Craig March

Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2024 ✅ Great few days learning lots and catching up with some BAE Systems colleagues and some ace data & tech people. Always lovely to see some familiar faces - Katy Gooblar Juan Sequeda Tim Gasper Steffan Davies Samuel Dasaolu Soeba Qureshi Hayley Reeves (Alderton) (sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone) #GartnerDA #DataAnalytics #DataArchitecture #SWAGForDays #ShouldHaveBroughtAnotherCase

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I’ve had a busy week getting feedback from people who have attended Katalyze Data (formally Amadeus Software) SAS, R, and Python training. It's always lovely to chat to customers and get such positive reviews. The feedback has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the expertise of our instructors and the comprehensive nature of the curriculum. The attendees also told me that they like the flexibility of our delivery options, with the ability to train remotely, onsite at our Oxfordshire office, or our trainer will come to you 😊 Our training courses cover a wide range of topics from foundational concepts to advanced techniques. Whether you're new to SAS, R, or Python, or looking to expand your existing skills, we have training to suit learners at all levels.  https://lnkd.in/ehG63rXb In addition, we offer bespoke training solutions and  I’m always happy to chat with customers to discuss specific needs, challenges, and learning objectives. We’ll design a course to suit your requirements. If you or your data team are interested in upskilling , I'd be happy to discuss Katalyze Data's training offerings in more detail. Just let me know how I can assist. #KatalyzeData #DataTraining #SAS #R #Python #DataAnalytics #DataScience #SkillDevelopment #RemoteLearning #OnsiteTraining #BespokeTraining

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Just completed my basic PowerBi training. Great insights into this powerful tool for reporting and visualising data. I will be looking into how I can use PowerBi with Modern Endpoint Management reporting. If anyone has got experience in using PowerBi for generating InTune & SCCM visuals, I would be keen to hear from you and have a discussion about the possibilities. Here's to more learning!

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☹Where have the Central Gov Contract roles gone? 📉 It's been a slow couple of months for new contracts due to the end of the financial year, but this comes with allocating budgets to programmes which they can then bring in more resources for! Some tips for contractors looking: 🤝 Networking - Most central gov contractors I know that have continuous work usually find new positions by word of mouth. "It's who you know, not what you know." Speak to recruiters (like me) and attend Government events. 💼 LinkedIn - Share insightful content and connect with relevant professionals to stay on top of mind. 📝 Keep your CV updated - with any new certifications and take courses to improve your knowledge further. ⏳ Be patient - The right role will pop up. Things are already starting to pick up, it's only a matter of time as the Government has a lot of projects planned. 💬 Happy to speak with anyone looking across PMO, Change, Transformation, Programme/Project Delivery - just drop me a message! P.S. I wrote this myself, not with ChatGPT before anyone comments 😉

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Is or when will Power Platform be WGAC 2.2. compliant I was asked if Power Platform was WGAC 2.2 compliant today - https://lnkd.in/eG25VcTk Interestingly I don't recall being asked this before. I did some searching and found it seems to be WGAC 2.1 compliant This page seems to suggest Power Pages is WCAG 2.1 compliant https://lnkd.in/exQSNXJG   Power Pages – portals are WCAG 2.1 complaint as well https://lnkd.in/eqFTqF5J Anyone have any information on if/when Power Platform will be WCAG 2.2 compliant or understand the differences between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2

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My week can be planned but often as they say the "best laid plans don't happen". This week in a nutshell. Key enquiry was setting someone up so they can do their accounting etc and that same three character acronym appeared. The company had made 2fa mandatory but provided no support on how to configure it for a administrator level person. So I added extra value to the service provided by training the end user on how it works etc and stayed until they were comfortable with it. So I ask are your accounts secure and you understand the reasons and have it setup? What can happen if you don't have account and system security? Lets have a chat and see how it can be resolved and you can relax without fear of lost data, system outage on th first day back etc? Contact Number 07759 913608 hashtag hashtag #business hashtag #local hashtag #businesssupportuk hashtag #smallbusiness hashtag #network hashtag #Microsoft hashtag #apple hashtag #tablet hashtag #android hashtag #windows hashtag #infrastructure hashtag #security hashtag #antivirus #tkmitpm hashtag #reseller hashtag #opentoconnect hashtag #crm https://lnkd.in/eaVH2pj3 https://lnkd.in/ek5uqGAW www.tkmitpm.uk Book an appointment today: https://lnkd.in/eqPXPrvY

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Together with my partner in crime, Scott Hirleman, we've recorded the 5th episode of Straight Data Talk. We had the pleasure of hosting the one and only Andrew Jones. Andrew Jones is a principal engineer at GoCardless and the author of the book "Driving Data Quality with Data Contracts," which recently turned one year old. 🎂 🎊 🥂 My observation is that Andrew is brilliant and unconditionally humble. Also, he has a very healthy attitude toward Data Contracts. If you think we were talking about #datacontracts, sorry to disappoint you. Andrew took us on a journey of building a #DataPlatform at GoCardless. We covered numerous questions, basic and tricky ones: What's a Data Platform? What's the difference between #dataengineers and #dataplatformengineers? What's the difference between #dataquality and #datareliability? How do Andrew and his team convince the entire organization to comply with and implement data contracts? I also couldn't help but ask Andrew about vendors in the data contracts niche in #moderndatasack. The link to the episode is in the comments CC Jean-Georges Perrin, I mentioned you 💙 now you have to listen to it 😁

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Hello good people of LinkedIn. I come to you with a second tale of learning from experience in recruitment! Having reviewed the pool of applicants for the second of our new roles, we again have determined that we might not have framed it quite right (so basically the same lesson as last time I suppose!) In this case, the role is very much about making sure that the data products we deliver make a difference to the business. Do they use it? If so, does it change how they work? If so, is that better than before? This role is about finding out the answers to those questions and then if the answer to any of them is 'no', that's where the fun really starts. The reasons why a data product doesn't land may be many and varied. - We might have built the wrong thing (wrong requirement). - Users might not trust it (bad, untrusted or poorly sourced data). - The users might not understand what it's telling them (skills / knowledge gap). - The form of the data product, or its delivery mechanism, might not fit into the ways of working of the recipients (design failure). - We might have got the wrong balance of time invested in specifying the data product and focusing on what's supposed to be different when it's created (change failure). All of that being the case, the sort of person we're looking for might well have a background in data, but we really want them to also have had some exposure to the business side of what happens after roll-out. That means the right person might be more of a business analyst with a keen interest in data, rather than your classic data analyst. We'll consider all applications because diversity of thought will be really important here. If you know of someone you think would be right for this, please do point them in my direction. https://lnkd.in/eaByiWSK

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Thought Microsoft Teams couldn’t get any better? You’d be wrong. Soon you’ll be able to give your team a turbo boost with Microsoft Teams' lightning-fast new app. Starting in July, Microsoft will bid farewell to its classic Teams client in favour of the sleeker, speedier version. And let me tell you, this upgrade is a game-changer. The new app promises blazing-fast speeds and consumes 50% less memory, giving your team the power to collaborate like never before. Now, I know change can be daunting, but don’t worry. Microsoft has extended the transition period to give you ample time to make the switch. But with the classic client reaching its end-of-support in just two months, there's no time like the present to upgrade and unlock the full potential of Teams. And here's the best part - upgrading is a breeze. Simply make the switch to the new Teams app, and you'll enjoy all the latest updates, security patches, and cutting-edge features that Microsoft has to offer. Plus, you'll avoid any annoying notifications reminding you that the classic client is no longer supported. Have you already made the upgrade? What do you think to the new and improved app? #Microsoft #Teams #NewApp https://lnkd.in/e7vdQYWi

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Does anybody else *hate* #Windows11? It's almost exactly the same (still clunky 90s Control Panel nested windows for admin) but the Start Menu is just one moronic lump of icons instead of sectioned and multi-sized (no I'm not going to "reset it to classic" via... a Registry hack!), the Task Bar is clunky and buggily overrides the bottom screen despite going through options and worst of all... the whole thing locks and crashes (with an unproductive reboot and reset of apps required) almost every friday on updates, which old Win 10 never did with a ton more stuff on it! Is this progress? Microsoft need to stop committee based development and start firing and hiring. #windows #poordesign #bugs #rubbish

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Paper chase - remember those in school? Running after some poor so 'n' so who left a trail of paper to lead the way. It must have been a way to make cross-country more bearable, but we'd never get away with that kind of littering these days. Or would we? Ultimately, our lives leave a paper trail, one that's easy to follow if you're a criminal looking to commit fraud. Not only that, these days, we leave an electronic trail too. It's not safe to throw old bank statements in the bin, and it's not safe to simply take old computers and hard drives to the tip. We must destroy these properly so the nefarious types can't get their mitts on them!  SMB Records Management makes this easy for you. We can store your paper records securely if you still need them and need access to them again. If not, and it's now just rubbish, we give you a bag, you pile in your paper, we collect it and shred it so the information the papers contain can't ever be used against you. We do the same thing with old laptops and hard drives - any electronic device with memory is shredded, and any other electronic items are destroyed - and the materials are recycled. Win-win! Please get in touch with me for details.  #securedata #recordsmanagement #archivage #gdpr #datadestruction #boxstorage #weee #papershredding #securestorage #SMBRM #makinglifesafer

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This is a really interesting point Luke McNamara. I think as a leader you should (to a degree) be able to "walk-the-walk", at least to be credible. However... if the focus of interviewing for a senior role is predominantly technical expertise it should raise questions in your mind... ❓Is the focus of the role technical or strategic leadership? ❓Is there a good balance between being asked to demonstrate technical skills and soft skills? and most importantly... ❓What growth opportunity do "I" want out of my next role? There are no right or wrong answers, interviews are as much about "Are we the right fit for each other, right now?" as the skills, technical or soft.

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EA thought of the day... A business needs IT but that doesn't mean the business is IT. The IT is often the least interesting part of what goes on. This is shown by the fact so many key employees don't need much more than email. #EnterpriseArchitecture

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Why is software so rubbish? I'm picking on Microsoft Teams, not because Microsoft is an easy target (it is) but because it's something millions of us use every day and it really should have ironed out the bugs by now. But no - I just noticed that when I reduce the size of the Teams window to the minimum Microsoft will allow, which still takes up almost half the screen, the menu buttons don't fit! No scroll bars, no way to bring the buttons back - just a rubbish appearance and potentially reduced functionality. Gmail seems to have similar issues - some emails only display properly if the window is full screen - and I'm sure there is other software which provides an equally rubbish experience. How difficult is it to scale the appearance of a page, in 2024? #cx #customerexperience #software #fail

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Route optimisation poses a critical challenge across the whole public sector and Emergency Services. Home to School Transport (HTST) has seen the impacts of this. Recent reports project costs tripling to £1.125bn over a decade due to rising demand, and struggling to sustain safe, reliable, and cost-effective statutory transportation for vulnerable students amidst tightening budgets and increasing demand for services. In our blog, we explore how the use of route optimisation software will help local authorities and Emergency Services alike, to tackle this problem and achieve efficiencies! Read the blog to find out more about CACI Ltd’s tools and technology that are available to you to help overcome these challenges and derive long-term cost savings that will truly make a difference: https://lnkd.in/eBwsDhsb #emergencyresponse #emergencytransport #police #fire #localauthorities #localgovernment #publicsector #routeoptimisation #transport #school #university #college

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If you liked my post earlier this week about gathering feedback from your team by running a retrospective, read my blog to find out how easy it is to do this on a Teams call using Microsoft Loop #MicrosoftLoop #retrospective

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Todays task - getting another large chunk of my #cmda assignment completed ready for submission next week all with a supply of healthy snacks and coffee! 😃 This morning I’ve been reading a lot more academic journals on #stakeholderengagement, #stakeholdermanagement and #stakeholderanalysis #degreeapprenticeship

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