Former Metrix Data Science founder and CEO Bill Portlock is offering marketers the benefit of his four decades of experience in the data industry with the launch of a new consultancy to help organisations tackle the age-old problem of how to make better use of customer data as they try to work through the very new issues posed by AI.
Through London Data Guy, Portlock’s starting point is a straightforward question: what is the organisation trying to achieve? All too often, he argues, data analysis loses sight of that purpose.
He claims that businesses can invest considerable time and money in dashboards, reports and increasingly sophisticated tools without establishing how the results will improve performance, support customers or contribute to profit. More analysis does not necessarily mean better decisions.
Portlock’s approach draws on his experience of setting up and running businesses, alongside his technical and analytical background, which he insists helps him judge where data can make a useful contribution, which questions deserve attention and how much investment is proportionate to the potential benefit.
His work has included a cost-of-living segmentation tool designed to understand differences in people’s attitudes and affordability in relation to where they lived. Such work looks beyond broad averages to reveal the variation between communities and the people within them.
Portlock has also developed geodemographic segmentation, using information about places and populations to build a more useful understanding of different groups. Another project focused on health and fitness segmentation, bringing his professional expertise together with a longstanding personal interest.
Speaking exclusively to Decision Marketing, Portlock said: “Data should help an organisation understand what drives revenue, where costs arise, which customers and services generate value, and where effort is producing too little return. For charities and other organisations, the objectives may differ, but the principle remains the same: the work should serve a clear purpose and make effective use of available resources.”
The consultancy will offer a range of advisory services, including a fractional data officer role for smaller organisations that need experienced leadership but cannot justify a full-time appointment. This gives businesses access to senior expertise on a flexible basis, helping them establish priorities, address problems and develop a practical approach to managing and using data, Portlock maintains.
He added: “I will consider everything from data quality and ownership to analysis, reporting and the ways people use information in everyday decisions. I will also examine whether existing processes are helping: which reports earn their place, which measures matter and where simpler information could support a clearer decision.”
And, although AI will form part of those conversations, LondonDataGuy is not being launched on the AI bandwagon. Portlock says he recognises its potential, but his emphasis is on understanding the organisation and its data first, then deciding which tools and approaches best serve its needs.
Portlock continued: “As AI becomes more widely used, the quality, relevance and interpretation of the underlying data become even more consequential.
“For many businesses, this means answering some straightforward but revealing questions. Can people trust the figures they receive? Do different departments agree on what those figures mean? Is valuable information sitting unused? Are reports helping people make decisions? And, crucially, what will the business do differently as a result of the analysis?”
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