Dufrain, the data consultancy, today releases new research that demonstrates the presence of a ‘data gap’ across UK businesses. While 92% of respondents were optimistic about the prospect of their data delivering value and return on investment in 2023, only half (54%) actually had a policy in place to formalise their data governance and make sure this was the case.The State of Data and Analytics 2023 report, which surveyed senior data leaders in the UK and U.S. across banking, retail, insurance, manufacturing, healthcare and FMCG, therefore demonstrates a disparity between what people believe will come of their data purely because it exists within the organisation and those that actually have the ability and processes in place to be able to maximise it properly.This ‘data gap’ is compounded by resistance to change. Just 13% thought their data processes were fully mature enough to be able to get the most out of their data, and yet nearly half (46%) said the biggest challenge in addressing this was a reluctance to change, causing a lack of implementation of effective processes across the organisation.Joseph George, CEO at Dufrain, comments:“The research paints a clear and important picture: organisations across a range of sectors that heavily rely on data for their day to day operations don’t yet have the strategy, combined with the resources and ability to execute it, that will allow them to make the most of it in a compliant way.“It is really positive that data leaders clearly see the undeniable value that data can bring to their business, but to derive this properly at scale means organisations needs to build the necessary foundations in parallel. It starts with a clear outcome led strategy to better utilise data for growth and competitive advantage. Without implementing and prioritising proper policies and managing them effectively, leaders simply won’t see the benefit of their data, no matter how much of it they have

Aerial Direct, the award-winning business telecoms provider, today announces its complete data restructure and digital transformation in a move to enhance its strategic decision making and customer service.Aerial Direct faced an issue that is commonplace among telecoms businesses. The company held data across disparate systems, making it difficult to see a clear view of their customer base through the entire sales journey. The regulatory environment also played a part in this need with Aerial Direct requiring an updated reporting system and advice on data governance practices within the cloud to remain compliant.Following the successful implementation of a regulated, secure and scalable solution by Dufrain, the data consultancy, Aerial Direct will now benefit from a 360-degree view of its customer base.Advantages of the new system include:Even more Data-backed business decisions to ensure meaningful change and growth.Complete centrality of all customer data in one compliant system that is easy to monitor.Benefits will not become reduced over time as the solution is also built in a way that means it is fully scalable to support and accelerate Aerial Direct’s growth plansDufrain will provide Aerial Direct with an ongoing managed service arrangement to support the company in making the most of its data to support customers throughout their entire business journey.Simon Kelly, Head of BI & Data at Aerial Direct, said “We were faced with an enormous task in getting to grips with harnessing our data and Dufrain ensured the process was as smooth as possible. Now we know our data is properly managed, we can use it to inform us of key trends and make informed business decisions, something that we couldn’t have done previously, and we think it’ll make a huge difference to our growth campaign and our customers’ experience.”“Good data governance is essential for telecoms companies to harness customer data to its full potential and drive business decisions for meaningful change while remaining compliant with all GDPR and data protection regulation.” Gerry Goodwin, Chief Commercial Officer at Dufrain, commented, “It is impossible to do that when the information is siloed across the organisation. This is exactly what we’ve helped Aerial Direct build a solution for and, working in partnership, we’ve been able to create a solution that delivers all their needs in one place. We’re looking forward to working with them on an ongoing basis to ensure the tech consistently delivers.”

Leading UK data consultancy Dufrain today announces that Joseph George, CEO, has been featured in the DataIQ 100 for 2023, the highly prestigious and fully-curated power list of the most influential data and analytics leaders.Since 2014, DataIQ has tracked the rise of chief data officers, chief analytics officers, and the leaders of key vendors and service providers. George’s inclusion is a notable honour and reflects a leadership vision that shepherded Dufrain towards an annual revenue growth of 40% in recent years.The Dufrain CEO began most of his education and tech career in the Middle East and Asia. He then moved to London to pursue a consultancy career and worked with several companies before joining Dufrain at a very early stage in its growth.George was previously the MD and Partner in the business before stepping into the role of CEO. He has overseen a complete transformation of Dufrain’s service over the last five years, and was instrumental in securing notable private equity investments and partners for Dufrain’s ambitious growth plans.Joseph George, CEO, comments, “To be named in the DataIQ 100 is truly a significant milestone in Dufrain’s journey. This is a great accolade, and it belongs to every single team member – our Dufrainians – who make such innovative work possible. As DataIQ has recognised, we have what it takes to stand alongside the top pioneers in the industry, and we will continue to build upon our track record, offering an unparalleled promise of excellence to every client who works with us.”