Elder Research

Jacob Turney is back with the final blog in his data governance series. This time he’s tackling a big one: breaking down data silos with the right architecture. But building that architecture isn’t always straightforward. Why? Because teams often don’t agree on how data should be organized. “Teams work within their silos, organizing the data how they want, and data engineering efforts are duplicated in multiple places,” Jacob says. So what should a unified architecture look like? Jacob says every organization, no matter its size, needs these three layers: 🔹 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀: Applications, hardware, client surveys … anything that generates data lives here. 🔹 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Properly store, validate, re-engineer, and catalog your data to extract value. 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Now your data’s ready to power models, apps, and dashboards that drive decisions. Check out Jacob’s latest blog to see where organizations sometimes go wrong—and how the right architecture can make all the difference: https://lnkd.in/eQdZEnzP #DataScience #DataEngineering #DataGovernance #SeeItSolved

1,200+ hours. ⏳ That’s how much processing time we helped a leading quick-service restaurant chain save. They were ready to scale machine learning, but outdated infrastructure and siloed processes were holding them back. Using the tools they had—plus a few new ones—we helped them optimize operations across 13 major objectives in just 15 months. 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱: https://lnkd.in/ezb7dtF6

We’re heading to Nashville next week for Hotel Data Conference (HDC), and we’re looking forward to some great conversations! Our very own Lisa Targonski, Director of Commercial Services, will join a panel on how hotel operators are putting generative AI to work in real ways: guest engagement, compliance, marketing, and more. We’ve been helping organizations get real value from data and AI for 30 years, and we’re excited to hear how others are approaching it in hospitality. If you’re at the conference, stop by our booth or come chat with us after the panel. We’d love to connect! #HotelDataConference #GenerativeAI #GenAI #Hospitality #SeeItSolved

Ever solve one problem ... only to uncover another? 🫠 That’s what happened to our client, a national restaurant chain. They improved the accuracy of their sales forecasts using machine learning. But the models were hard to interpret, and that made them tough to trust. Team members didn’t know 𝘸𝘩𝘺 a prediction was made, so they second-guessed the results or relied on their own judgement. Find out how we helped the team gain better insight into the model’s “thought process” and understand what was driving each forecast. 📊 𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱: https://lnkd.in/eBBkVZfj #SeeItSolved #DataScience #MachineLearning #DataAnalytics

Listening to respond? Easy. Listening to truly understand? That’s where the work begins. 💭 In this clip, Shree Whitaker Taylor, PhD, our VP of Government Analytics & Innovation, shares why our first job with any client isn’t solving the problem. It’s understanding it. Because when clients share what’s really happening—the wins, the friction, how they operate—we’re able to create solutions that actually work. ⚙️ Shree and Go-To-Guy Timberlake talk about what it takes to move innovation from idea to deliverable in this episode of GettingFED™. Watch the podcast on the The American Small Business Coalition (The ASBC™) website: https://lnkd.in/e4W3MVah #DataScience #DataAnalytics #Innovation #GettingFED #GovCon

Our Government Civilian Services team had a great time last week at the 19th annual CDOIQ Symposium in Cambridge, MA! They joined data leaders from across industries (and 47 countries!) for three days focused on advancing mature data and analytics capabilities for ROI. Topics ranged from AI adoption to the evolving role of the CDO in driving innovation. We’re always grateful for the opportunity to learn, connect, and bring back ideas that help us better serve our clients across the government sector. #SeeItSolved #CDOIQ #CDOIQ2025 #DataAnalytics #DataScience

22 intake forms. Delayed decisions. Frustrated teams. 😩 That’s what a global quick-service restaurant chain was up against. The company had built success on an innovative approach to fast food. But fragmented data and analytics operations posed a major challenge. They knew something needed to change, and our team was ready to help see it solved. To tackle the issue, we worked with the company to design a better system through a series of solution design workshops with a cross-disciplinary group of employees. 💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 1️⃣ A streamlined intake process with one user-friendly form for all requests 2️⃣ A robust prioritization system that scored requests based on key factors, including impact, effort, complexity, and cost. Now, insights are delivered faster. Teams are more focused. And leadership finally has visibility across the full analytics workload. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ebTANmMQ #SeeItSolved #DataAnalytics #Hospitality

We’ve been helping organizations protect what matters most for three decades. Today, we’re proud to announce the launch of our 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁. This dedicated team will focus on delivering AI, machine learning, and data science solutions to those safeguarding our national security and critical infrastructure—across both government and commercial sectors. At the helm is Claude "Odge" Hutton Jr, a seasoned leader with deep operational experience and an extensive military background. As VP of Homeland, Odge brings a mission-first mindset that sharpens our work across defense, intelligence, and homeland security. “I’m honored to lead these efforts with such an incredible team,” says Odge. “We’re looking forward to using our collective skills to bring innovative solutions that support our clients in protecting and defending our nation.” With this new business unit, our commitment remains the same: spot the real issues, clinch the execution, and bring everyone along so solutions don’t just launch—they last. #SeeItSolved #HomelandSecurity #DataScience #AI #MachineLearning #DataAnalytics

What keeps Kimberly Keiter smiling? “The people that I get to work with,” says the Senior Data Scientist. When Kimberly joined, she was fresh out of her master’s program in analytics. Now she’s solving tough data challenges for a wide variety of commercial clients. Along the way, she’s loved being able to work alongside and learn from other data scientists and engineers on our team. “We have a really great environment here where we’re very collaborative. We’re very humble,” says Kimberly. And seeing that humility in action day-to-day has given her the space to ask questions and gain a better understanding of things when needed. “That is a really powerful type of environment I think that we have and sets us apart as an organization for sure,” says Kimberly. Looking for an environment like that? Explore career opportunities on our Jobs page: https://lnkd.in/gpPJUkTT #DataScience #DataAnalytics #DataJobs #CareerOpportunities #SeeItSolved

Picture this: A leading restaurant chain needed a clearer view of future traffic and order times. They were using dashboards to monitor real-time data from drive-through lanes, but it didn’t paint the full picture. That’s where our team came in. We built a digital twin: a virtual copy of one of their restaurants that simulates vehicle movement through the drive-through lanes, using real-time traffic data. The goal? Enabling more intuitive monitoring and paving the way for predictive analytics, such as forecasting future service times. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱: https://lnkd.in/e_mwGfxg #DataScience #DataAnalytics #DigitalTwin #Hospitality