Optimizing the business value of data
Northfield offers the experience and perspective of a large consulting services firm without the inherent bureaucracy and overhead. A key ingredient of our success formula is the depth and breadth of skills that our associates bring to each engagement. At Northfield, we understand that to address the complex challenges of a large data quality initiative requires more than expertise – it requires demonstrated capability and perspective.
To ensure we meet these demands, we employ highly experienced practitioners with deep data quality experience, cross functional backgrounds and strong knowledge of best in class technologies. This rare blend of business and technical expertise, in conjunction with our field-proven methodology and formal project management framework, uniquely positions us to exceed the challenging demands presented by complex data quality efforts.
As the data quality and data management industries continue to evolve, Northfield Consulting Group will continue to be a leading innovator in the practical application of data quality as a key driver of enterprise value and competitive differentiation.
Data Management Competency
At Northfield Consulting Group we recognize that the real value of data quality is realized over time. To support this vision, we have established a service offering to define, develop and deploy an Enterprise Data Quality Program that is predicated on the demonstrated proposition that data quality can be used to significantly optimize enterprise operations.
At the core of the Enterprise Data Quality Program offer is a Data Quality Competency Center which serves as the foundation for attaining and sustaining optimal data quality levels and which provides an infrastructure that enables benefit delivery.
The Data Quality Competency Center provides the organization, skills, methods, tools and perspective needed for successful realization of business goals. The Data Quality Competency Center couples proven best practices with our business partners' industry leading data quality and data management tools to provide a fully integrated data management solution that will provide benefits across the enterprise, safeguard investment in data assets and ensure operational efficiency.
Assurance and Optimization
Data quality continues to compromise significant investments in the business operating model. As a result, revenue realization, operational effectiveness, management reporting and strategic decisions are being impacted every day. The real question is "What can we do about it?" The answer is clear. The solution set, skills and perspective that the business has at its disposal are not designed to address the unique challenges presented by the Data Quality Dilemma™.
For years, operational investments have traditionally recognized three operating dimensions; people, process and technology, and unfortunately, data has often been overlooked or incorrectly assumed to be cared for in the technology dimension. As a result, process improvements, staffing increases and technology upgrades have in many cases become "workarounds" which unsuccessfully address the problem.
At Northfield Consulting Group, we strongly believe that there is substantial untapped benefit potential to be realized by focusing on Data – The Fourth Operating Dimension™. This belief is predicated on the demonstrated proposition that data quality can be used to significantly optimize business operations when data quality efforts are properly focused and prioritized on data sets with the greatest business value and criticality.
System Data Readiness
Data quality is universally recognized as one of the most critical aspects of a successful systems implementation, yet it is often overlooked or underwhelmed. Northfield Consulting Group has leveraged more than 100 years of large-scale systems implementation experience to develop a formal, structured approach to solving the Data Quality Dilemma™. Our comprehensive Data Readiness Services is underpinned by industry leading data quality application suites and are fully compliant with leading implementation methodologies, including SAP's ASAP and Oracle's AIM. This tight integration of technology and process ensures efficient utilization of valuable resources.
Unlike traditional, "back ended" approaches, our formal method greatly accelerates the identification of data defects and maximizes the available remediation window. In addition to this proactive emphasis, NCG has pioneered a risk-based technique that focuses efforts on those critical areas that pose the greatest threat to data migration success. Underpinning our approach is a business value-driven philosophy that ensures focus on areas of maximal impact. This unique perspective – focusing on value, rather than defect volume – optimizes the data quality investment and ensures that intended process design efficiencies are not compromised. By employing this structured approach our clients have experienced significant reductions in systems implementation risks and have realized the implementation benefits that they hoped to achieve.
