Read Chloe’s Q&A from the panel session, ‘Challenges and opportunities facing SMEs in the security and public safety sectors’, below:

What made you want to join the forum?

For starters, techUK is always a pleasure to work with – my colleagues and I at Datactics have several contacts at techUK that we speak with regularly and it’s clear that they care about the work they’re doing. It never feels like a courtesy call – you always come away with valuable actions to follow up on. Having had such positive experiences with techUK before, I felt encouraged to join the Security and Public Safety SME forum. Being a part of the Security and Public Safety SME Forum is exciting- you’re in a room full of like-minded people who want to make a difference. 

What are your main hopes and expectations from the forum?

I’ve previously participated in techUK events where senior stakeholders from government departments have led open and honest conversations about gaps in their knowledge. It’s refreshing to see them hold their hands up and say ‘We need help and we want to hear from SMEs’.

I think it would be great to see more of this in the Security and Public Safety SME forum, with people not being afraid to ask for help and demonstrating a desire to make a change.

What are, in your opinion, the main challenges faced by the SME community in the security and public safety sectors?

One of the challenges we face as SMEs is that we have to be deliberate about the work we do. We might see an opportunity that we know we’re a good fit for, but before we can commit, we need to think about it more than just ‘do we fit the technical criteria?’ We need to think about how it’s going to affect wider aspects of the company – Do we have sufficient staffing? Do they need security clearance? What is the delivery timeline?

If we aren’t being intentional, we risk disrupting our current way of working. We have a loyal and happy customer base and an excellent team of engineers, developers, and PMs to manage and support them, but even if a brilliant data quality deal lands on our desk, if it would take an army to deliver it, we may not be able to commit the same resources that a big consultancy firm can and, ultimately, we may have to pass on it.  

Moreover, our expertise lies specifically in data quality. As a leading DQ vendor, we excel in this area. However, if a project requires both data quality and additional data management services, we may not be the most suitable candidate, despite being the best at delivering the data quality component.

What are your top 3 areas of focus that the forum should address?

Ultimately, I think the goal of this forum should be steered by asking the question ‘How do we make people feel safe’?

A big challenge is always going to be striking the balance between tackling the issues that affect people’s safety, whilst navigating those bigger ‘headline’ stories that can have a lasting effect on the public. For instance, if you google ‘Is the UK a safe place to live?’, largely speaking the answers will say that ‘yes, the UK is a very safe place to live’. However, people’s perceptions don’t always align with that. I remember reading an article last year about how public trust in police has fallen to the lowest levels ever, so I think that would be a good place to start.  

From a member’s perspective though, more selfishly, I’d like to get the following out of the forum – 

• Access to more SME opportunities 

• Greater partnership opportunities 

• More insights into procurement and access to the market 

In your opinion, why is networking and collaboration so important? Have you any success stories to share?

Our biggest success in networking and collaboration is having so many customers willing to endorse us and share our joint achievements.

We focus on understanding our customers, learning how they use our product, and listening to their likes and dislikes. This feedback shapes our roadmap and shows customers how much we value their input. This approach not only creates satisfied customers, but also turns them into advocates for our product. They mention us at conferences, in speeches, and in reference requests, and even help other customers with their data management strategies.

For us, networking is about more than just making new contacts; it’s about helping our customers connect and build relationships. Our customers’ advocacy is incredibly valuable because prospective customers like to hear success stories from them, perhaps more than salespeople.

About Datactics

Datactics specialises in data quality solutions for security and public safety. Using advanced data matching, cleansing, and validation, we help law enforcement and public safety agencies manage and analyse large datasets. This ensures critical information is accurate and accessible, improving response times, reducing errors, and protecting communities from threats.

For more information on how we support security and public safety services, visit our GovTech and Policing page, or reach out to us via our contact us page.

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In an era where data drives strategic decision-making, data governance and the quality of that data become increasingly vital.

Building a business case for data governance can bring a number of enterprise-wide benefits. This is especially true in banking and financial services, where the risk-focused mindset can sometimes overshadow the potential to become data-driven.

However, it is often a challenge to communicate the value of investing in a data governance and analytics programme.

Successful data governance programmes are influenced by more than the deployment of advanced technologies or methodologies. They are also determined by fostering an organisational culture that fundamentally prioritises data governance. Often referred to as ‘data literacy’, this focus on encouraging a data-driven culture helps ensure that better data management efforts are adopted and sustained over time. Consequently, this can lead to improved data quality, better adherence to rules, and smarter decision-making across the company.

In a recent roundtable in London with some of our customers, we gained first-hand insight into how they are tackling the challenge of fostering a company culture that values data governance. As thought leaders in their fields, we thought we’d share some of their insights. We’ve broken these tips down into simple summaries below.

The Four Essential Tips

Here are four ways that our customers cultivate a company culture that prioritises data governance:

1. Start with Data Quality
2. Highlight Success Stories
3. Use Positive Language
4. Tap into the Human Side of Data Governance

1. Start with Data Quality

Our customers agreed that this is one of the most impactful steps. Data quality is the foundation, ensuring consistency and accuracy across the organisation’s data landscape. This is essential for any governance and analytics programme to succeed. This step helps make the benefits of data governance more apparent and relatable to all employees, as stakeholders see how data quality can enhance decision-making, reduce errors, and streamline processes. Equally, better data powers better decisions, more of which to follow…

2. Highlight Success Stories

When trying to gain buy-in internally, it’s important to be able to create a compelling story that your key stakeholders can relate to. Success can look different depending on every organisation and it’s particularly important to shout about the wins, big or small. For one organisation, having proper data governance can drive efficiencies and profits. For another, it could result in more lives saved. Real-life examples of how improved data governance has led to better outcomes can be an excellent motivator for change.

3. Use Positive Language

The way data analytics and governance are talked about has the power to significantly influence key stakeholders. This can be as simple as talking about the opportunities and benefits of having a robust data governance programme, instead of framing it as something that’s necessary to comply with regulations. Compliance is critical, but so is growing your business; consequently, demonstrate the value your improved data quality is bringing in clear dashboards.

4. Tap into the Human Side of Data Governance

While it may be true that people will frequently resist change, it doesn’t have to derail your ambitions. To deal with this effectively, try to identify some of the areas of frustration felt by other teams across the organisation. To begin with, ask them about their daily work challenges. Oftentimes, these challenges are caused by underlying problems with data quality. Understanding this helps convince them of the value of investing more in data governance to make their day-to-day jobs easier. Our customers also commented on the value of having good interpersonal skills to work effectively with stakeholders and deal with push-back.

Maintaining a Successful Data Governance Programme

Once these initial steps have been taken, continue the conversation through ongoing education and training. Offering workshops, seminars, and online courses can help demystify data governance and analytics, making it more accessible across the business.

Another way to sustain an enterprise data governance programme is by leveraging technology. User-friendly, no-code tools and platforms are a great way of democratising data governance, making it more accessible across the business. With AI, these tools can automate mundane tasks, extract valuable insights from the data, and ensure data accuracy. Accordingly, this makes it easier to encourage a company-wide culture that values data governance.

Conclusion

Fostering a company culture that values data governance is a multifaceted process. With this in mind, it’s worth seeing how our customers have gone about it. In general they achieve buy-in by starting with data quality; leveraging the power of storytelling; providing continuous education; and embracing data management technologies. By focusing on these areas, organisations can ensure that their data governance efforts move beyond compliance requirements to become strategic advantages driveing better decision-making and operational efficiency.

How Datactics can help

Looking for advice on how to build a business case for data governance within your organisation? This is something we’ve done for our clients.

We have developed Datactics Catalyst, our professional services offering, to deliver practical support in your data strategy. 

From augmenting your data team to working on specific data projects, delivering training or providing a short-term specialist to solve a specific data quality problem, let Datactics Catalyst accelerate your ambitions, help you increase data literacy and foster a data-driven culture.

Have a look at our Catalyst page to find out more: www.datactics.com/

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