How Should You Evaluate Data Architecture Consulting Firms?
A data architecture consultant helps to modernize existing data stacks.
Two scenarios to hire a data architecture consultant are
1) modernizing existing data stacks to improve speed and reduce cost and
2) democratizing data access by cataloging data .
Modernize Existing Data Stacks
Data architects evaluate existing data architecture and can improve data access, data performance, and data cost.
Catalog Data
Data architects can catalog existing data sources and identify data silos. With this information on hand, data teams can evaluate whether they should connect data across disparate silos and how.
Whether you are looking for benchmark existing data structure and make recommendations on how to improve speed and reduce costs or catalog data , you should consider three options to accomplish your goal:
- Develop a solution in-house
- Buy a product off-the-shelf
- Engage a consultant
Which Specific Projects Can a Data Architecture Consultant Take On?
Data architecture consultants can take on projects that include:
- Data ETL architecture
- Data validation
- Data migration
- Data security
How Should You Evaluate Data Architecture Consulting Firms?
Step 1: Define your data architecture goals
When you consider hiring a consultant or a full-time employee, it's important to understand:
- The value they can create
- The amount it will cost
Data architecture consultants can drive value from either:
- Data analytics - Better decision-making
- Process automation - Replacing manual business processes with technology
- Product development - Generating revenue from client adoption
Once you have defined how a data architecture consultant can create value, you then need to understand the cost to make such an investment.
For instance, if you were hiring a full-time employee, the cost is mostly the result of salary range and benefits. When considering a consultant, you need to understand the project costs, hourly costs, or retainer pricing model that will be required.
Step 2: Outline a project description or job description
Once you understand the path to value creation and the necessary level of investment to make progress against your goals, you need a clear description of the role and responsibilities.
This is where a project description will come in handy.
In the project description, you should outline the project title, pay range, and business requirements. You should also consider including:
- Communication skills required
- Years of experience with data architecture
- Remote vs. onsite work expectations
- Relevant expertise in project management methodologies (agile, waterfall)
- Knowledge of your specific technology stack and tooling (Salesforce, Zendesk, NetSuite, IBM, Oracle, SQL Server, etc.)
- Technical knowledge (software development, SQL, software engineering, AWS, GCP, Azure, Unix, data engineering, information technology, etc.)
- Education (when applicable - bachelor's degree, computer science, engineering boot camp, etc.)
Step 3: Evaluate the available consulting firms
We recommend setting up introductory meetings with as many companies as you can. Most of these firms will have a 'Contact Us' form or a 'Schedule An Introductory Meeting' button on their website where you can get in touch.
Within a couple of hours, you can schedule 20+ meetings and start identifying the most promising partners.
Step 4: Refine your options and check references
As you identify the data architecture consultancies that could be the best fit, make sure to get references, evaluate projects, and ask for testimonials and case studies.
External certification, validation, and social proof do not guarantee a great experience, but a lack of external validation is a good sign that you should do more research before signing up for a big project.
Step 5: Begin with a data architecture project that is small in scope
Regardless of the consultant you choose, it's always a best practice to start small.
If you can begin with a month-to-month agreement or work on an hourly or project-based model for a few weeks, it allows you to evaluate a few key things:
- Will you have a good working relationship with the consultant?
- Is the consultant responsible?
- Is the consultant able to communicate effectively?
- Are the deliverables produced of high quality?
As you see success, you can always increase the scope of your relationship, or even decide to hire a full-time employee if the scope becomes large enough.
One common way to get started with a data architecture consultant is by building a custom ETL pipeline.
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