GREATER DATA

Our brand new Data Hub launched in June – and it’s a far cry from how we previously worked

Thanks to the launch of a new Data Hub, much of the information vital to our business is now accessible in one place.

It should make running our business and making decisions quicker and more efficient by replacing many spreadsheets and manual data processes.

Data Hub is the culmination of more than two years of work to improve how we collect data and what we can do with it. We can now thoroughly analyse trends and patterns by streamlining and automating processes to gain valuable insights and make evidence-based decisions.

“Relying on spreadsheets was not only inefficient, it also meant we often operated in silos. So, having a one-stop shop for all data is a huge and necessary transformation,” says Sean O’Sullivan, business intelligence manager.

To develop the platform, our analysts use Amazon Web Services to collect and manage data and QuickSight as a visualisation tool to create fully interactive dashboards.

Tyra Edwards-Walker

Tyra Edwards-Walker

And these dashboards can be tailored to suit what you’re looking for. “One of the key things that we’ve been working on is having role-specific dashboards, so if you’re a station delivery manager, you have access to one dashboard which has everything that you can influence, or that’s under your control,” adds Tyra Edwards-Walker, business intelligence analyst.

Women in data

As well as helping the business make faster, better decisions, the project showcased the diversity at ARL, in what is traditionally a male-dominated field.

“There are four analysts in our team, and we’re all women, so you could say we are trying to break the stereotype,” says Sorcha Smith, business intelligence analyst. “Data analysis is a great industry to be in, and you have every opportunity to progress if you have the drive to learn and teach yourself new things every day.”

Sorcha and Tyra began developing the Data Hub platform as graduate analysts but were recently promoted to newly created roles.

Graduate analyst, Rhyana Williams, joined the team at the start of the year.

“When I studied computer science A-level, I was the only female in a class of eight, which put me off studying computer science at university because it might limit my opportunities,” she explained. “So it’s great to be part of a team like this where I can soak up a lot of knowledge and experience and know there is great scope for progression in something I enjoy doing.”