision to initiate a data consulting project often stems from pain points in your current processes or ambitions for better performance. Here are some common triggers:
- Scalability Issues: Your existing system has reached its limits, slowing down operations or delaying critical insights.
- Performance Gaps: Replication or reporting processes are taking too long, leading to reliance on outdated information.
- New Technology Integration: You’re adding tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud or Salesforce Finance and need seamless data synchronization.
- Data Structure Challenges: You’re migrating data out of managed packages or custom-built solutions and need it organized in a relational database.
- Strategic Alignment: You want to ensure your data strategy supports business goals like customer targeting, user behavior analysis, or financial reporting.
Case Study: Replacing a Homegrown Solution
One of our clients, a large multinational bank, faced significant scalability challenges with their internally built data replication solution. Their system required 24 hours to replicate data, leaving them reliant on outdated, day-old information. This delay hindered their ability to act on critical insights across marketing, finance, customer interactions, and user locations, resulting in missed opportunities and inefficiencies.
Sesame Software replaced their Python-based solution with our advanced data replication platform. We reduced their replication time from 24 hours to just 3 hours—an 8x improvement. This dramatic increase in speed enabled near real-time reporting, empowering the bank to make timely, data-driven decisions that led to improved outcomes across their operations.
What Does a Data Consulting Project Entail?
A successful data consulting project typically involves the following stages:
1. Assessment and Discovery
We start by understanding your current systems, workflows, and business objectives. Key questions include:
- What systems are you using (e.g., Salesforce, QuickBooks, proprietary tools)?
- Which datasets are critical to your operations?
- What performance issues or bottlenecks are you experiencing?
2. Strategic Planning
Based on our findings, we’ll develop a customized plan that addresses your unique needs. This might involve:
- Identifying which data should be replicated and which should not.
- Recommending scalable solutions tailored to your systems.
- Planning for data migration or integration with new tools.
3. Implementation
Our team works closely with yours to execute the plan. This includes setting up data replication, configuring relational databases, and ensuring seamless integration with existing workflows. For example, in another project, we helped a client export Salesforce data from managed packages into a structured relational database, enabling more flexible queries and reporting.
4. Optimization and Support
Once implemented, we fine-tune the solution to ensure optimal performance. We also provide ongoing support to address future needs or system changes.
Key Considerations for Data Consulting Projects
- Customization is Key: No two businesses are alike, and your data strategy shouldn’t be either. We tailor our solutions to fit your specific requirements.
- What to Replicate: Not all data needs replication. We help you determine which datasets are essential and which can remain static to optimize performance and storage.
- Future-Proofing: Solutions should scale with your business and adapt to new technologies or processes.
Why Choose Sesame Software for Data Consulting?
Our expertise lies in delivering customized data management solutions that solve real-world problems. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Proven Track Record: We’ve helped clients like BCI achieve dramatic improvements in data replication speed and reliability.
- Flexible Solutions: From Salesforce integrations to relational database migrations, we adapt to your needs.
- Focus on Results: We prioritize actionable insights, ensuring you’re not just collecting data but using it effectively.
- Scalable and Secure: Our tools are designed to grow with your business while maintaining the highest security standards.
Ready to Transform Your Data Strategy?
If you’re facing challenges with scalability, performance, or integration, it may be time to explore a data consulting project. Let Sesame Software guide you through the process, ensuring your data works for you—not against you.
Book your March demo with Sesame Software and you’ll be entered to win a gift card—and if you sign a contract in April, your rewards get even bigger. It’s a simple way to level up your data strategy while earning real value for your business. Make sure you don’t miss out on this chance to optimize your data and get rewarded for it.
