AnnieCannons is a coding boot camp and development shop that uses a market-driven curriculum and product-based learning model to transform talented survivors of human trafficking into software professionals. Whether our clients need software development or data quality services, we provide high-quality and timely deliverables while helping our talented graduates gain access to careers in tech. Our staff brings years of software industry experience and a consultant’s touch to each project. We work on projects ranging from pulling PDF contents into a structured data interface to full stack mobile app development and offer free product management to ensure a seamless end-to-end customer experience.
The problem with your data and what to consider when selecting a DqaaS agency or vendor
Have you ever had question about your workforce or customer base, but lacked up-to-date and easily-accessible data to glean insight? Perhaps you’re looking to analyze employee performance metrics but need to manually enter droves of past data from a prior system. Or, maybe your team is looking to create a searchable, central repository of data from hundreds of PDFs collecting virtual dust in a company shared drive. You’re not alone.
Consider HR data: According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2017 “Only 8 percent of organizations report they have usable data, while only 9 percent believe they have a good understanding of the talent factors that drive performance.” Regardless of your goal, hiring a Data Quality as a Service (DQaaS) provider is a low-cost solution that can help you collect critical information to guide company or team decisions. Here are a few things to consider when selecting a DQaaS agency or vendor.
Will you have a dedicated product or project manager?
Some vendors provide resources who can work remotely or at your office while an account manager plays a logistical role. This is also referred to as “staff augmentation”. This model works when you have someone available to provide contractor training, monitor productivity, and correct errors. If you’d like to take a more hands-off approach, consider a high-touch agency. Select agencies provide a project manager as part of the staffing package. A project manager can serve as a central point of contact, manage the project budget, monitor risk, and provide ongoing feedback to the contractor team – without diverting your salaried staff. That manager’s role is to make sure that you, the client, are happy. Instead of communicating with multiple people, you communicate with one and let them do the dirty work.
Local or remote?
In 2018, you can do just about anything with a computer and an internet connection. For several years, corporations have sought help from overseas. Cheap hourly rates are compelling, but can carry hidden costs if team management and quality control are lacking. Working with an in-person local team can be helpful if you believe that face time with your team can enhance the data team’s output. A remote team near your time zone can remove the headaches of late-night or early-morning management via conference call. If you have a trusted product manager, however, this substantially mitigates any need for a physical presence.
Can they adhere to your privacy and security standards?
These days, it seems like nothing is safe on the internet. Companies are hacked every day and client or customer information is exposed. Consult with your IT department to determine your security requirements before engaging in conversations with DQaaS vendors. Look for your vendor to have insurance coverages of at least $1,000,000 “annual aggregate” that cover any professional errors. For remote contract workers, it’s important to ensure have encrypted your data if it’s locally stored. It’s also critical that any physical facility where work is performed has physical and administrative processes to keep the wrong people away from your sensitive data. If a vendor doesn’t mention security or how they’ll protect your data during the meeting, it’s likely that they aren’t taking the appropriate precautions.
Do they understand the problem you are trying to solve?
Your contractor team or assigned product manager should understand the problem you’re trying to solve. If you’re ultimate goal is to migrate information from an old system to a new system so you can pull data from a comprehensive data set, you should expect to field detailed questions about how you plan to pull this data and how the system works. Although you are the expert on your business and existing systems, the vendor is the expert on data management. Your product manager should be able to make suggestions, recommendations, and help you think creatively about how you solve your problem.
Do they offer references?
The best judge of a company’s work is the work they’ve done in the past. Quite simply, ask for references. This is the easiest way to judge the company’s work and management style.
This list is far from comprehensive, but hopefully provides enough information to get you started. Every company is unique and will have specific qualifications. Ultimately, whether you’re looking for help organizing data from disparate data sources or seeking a team that can take an unwieldy data set and clean it up, DQaaS is becoming an irreplaceable part of corporate development.
This guest post was provided by AnnieCannons. AnnieCannons is a coding boot camp and development shop that uses a market-driven curriculum and product-based learning model to transform talented survivors of human trafficking into software professionals. Whether our clients need software development or data quality services, we provide high-quality and timely deliverables while helping our talented graduates gain access to careers in tech.
