Susan Walsh

Crisps or chips? Does it even matter?
Susan Walsh
June 17, 2022

It does if you're classifying a global data set! This is a challenge I'm helping one of my clients overcome right now.

We have to account for regional variations, define each category classification and make sure that when they want to do global analytics everything is in the same category so they can have true visibility of spend.

Does your taxonomy account for this?

#taxonomy #classification #analytics #data #procurement

Top five classification tips
Susan Walsh
June 08, 2022

The Classification Guru turns 5 this week! And to celebrate I am sharing some of my TOP FIVE TIPS - get it?

We're starting with my Top 5 Classification Tips...

Normalise your suppliers first
Use keyword searches in the supplier and description name
Use the supplier name, description AND value for context
Don’t assume you know who the supplier is, double-check
Triple check your file once you’re finished

#classification #toptips #birthday #analytics #procurement

Five Things I’ve learned in my five years of business
Susan Walsh
June 06, 2022

Wow. I made it to five whole years, and for me, this is a huge milestone as many don’t get this far. But what a year it’s been. I would say in all honesty it’s probably been the hardest year, and that includes the ones where I couldn’t pay my bills.

Why? Well, it was easier because it was just me, I had to worry about but now have six – yes SIX -people working for me and it’s terrifying! The pressure and responsibility I feel to pay their salaries or invoices each month is huge, but I have to take a step back and remind myself that I have actually been doing that for the past 18 months already, even as costs have risen. Somehow it doesn’t seem to get any easier, but I’m always learning.

Speaking of lessons learned… it was the first thing I said last year and has been even more relevant this year:

No one tells you how hard the growth of a business is

Literally no one. Yet when I speak to other business owners they either have been or are going through many of the same things as me. I mean, shouldn’t there be a support group or something?!

What’s made this even more prevalent this year is having a team. It’s tough, everyone responds differently to information, feedback, and training. Some are introverts, some are not, some communicate well, others can be challenging.

But the next thing I’ve realised is:

You can’t be friends with your team

I’ve always believed that if you look after your team, make them feel valued, they’ll be loyal and work hard for you. I was kind of right, but what you can’t do is be their friend. I got myself into a situation where I didn’t raise issues because of the friendship I had with one of my team, which ultimately led to the end of our working and personal relationship.

Could I have handled it better? Absolutely. Do I regret the outcome? Absolutely not. It showed me the loyalty I felt was not reciprocated and the response made me realise that it probably worked out for the best.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

While I’m pretty good at communication, (we chat in Teams and have a weekly team meeting), I’ve realised that I assume people understand what I have meant without confirming. Now it falls on both of us to do this but communicating your expectations clearly will ultimately lead to fewer issues down the road.

And it’s the same with clients. I’ve learned over the years to be as specific as possible when it comes to what I will and won’t be delivering on projects. This means the client has less room to take advantage of an open and unclear scope of work which results in scope creep on my side. If you are ever unsure, always clarify. It will save you time and money in the long run.

Delegate, delegate, delegate

I have improved massively on this from last year, I’ve had issues trusting people to do the work they have been tasked with to the level that I needed; however, I have a great team in place now who I can place my trust in, and who I’m letting manage parts of the business process without having to check in on everything they are doing.

Which moves nicely on to…

Having the right people in place is critical

This is possibly THE most important piece of advice I can give you, and if you don’t find them the first-time round, don’t give up – keep trying! I went through four virtual assistants (VA’s) in two years and had all but given up until coming to the realisation, and a discussion with my coach, that it wasn’t a VA I needed, it was an executive assistant (EA)/business manager.

I needed someone that was exclusively working on my business and supporting me, and that’s what has made the difference. So, if you’re struggling to fill a role, review if it’s really what you need, or is it something else?

Because once you have those people in place, it makes delegation so much easier, and the trust comes naturally.

And once you have this in place, it becomes easier to follow the next piece of advice:

Don’t BE the business

I’m not 100% there yet, but I am now passing on my knowledge and skills to my team so that all this information is not just sitting in my head anymore. It’s a slow and steady process but I feel confident in letting go. I can still be the FACE of the business; I just don’t have to be the business itself.

The money in the bank account? Not mine. Not anymore, it belongs to the business now. The responsibility of paying the team? Not mine, it’s the business. Although I’m still working on letting go of the responsibility on that one…

Don’t undersell yourself/the business

I often forget to look at the value from the client-side, and the services that we provide. We could save them months of time, if not years in some cases, plus drive profitability, and that’s not including the cost savings, yet we charge based on our time, rather than what the value to the client is.

I could quote the same piece of work to two different clients, one would accept and the other would reject it, so I’m learning to not take this personally anymore. At the end of the day, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Cashflow is a b@tch

It’s getting slightly easier, but at the same time my overheads are so much greater I need to be pulling in bigger projects. And if they don’t pay on time, it’s a nightmare. Last year I had to threaten to publicly post about a client to get paid, it was a nightmare, but also an effective tactic and so I have since used it again as a last resort. Unpaid invoices are sadly not uncommon.

You can put as many plans and buffers in place as you like but if several invoices are all late at the same time, you’re in a pickle. Having a couple of months of money in the bank is a great idea and I’m working towards it but every time I put something away, I need to use it to cover something else.

Let’s just call it a work in progress…

Things still take a long time to come together

This never changes. Your timeline is not your client’s timeline. It may be important for you to get that project, but it might be low on the list of priorities of your client – always keep working to build up your pipeline while balancing the fine line of not overloading yourself with too much work.

Most of our projects take months, rather than weeks to materialise. This is tough when you have a small workload or cash flow issues, but as we’re growing it’s getting easier to manage. And quite often there will be an unexpected project that pops up which always helps. Being aware of this is the best preparation you can have.

There will still be meltdowns

This never goes away, regardless of what stage you’re at, it’s perfectly normal to question absolutely everything you are doing, feel overwhelmed, and both a success and a failure at the same time. Many times I have questioned if I was doing the right thing, should I just give it all up… but I would be miserable if I had to go and work for someone else – I’m pretty much unemployable.

You need a coach

I say this every year and as each year goes by, I am more thankful for having my coach. She has helped me navigate new and tricky waters this year and has been invaluable.

I never believed in coaches until I met Vicki Connor (connorcoaching.co.uk) – a straight-talking no-nonsense coach. She’s developed my tone, language, thought process, helped me curb my limiting beliefs, and manage those meltdowns I just told you about.

She has undoubtedly helped me progress forward at a rate faster than I could have achieved alone, I cannot recommend getting one enough, but it has to be the right one for you.

Not everyone will be your cheerleader

As sad as it is, not everyone will celebrate your successes with you. It can be for many different reasons, but it’s important to remember it’s not anything that you have done, you just keep being you, working hard, and being awesome.

Aim high

Aim higher than you think you could ever achieve and just go for it. Say yes to as many opportunities as you can, and if you’ve never done something before, well just figure it out. Because of this, I’m now a published author of “Between the Spreadsheets”, a TEDx speaker, and I’ve been listed as a DataIQ100 thought leader.

I’m growing my business in ways I never thought possible and speaking at events all over the world online and in person and getting paid for it.

Never in my wildest dreams…

So, that’s it for this wild ride of a year, what will the next one bring? Who knows, but what I am sure of is a hell of a lot more learnings. Until next year….

What has your experience been? Why not get in touch and let me know susan@theclassificationguru.com

It's fun to donate to the D.A.T.A....
Susan Walsh
May 31, 2022

The end of May already, I mean how did that happen??
Before I fill you in on all the shenanigans of this month, let me tell you about something that's more important than me, and let me tell you there are not many things!!
But this is very special, the data community has pulled together in full force to help support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine caused by war, and affecting millions of lives.
A fantastic bunch of data guys and gals, including my fellow DataIQ 100 recipient Nicola Askham, along with Rob Howes, Lucy Allen, Roisin McCarthy, Dmytro Lugovyi, Bryan Dobson, Christoph Walch, Chris Neale and Pete Youngs have formed D.A.T.A (Data and Tech Aid) and set themselves the ambitious target of buying 10,000 medical kits, worth $1million, and they need your help!!
You might feel unsure how you can contribute, but let me tell you there are several ways.
Firstly, you can head over to https://dataandtechaid.com/ to make a donation. It doesn't have to be a large amount, if every one of my subscribers donated just £1, we'd have nearly £10k to add to the pot. £1 won't even get you a coffee these days!
Secondly, if you want more bang for your buck but still want to help, there's the official D.A.T.A merch store . Why not stock up on some t-shirts for your summer wardrobe, while helping to save lives. Pretty cool, huh?
And finally, why not get your organisation to sponsor? Speak to your marketing department to see if they have any budget to support such a worthy cause. And in return, they'll get great exposure, supported by the data greats of the industry. That's a money can't buy opportunity right there!
So, did you figure out the banner now?
D A T A
Right, let's resume usual service now. What have I been up to this month? What HAVEN'T I been up to!
It started the beginning of the month at the BigID's boat party during the Gartner conference. I met some old friends and new, and had a great time.
Then it was on to chatting to Sarah Barnes Humphrey on Let's Talk Supply Chain. Want to know what we spoke about?
It was then time to head up to London for the DMS Summit, where I was hosting a panel on data democratisation. Again great to see so many people, many whom I knew from Linkedin.
Was that enough? Absolutely not. I then headed up to Edinburgh to have a live session with Brian Booden and George Beaton for The Data Mix (and I also streamed live on LinkedIn). But the most exciting part of the trip was the Prosecco button in my hotel room. I just had to press it and Prosecco would arrive at my door minutes later. That's how you do customer service...
I've also been celebrating a year since my TEDx talk, it's a very personal one but something I'm extremely proud of.
What next? Oh yes, there was the Transform Your Audit Summit where I spoke to Claire Worledge about dirty data.

Who ate all the eggs??
Susan Walsh
May 03, 2022

I did! And I'm a little bit late on April's newsletter but who's counting?? And what an April it was!
I had the pleasure of running rooms at Stackstreams launch festival, spoke at Silicon Brighton's Data Forum meetup, featured in their blog and I was a judge for Onyx data's #dataDNA challenge.
There were around 200 entries and the level of competition made it very hard to judge, but I really enjoyed myself. Congratulations to all the winners
PLUS!! There were podcasts! I spoke to Ema Roloff on why data matters in digital transformation, which you can catch right here.
But there's more!!
It was a real dream come true to appear on the Women in Data podcast and talk about being a visible role model which you can listen to on any of these great platforms
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-58-susan-walsh-becoming-an-authentic-and-visible/id1518317019?i=1000558884528
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0AHIEGHFf104bgi82SAWPu
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3dvbWVuaW5kYXRhL2ZlZWQueG1s/episode/d29tZW5pbmRhdGEucG9kYmVhbi5jb20vNWFhZWIxZjctOTY4ZC0zYTJjLTk3YzQtOTQ1ZDZhMGQxMjBi?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiw-76n6rT3AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

March Madness - Awards & Events Galore!!
Susan Walsh
March 31, 2022

What a month I have had! I can't quite believe everything that has happened. It started with eWorld Procurement, in what could have been a disaster with train strikes and torrential rain, the dedicated procurement professionals came out in force to learn, network and reunite.

MAKE CLASSIFYING YOUR SPEND DATA A TOP PRIORITY IN 2022
Future of Sourcing
March 18, 2022

Classifying spend data can often seem like a huge and overwhelming task, says Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru, but you shouldn't push it down on the priority list. She shares why you need to make it your top data priority in 2022 and shares examples of costly mistakes.

Why you should maintain your data
OnlyDataJobs.com
March 04, 2022

So, you’ve paid a 3rd party a large sum of money to classify and analyse your data. Job done. Right?

Well, not quite....

How I Became The Classification Guru, Fixer of Dirty Data (Without Any Data Qualifications)
OnlyDataJobs.com
March 04, 2022

Yes, it’s all true! I have absolutely no qualifications in data and yet I’m running a successful data consultancy business, classifying spend data, normalising suppliers, building taxonomies and cleaning databases…

Why you should prioritise cleaning your dirty data
OnlyDataJobs.com
March 04, 2022

Get your COAT, you’ve pulled (clean data)

FAB-ruary Newsletter: Phew! What a jam packed month!
LinkedIn
February 28, 2022

Tomorrow, I am heading to eWorld! It was postponed last year so it's been a long time in the making and I can't wait to host my workshop and hopefully meet some of you as well! I'll be giving away a TCG Highland Cow AND a copy of Between the Spreadsheets... so make sure you swing by the booth to enter!

It's been 10 months in the making....
LinkedIn
January 20, 2022

I'm interrupting the usual newsletter schedule to share something that's very important to me.

Back to basics: What is dirty data?
LinkedIn
January 05, 2022

What exactly is dirty data? Well, the truth is that it can mean different things to different people, working with different types of data, but at its most basic level, dirty data is anything incorrect.

They Did What?! Data Horror Stories Revealed
Future of Sourcing
October 25, 2021

We all like a good horror story, especially a data one. It’s like when you pass an accident on the road, you can’t help but slow down to have look, and then you’re thankful it wasn’t you.

Data horror stories are just like that. It gives us comfort to know that we are not the only ones suffering and that there might be people in even worse situations out there. We’re not just going to slow down here though; we’re also going to stop and see what went wrong. That way we can avoid finding ourselves in these situations in the future.

WHAT CAN YOUR PROCUREMENT DATA TELL YOU?
Future of Sourcing
September 28, 2021

You might not realize it yet, but your procurement data can tell you a lot. It’s not just numbers either, it can tell you a story about what is going on within your organization -- and even further afield.

WHAT IS A TAXONOMY, AND SHOULD I BE USING ONE?
Future of Sourcing
August 04, 2021

Data taxonomy is the classification of data into categories and sub-categories. More technically, it provides a unified view of the data in an organization and introduces common terminologies across multiple systems.

Does your Procurement Data have its COAT?
World of Procurement
July 28, 2021

If your Procurement data doesn’t have a COAT, there could be a range of bad or costly decisions made which could affect the business performance, financial situation, risk jobs, or even the fate of the company.

Get your COAT, you've pulled (clean data)
LinkedIn
July 08, 2021

If your data doesn’t have a COAT, there could be a range of bad or costly decisions made which could affect the business performance, financial situation, risk jobs, or even the fate of the company. It’s a bit like dating – the more refined the search pool is, the more likely you are to find a match! You wouldn't go searching for ‘the one’ in a nightclub if you prefer the quiet life, you’d have nothing in common. And you shouldn’t work with data or make business decisions without the same level of quality data.

What is Tail Spend?
Future of Sourcing
June 10, 2021

Just like in spend data classification, the definition of tail spend is subjective. Some organisations classify tail spend at the bottom 20% of spend, while others might set a financial level such as £100,000 or £1 million.

Things I’ve learned in my four years of business
Susan Walsh
June 06, 2021

FOUR WHOLE YEARS!! It’s astonishing. Little over a year ago I thought I’d have to get a job, and then things turned around dramatically. My turnover increased 500% on the previous year, I have a team now, have written a book AND I managed to squeeze in a TEDx talk.

Does that mean I have fewer learnings to share? Hell no, I have even more. And the first thing I’m going to share with you is:

No one tells you how hard the growth of a business is

Well, no one told me anyway, I just thought “great, more money now I can pay my bills and I don’t have to worry”. Wrong. I now have an accountant, a copywriter and a virtual assistant (VA), who all need to be paid monthly, along with my contractors. Then there’s a design agency and a solicitor for more ad hoc work.

And so the worry of paying your bills just transfers to paying other peoples. But it’s really important to make sure you always look after yourself first, as in most cases there’s no business without you.

And it might seem like a lot of outgoing costs, but the reality is these people can do a better job than me, and they are in fact helping me grow. Nonetheless, it’s still terrifying if you think about it too much! I’m just warning you…

Which leads nicely on to…

Invest in your business

It’s been a tough year for everyone, but I doubled down and invested heavily in marketing. Animations, exhibitions, Linkedin banners, a new website (to be launched soon), and social media help. And it’s paid off, the business has grown and more people than ever know who The Classification Guru is, and want to work with us. I have to get used to that now, it’s been “me” for so long.

And for you, it might be something else, a new office or equipment, or a larger team. There’s never going to be a good or right time, but if you have, or have access to the funds to be able to invest then don’t hold off, stay ahead of the competition.

Delegate, delegate, delegate

I’m still not great at this, but getting slightly better every day. And I left it too late – get an accountant as soon as you can, then a solicitor, social media help etc… When it comes to my team I know I need to let go more, trust them and let them fail and learn, but the overwhelming urge to “just do it myself because it’s quicker” never fails to end up stacking the work up on my side while they are left with a lighter load.

I’m learning to extend my project delivery times to account for this, and I’m trying to make space to spend the time with them and develop them. Since my second team started in January (more on that later), I’ve just had to throw things at them without taking the time to take them through it properly, I just correct things at the end, so now I’m going to go back and fix that, building a stronger, more knowledgeable team for the future, which will also reduce my own workload.

Don’t BE the business

Delegation will help a lot with this, it’s important to make sure you are not the business. If something happens to you tomorrow, could your business continue without you? Mine couldn’t but it’s something I’m working very hard on to make sure isn’t the case in 12 months. Rather than having one replacement, look at building a team around you who can run it, spreading the knowledge as well as the risk.

I’m working really hard to now separate Susan from The Classification Guru, it will take time but for the business to grow and succeed it has to happen.

Having the right people in place is critical

I’ve heard this many times before, along with “people/staff will be your biggest problem in business”. And that can be true if you don’t have the right people working with you. Not for you, but with you. Be a team. I had my first team last summer, people I had worked with before so I thought would be a “safe” option. Off the shelf trained and ready to go…. But it didn’t quite work out like that.

I thought I had been clear in my expectations, but I found the team treated this new relationship with my business very much like the one where I had managed them at an old company. But this time it was my company, it meant so much more, it was personal. I had client deadlines to meet and at times I felt let down when team deadlines weren’t met, or work was returned only partly completed. It resulted in me having to work what should have been my first week off in years, and realising that it wasn’t going to work out.

But I didn’t give up, I found some new team members, and balanced a mixture of experienced and not and it’s working out much better. But I do need to improve on the following:

Communicate clearly

I have found on occasions that I haven’t explained myself or the project objectives clearly enough. Some people have managed to read my mind, but it normally ends in disaster so I need to be clearer on my expectations and deliverables. And not just assume they’ll know things…

And it’s the same with clients, I’ve learned over the years to be as specific as possible when it comes to what I will and won’t be delivering on projects. This means the client has less room to take advantage of an open and unclear scope of work and result in scope creep on my side. If you are ever unsure, always clarify. It will save you time and money in the long run.

Don’t undersell yourself

I have been guilty of this, I have specialist knowledge that is pretty unique, and I’m finally starting to realise that. I often forget to look at the value from the client side, I could save them months of time, if not years in some cases, and that’s not including the cost savings, yet I charge based on what I think the value is, which is always a lot less than the actual value to the client.

And if the prospective client doesn’t like my pricing? Well that’s ok too, they can choose a cheaper option but I know they won’t get the same results. And while it does still make me question myself at times, I stand by what I’m charging as I know that the clients I do work with always recognise and appreciate the value of my services.

Ghosting is a thing

I’ve had it happen a few times over the years, and mostly I just brush it off but sometimes you are teased and coaxed into believing a project is going to happen, you’ve spent hours working on a POC, have had numerous meetings and then…..nothing. No response to emails out of courtesy, no respect for the time you have invested.

There’s still that odd ghoster that really gets to me, but as I become busier I try to just brush it off and not pin my hopes on that one big project. Let’s face it, would they be worth working with if they treat suppliers like this? You just have to accept it’s going to happen and not take it personally.

So that’s my new learnings from this year, but some of the previous ones are still as relevant to me this year including:

You always need more money

This will always be true, you can plan and plan and plan, but there will always be unexpected costs or opportunities that will crop up. As the years go on, this does get easier, but as I said now there’s extra costs and people I have to pay, or more animations I’d like to get. I try to keep a buffer or have a credit card for any unexpected costs, I’m also trying to save 2-3 months of costs as my backup now.

It can take a long time for things to come together

This never changes. Your timeline is not your client’s timeline. It may be important for you to get that deal done and dusted, but it might be low on the list of priorities of your client – always keep working to build up your pipeline while balancing the fine line of not overloading yourself with too much work. Having a team now means it’s much easier to manage the workload and it helps a lot.

I now expect months, rather than weeks for projects to happen. This is tough when you have very little business or cash flow, but as I’m growing it’s getting easier to manage. And quite often there will be an unexpected project that pops up which always helps. Being aware of this is the best preparation you can have.

There will still be meltdowns

This never goes away, even now I consider my business relatively stable. Regardless of what stage you’re at, it’s perfectly normal to question absolutely everything you are doing, feel overwhelmed, and both a success and a failure at the same time. Many times I have questioned if I was doing the right thing, should I just give it all up… but I would be miserable if I had to go and work for someone else, I’m pretty much unemployable.

Get a coach

I never believed in coaches until I met Vicki Connor (http://connorcoaching.co.uk/) – a straight-talking no-nonsense coach that has developed my tone, language, thought process and helped me curb my limiting beliefs, and manage those meltdowns I just told you about.

She has undoubtedly helped me progress forward at a rate faster than I could have achieved alone, I cannot recommend getting one enough, but it has to be the right one for you.

Network, Network, Network

My business would not be in the place it is today without some rampant networking. But not just any networking, the right networking. I now target mainly procurement and data events, and with everything being online I have taken advantage of growing my business not just here in the UK, but across the globe, and it’s paying dividends.

It won’t suit every business, but you don’t need to limit yourself to local or regional, think big! But don’t expect immediate results, it’s a long game but very much worth it in the end.

And so that’s it for another year. Making it to 5 will be a huge achievement for me, many don’t make it that far, and based on how things are going for the first time in one of these blogs I’m confident that I’ll be here again next year telling you how I again increased my turnover, and possibly even have a best selling book. Dare to dream, and take those opportunities when they arrive.

Until next year….

What has your experience been? Why not get in touch and let me know susan@theclassificationguru.com

MAKE PUTTING A COAT ON YOUR DATA A TOP PRIORITY
Future of Sourcing
March 30, 2021

Can you imagine standing in the middle of a snow blizzard without a COAT on? No… me either. It doesn’t sound like a particularly fun way to spend an evening and let’s face it, no one wants to be exposed to the elements. But guess what? Your data is the same. Think about all the consequences for your health if you were to be stuck out in freezing, stormy weather without a layer of protection on: snotty nose, shivering or, even worse, hypothermia and frostbite.

Susan, The Tailor
The Classification Guru
March 11, 2021

Susan is a lot of things. She’s The Classification Guru, first and foremost. She’s also the Queen of Consistency, a defender of data, and the creator of COAT. But what you may not know is Susan is also a Tailor. A Data Tailor.

Why Should I Maintain My Data?
Future of Sourcing
February 18, 2021

So, you’ve just shelled out big money to have it classified and your data will almost certainly be correct when you receive it, but it will only stay accurate for a short period of time.

What is tail spend?
The Classification Guru
February 18, 2021

Just like spend data classification, the definition of tail spend is subjective. Some organisations class tail spend as the bottom 20% of spend, while others might set a financial level such as £100k or £1million.

The Classification Guru: the superhero your data needs
The Classification Guru
January 26, 2021

These were the ingredients chosen to create one perfect data expert, but the Professor accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction - chemical Xcel thus, The Classification Guru was born!

DON’T LEAVE YOUR DATA OUT IN THE COLD - IT NEEDS A COAT
Future of Sourcing
December 08, 2020

Data services are just like coats - not all are created equal. There's a varying range of price, quality and reliability. And, if your data doesn’t have a good coat, there could be a range of bad or costly decisions made. These decisions could affect the business performance, financial situation, risk jobs, or even the fate of the company.

NO, IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST USE GL CODES TO CLASSIFY YOUR SPEND DATA—HERE’S WHY
Future of Sourcing
November 25, 2020

Finance departments use GL codes to track spend. We’re looking at items like office supplies, marketing or maybe a specific project within the business. However, what finance are looking for and what procurement are looking for can be two quite different things.

THE DANGERS OF DIRTY DATA AND HOW TO ENSURE YOUR DATA HAS ITS COAT ON
Future of Sourcing
October 23, 2020

We all think we know what dirty data is, but it can mean very different things to different people. At it’s most basic level, dirty data is anything that’s incorrect.

The Dangers of Dirty Data
Procurious
September 17, 2020

Is your organisation working with ‘dirty data’? How would you know? And, what impact is it having? This article has everything you need to know about doing a quick spot check, spotting procurement problems, identifying savings, and more importantly, making sure your data has its COAT on.

Why maintaining your procurement data is so important
Fairmarkit
August 25, 2020

What is spend data classification and why should I care?
The Classification Guru
August 13, 2020

DON’T LEAVE YOUR DATA OUT IN THE COLD - IT NEEDS A COAT
Future of Sourcing
August 12, 2020

Protect your data, make sure it has its COAT on. Read on to find out more.

Susan versus the Machine: making peace with AI
World of Procurement
July 16, 2020

What’s that coming over the hill - is it a monster? No, it’s just the 21st century. As much as I love technology and AI, it's not there in spend data classification. Let me tell you why....

Paint, bras, toothpaste, and blouses - getting to know The Classification Guru
The Classification Guru
July 13, 2020

Ever wondered how I got started? This interview will explain everything....

Make sure your data has its COAT on
Let's Talk Supply Chain
June 26, 2020

The dangers of dirty procurement data
Fairmarkit
June 02, 2020

Things I've learned in my 3 years of business
The Classification Guru
June 01, 2020

It's been a rollercoaster, but I've learned some great tips that I'd like to share with you. Some I've mastered, some not so much....yet!

Get your COAT, you’ve pulled (clean data)
World of Procurement
May 22, 2020

Make sure your data has it's COAT. It must be

Consistent
Organised
Accurate
Trustworthy

Read my blog to find out more....

The dangers of dirty data — How to do a quick and easy spot-check
Spend Matters UK/Europe
May 12, 2020

Data should be everyone’s responsibility, from the bottom of an organisation right to the very top. Currently, across many organisations, data is the responsibility of a person or department, and everyone trusts them to make sure the data is accurate.

The High Cost of Dirty Data and Its Consequences for CPOs and Their Teams
Digital Procurement World
April 01, 2020

An article discussing what is dirty data, its consequences and how to spot check it.

The secret to perfectly maintained data
The Classification Guru
July 11, 2019

Things I've learned in my two years of business
The Classification Guru
June 09, 2019

An honest account of my 2 years in business.

Between the spreadsheets
Susan Walsh
May 24, 2022

Still thinking about whether to read 'Between the Spreadsheets'?

This is what my buddy SCOTT TAYLOR - The Data Whisperer says about the book, and he knows his eggs.

In addition to the star-studded lineup of reviews, I've had some great feedback for those deep down and dirty in the data, and they love it too. Even the most experienced of professionals have found nuggets in there to help them, so why not give it a try?

Learn how to normalise suppliers, classify data, build a taxonomy and clean data. Plus there's a whole chapter dedicated to horror stories, who doesn't love that??

You can find the book at all good bookstores (and some bad)!

eBooks.com
- https://lnkd.in/e9N7xwDa

Facet Publishing - https://lnkd.in/dW-8Tdw6

American Library Association - https://lnkd.in/g_SPYgNf

Bookshop.org
- https://lnkd.in/g9fbHqqA

Waterstones- https://lnkd.in/g-fDtqrm

Barnes & Noble, Inc. - https://lnkd.in/d3MXrB2k

Amazon - https://lnkd.in/dkNfpVym

#data #procurement #author #book

Book Review ‘Between the spreadsheets’ Susan Walsh
BCS
October 21, 2021

The full title of this book is Between the Spreadsheets – Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data. What a superb title! It makes you smile before you even open the book. At last there is a book that focuses on content quality and does so in a very practical way.

Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data
Facet Publishing
September 23, 2021

Dirty data is a problem that costs businesses thousands, if not millions, every year. In organisations large and small across the globe you will hear talk of data quality issues. What you will rarely hear about is the consequences or how to fix it.

Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data draws on classification expert Susan Walsh’s decade of experience in data classification to present a fool-proof method for cleaning and classifying your data. The book covers everything from the very basics of data classification to normalisation, taxonomies and presents the author’s proven COAT methodology, helping ensure an organisation’s data is Consistent, Organised, Accurate and Trustworthy. A series of data horror stories outlines what can go wrong in managing data, and if it does, how it can be fixed.

After reading this book, regardless of your level of experience, not only will you be able to work with your data more efficiently, but you will also understand the impact the work you do with it has, and how it affects the rest of the organisation.

Written in an engaging and highly practical manner, Between the Spreadsheets gives readers of all levels a deep understanding of the dangers of dirty data and the confidence and skills to work more efficiently and effectively with it.

Susan Walsh - My journey into data | Podcast
Business of Data
June 16, 2022

In this week’s episode of the Business of Data podcast, host Catherine King talks with Founder and Managing Director of data quality consultancy The Classification Guru about her personal journey into the data and analytics industry, and how she found her calling as a ‘fixer of dirty data’.

In the discussion this week:

The importance of fun in data culture
Walsh’s personal journey into the data and analytics industry
The dangers of ‘dirty data’ and how to avoid them

DataIQ100 2022
DataIQ
March 10, 2022

The first and only fully-curated power list of the most influential data and analytics practitioners. Since 2014, DataIQ has been tracking the rise of chief data officers, chief analytics officers, data scientists, data governance experts and the leaders of key vendors and service providers. Inclusion in the DataIQ 100 is a notable badge of honour that is widely referenced by the individuals who make the cut.

50 Unstoppable Women Leaders of Today & Tomorrow
Engati
March 08, 2022

Fixing Dirty Data in Business Systems
Dataversity
December 06, 2021

What is dirty data? What are the consequences? How can you fix it? You're expected to cleanse data, but very few are trained on how to do it, understand why it’s needed, or understand the impact and consequences that it can have on a business.

Susan Walsh will share with you how to cleanse data in your business systems (including spreadsheets!), regardless of your level of experience. She'll explain why data accuracy and maintenance are so important and how to implement best practices for this.

There are many different tools out there that can help with this, but if you don’t understand the data you are working with, how do you know if the tool is working? Data quality, data cleansing, and cleaning are undervalued and underrepresented skills and tasks. Not only will this presentation highlight their importance, but it will do so in a fun and engaging way.

Takeaways:

The consequences of dirty data
How to ensure data accuracy
How to cleanse business and personal data
How to normalize supplier data

How to Sort Your Dirty Data with Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru
SCMDOJO Dr Muddassir Ahmed
June 12, 2022

SCMDOJO
In Episode 40 of The Supply Chain Show , Dr. Muddassir Ahmed interviewed Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru.

We talked about:

- How to use the COAT Methodology to sort out the data mess.

- What s included in her book Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data

- Spend data classification in Procurement

- And most importantly rapping!

Why Data Cleanup Matters in Digital Transformation
Naviant
April 05, 2022

Learn about the importance of data cleanup from Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru Founder and Author of "Between the Spreadsheets." She breaks down why data cleanup is vital before a digital transformation, the role people play in data cleanup, and more.

Do humans or bots make the best business decisions?
Supply Management Magazine
March 18, 2022

New Year wishes for the procurement solutions and services marketplace 2022
Spend Matters
January 12, 2022

The power of good, clean data in services procurement
Zivio
October 21, 2021

Highlighting the importance of addressing dirty data in services procurement

Voice of Supply Chain with Susan Walsh
ISM New Jersey
August 26, 2021

Voice of Supply Chain: With Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru, Founder & Owner of Fixer of Dirty Data with guest host: Sarah Scudder, President, RSN

The Human-AI Partnership in Spend Analytics with Susan Walsh
AI Time Journal
August 20, 2021

Women In Supply Chain, Susan Walsh
Let's Talk Supply Chain
June 07, 2021

In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Susan Walsh: the self-confessed Mistress of Data who uses her expertise in spend data classification, supplier normalisation, and taxonomy customisation to help procurement and data teams across the industry to work more effectively.

Fixing ‘dirty data’ with Susan Walsh, the Classification Guru
Atoti
April 22, 2021

Follow us in part one of this interview with Susan as we understand more about ‘dirty data’ and how the ‘classification guru’ ensures that data has its COAT on.

Serious business between the spreadsheets: Susan Walsh
Atoti
April 22, 2021

When times get tough: Susan Walsh shares her ups and downs transparently during her path to success.

Interview with Susan Walsh, Founder/MD, The Classification Guru Ltd
AI Time Journal
April 15, 2021

We thank Susan Walsh from The Classification Guru Ltd for taking part in this interview and sharing several insights, including:

- Tips and Tricks of getting into Data Science
- Common Data Issues and importance of business knowledge while dealing with data
- Resources and Recommendations

Meet Susan Walsh, the woman behind The Classification Guru
EM360
December 11, 2020

Susan Walsh wears many, many hats. Some of you may know her as the Classification Guru, or as the Fixer of Dirty Data. Susan is also a known thought leader, speaker, expert in her field, and founder of her own company (also named The Classification Guru). Having successfully built a brilliant personal brand – and accumulating thousands of followers along the way – Susan really is top of mind for many when it comes to data experts.

Good Morning Data Show
George Firican
September 18, 2020

Data classification and data gone wrong with Susan Walsh - The Data Classification Guru

Entrepreneur Interviews – The Data Classification Guru
Corner Finance
September 16, 2020

A long time ago, when things were very different, we sat down face-to-face to speak with Susan Walsh - the one and only Data Classification Guru.

If you're looking for a genuinely inspiring business owner, then look no further. The importance of persistence, of having a passion for what you do, of surrounding yourself with the right people, and of wanting to make a difference - there is so much in here. Just don't call her an entrepreneur......or mention ghosting.

The Classification Guru and Fixer of Dirty Data – Susan Walsh – #WSW – Women Supporting Women
Ms Category Management
May 10, 2020

Have you met Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru?!

Ever wonder why your data that was supposedly classified with AI and machine learning still comes back dirty almost 6-8 weeks later?

Then check out my latest blog Susan's phenomenal career and business insights!

Data Classification – AI and RPA are NOT taking over the world according to this expert
Spend Matters UK/Europe
March 09, 2020

A perspective on the impact of AI and RPA on the human workforce.

Susan Walsh on - Tail spend is where the real party is happening
Paid Ltd
June 17, 2022

We’re back with series 2 of ‘What’s in your long tail?’ and we couldn’t be more pleased to kick things off with Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru Walsh.

Susan chats with Christina and Paul about making sense of tail spend data and all the quirky and wonderful things you can find inside it. But more importantly, she talks through getting started on the long tail data analysis journey, what to look out for, and putting on your data COAT.

It’s a great episode, and is available to stream now.

Let's talk about #classification... the Good, the Bad & the Ugly!
Susan Walsh
June 15, 2022

I talk a lot about this in 'Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data', but before that we had this epic video!

Check it out ️️

#data #COAT #analytics #procurement

LIVE at the DATA DEN
Live from the Data Den
May 13, 2022

Another great session on the job market for data right now, tips on applying for jobs and the dos and don'ts of job hunting!

All Hotel Soap Goes to Heaven (Or Does It?)
Let's talk supply chain
May 10, 2022

#ThoughtsAndCoffee
Tips you can use today for beating trending supply chain disruptions
The afterlife of used hotel soap
How companies are still managing to get booze to the public despite supply chain struggles

Safe Software: Digital Twins and Their Role Within the Data Space
https://em360tech.com/
May 03, 2022

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Digital twins are virtual models designed to accurately reflect a physical object or process. The real-world applications of this are endless - from city planning to construction and decoration, digital twins can help you visualise concepts within spaces with ease. When it comes to processes a digital twin can represent measurements of flows that are difficult to show such as wind direction, or temperature of flows within pipes.

What’s more, the twinned object can be outfitted with sensors and produce performance data that can be applied to the digital copy. This offers a valuable insight into how the physical object will perform in real life.

Interview with Susan Walsh – The Classification Guru Ltd
AI Time Journal
May 03, 2022

Interview with Susan Walsh – The Classification Guru Ltd |
A masters in Artificial Intelligence and Data Management, Akshay is keen to dive deep into the ocean of data science and AI. He successfully ran a full-time startup for 5 years and have 4+ years of experience working in the area of Data Science and AI. He is an International Partner at the World Business Angels Investment Forum. Akshay is a technology geek and always strives to look out for different trends in the information technology industry. He is continuously learning and trying to create as much value as he could.

AI Journal LinkedIn Live
AI Journal
April 20, 2022

Talking all things data

Look after your data COAT!
Susan Walsh
April 12, 2022

If you know me, then you should hopefully know by now that your data needs to have its COAT on. It’s a simple and effective method and this principle is applied to all The Classification Guru’s services and your data. But what you might not know is this: your data COAT also needs to be maintained.

Vertica: Advanced Analytics is the Future of Data
EM360
March 04, 2022

Advanced analytics is the next step for organisations that want to be at the cutting edge of data analysis. For decades, organisations have been generating reports, primarily documenting 'What happened?' or 'What is happening?'. Essentially, it was once solely about descriptive analytics reporting, until some decided to take it to the next level with diagnostic analytics - i.e. looking at why things happen. Fast forward to more recent years and the evolution of technologies like data lake and warehouse have led to explosive growth in data volume, velocity, and variety and increased the demand for organisations to garner greater insights from data. This is how advanced analytics was born.

Safe Software: The Spatial Data Evolution: Integrating Data
EM360
February 16, 2022

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26:08
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Spatial data, also known as geospatial data, is any data that has information about a location. Upon first thought, many people directly translate this to 'maps', but spatial data is, in fact, so much more: it looks at the environment, business functions, satellite data, drones, 3D modelling, and ophthalmology. With its broad outlook, companies conventionally struggle to grasp the aspects and size of this technology. However, there is a platform on the market that works to support businesses with spatial data, namely from an integration standpoint. Say hello to the Feature Manipulation Engine, or FME for short.

Data Management Summit London
A-Team Insight
May 11, 2022

SESSION OVERVIEW
Key drivers behind democratising data
Ensuring data quality levels for analytics
Balancing governance, privacy, ethical concerns with innovation to ensure data is used safely, securely and with appropriate controls
How data science, machine learning and data visualisation can support data discovery
Acquiring the right talent to keep up with AI and data science

Moderator: Susan Walsh, Founder and MD, The Classification Guru

Adam Preston, Chief Data Officer, Close Brothers Asset Finance and Leasing

Mridula Mutharaju, Head of Partner Analytics (Commercial, Corporates & Institutions), NatWest

Dr Fiona Browne, Head of Software Development and Machine Learning, Datactics

Nicolas Doyen, Head of Product, Ticksmith

The Shaily Show - Women in Data Science
Shailendra Kumar
August 13, 2020

Procurement Nightmares, Trainwrecks & Meltdowns
RSN
July 09, 2020

I moderate this panel of procurement experts, sharing the good, the bad and the ugly experiences.

Data Lessons the world can learn from the Covid-19 Crisis Rick
Cloud Data Summit
May 27, 2020

A discussion around what we've learned from the data situation in relation to Covid-19 and how we can learn from this and apply to our organisations.

Data War Stories
Cloud Data Summit
May 27, 2020

A sharing of disastrous and hilarious data experiences.

The Classification Guru on Clean Data - Starting classification with clean data
BigID
June 13, 2022

Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru, joins us to talk about the importance of clean data, getting started with data classification, and her book "Between the Spreadsheets."

Becoming an authentic and visible role model
Women in Data
April 28, 2022

This week, Karen is joined by Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru. In a field that gets excited by buzzwords, Susan used her sparkling personality to increase her visibility and make data cleansing fun. In this episode, she talks about how being authentic and visible helped her grow her business, along with the impact it has on the upcoming generation of data professionals. An extrovert by nature, she recognises that increasing visibility comes as a challenge to introverts and provides tips for them to do so without feeling uncomfortable. You will hear about how she keeps her content authentic despite the fear of judgment and negative experiences, as well as how the shift to in-house data analytics made organisations more aware of the challenges related to data quality, providing her with a space to start a business in the field.

UCOVI Data Blog Interview: Susan Walsh (The Classification Guru)
UCOVI
February 23, 2022

In September for the UCOVI Blog (ucovi-data.com/BlogLatest) I covered my experience on day one of the BigDataLDN 2021 expo, where the pick of the talks was given by Susan Walsh, founder of The Classification Guru and author of Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data.

Betweeen the Spreadsheets with Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru
KDR Recruitment
February 18, 2022

What do clothes, wardrobes and coats have to do with data? Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out! Thanks a million to Susan Walsh...

Creating a Lasting Data Governance Practice with Susan Walsh
Women in Data
February 10, 2022

This week on Data Bytes, Susan Walsh discusses data governance. What is it, how can you make sure your data governance strategy stays up to date and who is responsible for maintenance. She not only shares her data insights but also her tips on being yourself on social media. With over 26,000 followers on LinkedIn, Susan knows how to present herself in a positive and professional way.
About Susan Walsh

Tips for Fixing Dirty Data
Lights on Data
February 04, 2022

Data Cleaning and Classification
Buffalo State Data Talk Podcast
February 01, 2022

In this episode Susan Walsh, the Managing Director of The Classification Guru, talks about how her company specializes in cleaning and classifying data for their clients. Susan shares how she works to make data fun and relatable through her company and her LinkedIn presence.

Stuck In A Niche Industry? Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Creating Demand Through Speaking With Susan Walsh
Elizabeth Bachman
October 21, 2021

If you’re selling something niche, how do you find customers? You need to stand out and really create a demand for it. Susan Walsh‘s business is on data quality and most people don’t even know what that is. Susan is the founder of The Classification Guru and she is a specialist in spend data classification. Learn from the Mistress of Data herself on how she created demand through speaking. Elizabeth Bachman gets Susan on the show to share how she thrives in a niche industry. Find out if you’re spending the right amount for something, no matter where you bought it. Discover the Coat system and how Susan uses that when it comes to data management. Learn all of that and more today!

FROM MONTHS TO MINUTES – THE BENEFITS OF AUTOMATED DATA SHARING
Solidatus
October 21, 2021

In this podcast, Susan Walsh, Founder and MD of The Classification Guru, speaks with Kate Platonova, Group CDO at HSBC, and Lorraine Waters, CDO at Solidatus, about how HSBC is modernizing data sharing with their DataVisa initiative. Kate and Lorraine explore the history of data sharing and how HSBC and Solidatus are revolutionizing the industry from a digital transformation, ROI, and automation perspective. The two also lend their expert advice on what organizations need to consider when allowing legal experts access to information in a single repository.

Stuck In A Niche Industry?
Elizabeth Bachman
October 21, 2021

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Creating Demand Through Speaking With Susan Walsh

Transforming Business with Analytical Data
EM360
September 20, 2021

In this podcast, Susan Walsh, Founder and MD of The Classification Guru, walks through the practice of transforming business data through analytics with Glen Rabie, CEO at Yellowfin, and Dan Schafer, Senior Database Administrator at Rocknel.

The Business Case for Clean Data
ProctoCast
September 16, 2021

The Business Case for Clean Data: Susan Walsh is The Classification Guru

Common Issues with Supplier Data: "If You're Not Having Fun, You're Not Doing It Right"
Trust your Supplier
August 11, 2021

In this episode, Susan Walsh and I discuss managing supplier data and how it relates to doing laundry and cleaning your closet. Listen in as we talk about common issues with the upkeep of supplier data, the importance of clear visibility into supplier data, and what’s between the spreadsheets.

Fixing Dirty Data
Jon Krohn
July 14, 2021

My guest this week is the fixer of dirty data herself, the one and only Susan Walsh. We have a lot of laughs in this episode as we discuss how organizations can save substantial sums by tidying up their data.

Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation
WBSRocks
July 07, 2021

In this episode, we discussed the factors that are most important to build a digital team. We also discussed several stories where keeping the information in the board room and not including key users resulted in failed digital transformations. Finally, we discussed the importance of communication and why the leaders need to immerse themselves with users to truly understand their needs and not just being lip service and promoting the culture of open and honest communication without fear.

Make sure the data has it’s coat on!
RingLead
May 27, 2021

"Make sure the data has it’s coat on!" Susan's idiom is all about data maintenance and highlights the importance of continued data quality management; to make sure it's always consistent, organized, accurate and trustworthy. In this episode of our The Data Heroes Podcast, Susan Walsh (Founder at The Classification Guru Ltd) gives tips about getting on top of your data issues through normalization, deduplication, segmentation and categorization.

Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru
The Nerd Herd
May 18, 2021

Susan Walsh joins the Data Nerd Herd to chat about fixing dirty data, writing a book, lip syncing on LinkedIn, TEDx, and much, much more. Susan's a riot, and this is a very fun conversation.

The Role of Data in Negotiation
Negotiations Ninja
May 17, 2021

Are you making decisions based on bad data? Do you even know that your data is dirty? Is your data consistent, organized, accurate, and trustworthy (COAT)? According to Susan Walsh—THE Classification Guru—your dirty data could be leading to poor business decisions that cost money and put jobs at risk. So in this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Susan tackles some of the biggest data disasters that procurement should be aware of. Don’t miss this important episode with the fixer of dirty data!

Building the Backend: Data Solutions that Power Leading Organizations - Cleaning Dirty Data with the Classification Guru
Podchaser
March 16, 2021

In today’s episode, we will speak with Susan Walsh and learn why organizations struggle with creating and maintaining high-quality data and the steps she takes to resolve data issues.

An Interview on the Dangers of Dirty Procurement Data
HICX
March 09, 2021

In our latest interview, we welcomed Susan Walsh, otherwise known as The Classification Guru, to talk to us about the dangers of dirty procurement data. Susan is an expert in spend data classification, taxonomies, normalization and steps for ensuring data accuracy.

Grow Your Business by Fixing Your Dirty Data with Susan Walsh
WBSRocks
February 15, 2021

In today's episode, we have our guest Susan Walsh, who discusses how to normalize your product, customer, and vendor data to avoid planning and forecasting issues with your inventory.

The Battle of Dirty Data with Susan Walsh, Founder of The Classification Guru
Driven by Data
December 28, 2020

The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru.

Susan is one of the industry's most recognisable faces when it comes to fixing dirty data.

She talks us through the key considerations which allow organisations to drive more value from their data.

So you want to be a data scientist - insider help for busy aspiring data scientists
So you want to be a data scientist
December 20, 2020

Starting a business on data with Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru

Data Governance? Put a COAT on your Dirty Data First
Minerva PLM TV
December 16, 2020

In this episode of Minerva PLM TV, Jennifer meets with the Classification Guru Susan Walsh to discuss the importance of using clean data in your Data Governance.

How Susan Walsh Became The Classification Guru
Acast - Get Work Savvy
November 30, 2020

Fixer of dirty data, classification and data accuracy - Susan Walsh
Cliff Notes Podcast
September 14, 2020

This episode Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru gives us a whirlwind tour of what money is going missing in bad data with Cliff Notes: Lead manufacturing host Tristan Bailey.

She can clean it up quickly and affordably, saving your team hours of messing around in Excel and with product code mix ups.

In offices and ordering systems for manufacturing businesses Susan often sees large overlap in miss entered data or different SKU from different suppliers. So clean up saves time and money.

How to get good procurement data
World of Procurement
July 22, 2020

A conversation with Daniel Barnes about all things Procurement

Episode32 - Susan Walsh #data #datacleaning #datapreparation #classification
SoLeadSaturday/Vaishali Lambe
July 11, 2020

Speaking about how I got started, dirty data, and my approach, amongst many other things.

Talent Talks Podcast
Talent Talks
July 10, 2020

In episode 15 of Talent Talks, Martin and Susan dive deep into the meaning of spend data and classification, as well as winding back to last weeks’ topic of personal branding, which Susan has worked on a lot over the last year… this includes talk of her love of pyjamas and pink!

The Story So Far
Audio Outsource
May 19, 2020

Talking with Kerr Mathieson about my journey and how I got to where I am right now.

Get Value From Your Spend Data Without a Source-to-Pay System with Susan Walsh (#4)
Pure Procurement
May 19, 2020

“It doesn’t matter which software you implement. If you don’t have your data right BEFORE you implement it, there’s no amount of software in the world that’s going to fix it.” – Susan Walsh

Listen to this and more in

Building a Data Strategy for Procurement
Bicara Supply Chain
May 10, 2020

How to get good procurement data
World of Procurement
May 05, 2020

Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru delivered so much value talking Procurement Data, how to get it clean and how Procurement Teams should be treating their approach to management of Data.

This episode was super insightful and you really are going to learn so much from it.

Fixing Dirty Data
Procuretech Podcast
April 22, 2020

On this week's podcast James Meads talks to the ever-bubbly Susan Walsh - The Classification Guru, who tells an interesting story of how she came into this space, and why simple data classification is an absolutely essential foundation before embarking on any digital transformation initiative.

There's No Such Thing As Perfect Data: Susan Walsh Details How to Keep Your Data Clean
Data Decisioning
March 03, 2020

A conversation around data quality and it's importance.

‘The Top 5 things to do with your data
JoCoBu
November 05, 2019

Along with sharing ‘The Top 5 things to do with your data’, Susan tells us of her struggles of a failing business, how it brought her closer to her passion of data and the launch of The Classification Guru. To round up the podcast, Susan discusses ethical values and her personal pledge to help the environment by using a shared car. Listen out for the #offthewall question at the end.

Speaker Spotlight: Between The Spreadsheets With Susan Walsh
Silicon Brighton
April 25, 2022

The problem that kills 50,000 SMEs a year
Business Cloud
January 03, 2022

MARKETING, TECHNOLOGY & PRIVACY: Forecast for 2022
Piwik
December 09, 2021

Selling Procurement Data Value to Your Stakeholders
Sievo
June 08, 2022

Keynote on selling procurement data value to your stakeholders at Sievo in Helsinki

Between the spreadsheets - the danger of dirty data
P2P Network
June 07, 2022

Dirty data is a problem that costs businesses thousands, if not millions, every year. In organisations large and small across the globe you will hear talk of data quality issues. What you will rarely hear about is the consequences or how to fix it.

Transform your Audit Summit 2022 London - How Would You Transform Your Audit Team Into Data Leaders?
DataAnalytics Aufina.com
May 16, 2022

Data analytics is recognized today as being essential for making business decisions.

Decisions are also made using data, by governments, institutions and non-profit organizations.

If we are in business, the stakeholders are the shareholders, but also the employees, that want the company to grow and succeed, rather than fall apart, due to a major fraud scandal or corrupt practice that leads the company to generate losses.

If we are a member of the public, we want the decisions to improve general wellbeing and use tax-payer money efficiently.

The role of the auditor is to serve these stakeholders, to make sure that decisions made are within their interests. Since those decisions tend to be based on data, the auditor needs to be able to: 1/ Check the data is complete and accurate. 2/ Check the data is interpreted correctly.

If the auditor cannot do these checks, then they will fail to safeguard their stakeholders.

Today, employees in finance, accounting, marketing, and other areas are all picking up data skills. However, internal audit is often lagging behind, despite recommendations from the IAASB, such as the ISA 240 that states the auditors' responsibility for detecting fraud, or the IIA Chief Executive Dr. Ian Peters MBE, who states in 2017, the following reason for using data analytics in their article: Data Analytics Is It Time To Take The First Step: "Increased effectiveness. Analytics allows for whole population testing instead of random or judgmental sampling, as well as enabling continuous auditing so that internal audit and the business can pick up on emerging trends and themes and be more nimble with their risk monitoring;".
How would you transform your auditors into Data Leaders? Join our summit to learn from experts about what they would do to transform their audit team. You can also pick up the tools that they use or have developed that they feel are essential for this goal.

The Dangers of Dirty Spend Data
eWorld
March 01, 2022

We all think we know what bad data looks like, but what is it and what are the consequences?

See some real-life examples of dirty data, and the consequences it has on the output, such as decision making, cost savings, reporting, analytics, AI and machine learning.

The Art of Organizing, Cleaning and Managing Raw Data
Hevo Data
January 12, 2022

irty data is a big problem! Calling your data dirty is another way of saying it is incomplete, improperly structured, or flawed. You may not have the ability to answer simple questions or dig into the root cause of issues in your organization if you have dirty data. You might even make decisions based on inaccurate outputs. Learn the real meaning of dirty data, the consequences it can create and the methods you can use to fix this problem.

P2P TRANSFORMATION SUMMIT 2022
PPN
October 21, 2021

Between the Spreadsheets: Fixing Dirty Data
DATAcated
October 05, 2021

Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data
Big Data LDN
September 22, 2021

With a decade of experience fixing your dirty data, Susan Walsh is the Classification Guru.

Susan is Founder and Managing Director of The Classification Guru Ltd, a specialist data classification, taxonomy customisation and data cleansing consultancy. She is an industry thought leader, TEDx speaker and author of the soon-to-be-published ‘Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data’. She’s also the creator of COAT.

She will share real-life examples of dirty data, and the consequences it has on the output, such as decision making, reporting, analytics, AI and machine learning. You’ll also learn how to make quick, accurate checks and changes to your own data in excel, regardless of your level of experience, and explain why data accuracy and maintenance is so important and implement best practices for this.

Common Issues with Supplier Data: "If You're Not Having Fun, You're Not Doing It Right"
Trust your Supplier
August 11, 2021

In this episode, Susan Walsh discusses managing supplier data and how it relates to doing laundry and cleaning your closet. Listen in as she talks about common issues with the upkeep of supplier data, the importance of clear visibility into supplier data, and what’s between the spreadsheets.

TEDx Woking - Say NO to NO
TEDx
July 01, 2021

NO is an opportunity. NO can mean better things are around the corner. NO doesn't really have to mean no.

Susan, The Classification Guru, has said No to No many times, which has led her (almost always) to better things. Not least her own data business (which she loves).

Let Susan's story help you identify opportunities in your life where you can also say No to No, and build your own resilience. For many, the word ‘no’ is final. It’s a roadblock. A shutdown. The end of the line. But not in the eyes of Susan Walsh. Susan says, ‘say No to No’.
For Susan, no is an opportunity. No can mean better things are around the corner. ‘No’ doesn't really have to mean no.
Throughout her life, there have been many times when Susan - also known as The Classification Guru - has had to say No to No and it's led to better things.

And it is Susan’s hope that in telling you her story, you too will begin to identify opportunities in your life where you can also say No to No, and build your own resilience through a simple determination not to fall down at the first hurdle or turn around at the first roadblock, but to find alternative routes to your end goal.

DSGO Virtual - April 2021
DSGO Virtual
April 10, 2021

Maybe you're new to data science and are looking to get oriented in a quickly changing data landscape. Or you're a data practitioner ready to take the next step in your career by learning new data skills and expanding your network. Or you might be a data manager looking for talent, toolsets, and workflows to grow your team's productivity. No matter the stage of your data career, DataScienceGO is for you!

The Dangers of Dirty Data at Master Data Marathon 2.0
ThinkLinkers
March 25, 2021

The Dangers of Dirty Data and How to Spot It
Data Science Go
March 09, 2021

Dangers of Dirty Data
Data Talks
February 16, 2021

We all think we know what bad data looks like, but what is it and what are the consequences? Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru has spent nearly a decade classifying, normalising and cleansing spend data and will share real-life examples of dirty data, and the consequences it has on the output, such as decision making, reporting, analytics, AI and machine learning. She will share with you how to make quick, accurate checks and changes to your own data in excel, regardless of your level of experience, explain why data accuracy and maintenance is so important and implement best practices for this.

The Dangers of Dirty Data and How to Fix It
Dphi
February 13, 2021

Day 1 of the DATAcated Conference - all about 'Extracting Business Value from Data'!
DATAcated
February 11, 2021

Day 1 of the DATAcated Conference - all about 'Extracting Business Value from Data'!

The Dangers of Dirty Data...And how to fix it
Big Data LDN
September 24, 2020

The Dangers of Dirty Data...and how to spot it
PPN
September 21, 2020

Women Tech Global Conference
WomenTech network
June 10, 2020

The Dangers of Dirty Data
O'Reilly
December 02, 2021

Introduction to data cleaning in Excel
O'Reilly
September 01, 2021

Lets Talk Taxonomies
The Classification Guru
September 24, 2020

Supplier Normalisation
The Classification Guru
September 16, 2020

What is supplier normalisation and how do I do it? Watch on to find out more....

COAT Supplier Normalisation
The Classification Guru
September 09, 2020

I present to you the first of my wardrobe of services - COAT Supplier Normalisation. Because not only should your data have its COAT on, but so should my services.

Tips to Get Good Taxonomy
Supply Chain TV
September 09, 2020

Does your data have its COAT on?
Supply Chain TV
August 26, 2020

What's a COAT? Watch to find out...

Do you like dirty data?
The Classification Guru
August 17, 2020

I don't, it makes me very angry...

Using the same data language
Supply Chain TV
August 12, 2020

What is dirty data?
Supply Chain TV
July 29, 2020

Data Tech Talk
S Raghib
July 17, 2020

Discussions around data and starting your own business.

Taxonomy Top 3 Tips
The Classification Guru
July 17, 2020

What do you need for a good taxonomy? Watch this video to find out more...

Top 3 Normalisation Tips
The Classification Guru
July 17, 2020

How can you normalise data better? Watch this video to find out more.

Which COAT??
The Classification Guru
July 17, 2020

Just like data services, there are different types of coats, but which one is best for you?

What is dirty data?
The Classification Guru
July 17, 2020

You might think you know what it is, but it can mean different things to different people...

Which COAT for you data?
The Classification Guru
July 15, 2020

There are many different data services out there, and just like coats, they offer different levels of protection. So, which one is for you??

The Importance of having accurate data
Supply Chain TV
July 15, 2020

Good Taxonomy
CIPS Surrey & Sussex
July 07, 2020

Explaining the importance of a good taxonomy.

Why categorizing your data is important | Stories from Data Den with Susan Walsh
The SC - Supply Chain TV
July 01, 2020

UNSPSC or not to UNSPSC?
The Classification Guru
July 01, 2020

Covering off the pros and cons of using the UNSPSC.

Does your data have it's COAT on?
The Classification Guru
June 05, 2020

Your data must be Consistent, Organised, Accurate and Trustworthy.

Win with data E10 - The Classification Guru
Snap Analytics
May 12, 2020

Data Quality
Story by Data
April 13, 2020

A video interview for Humans of Data Science on data quality.

What is a taxonomy?
The Classification Guru
March 06, 2020

A basic explanation of what a taxonomy is and how it's used.

Maintaining Data
The Classification Guru
March 06, 2020

The importance of maintaining data.

How to check classified data in Omniscope
The Classification Guru
February 14, 2020

A how-to guide to effectively check data in Omniscope

Classifying Data in Omniscope
The Classification Guru
January 14, 2020

A how-to guide on efficiently classifying data in Omniscope.

Classifying Refreshes in Omniscope
The Classification Guru
January 14, 2020

A how-to guide on checking data.

How Data is Classified
The Classification Guru
December 12, 2019

An explanation on how I classify data.

Why you should classify spend data
The Classification Guru
December 12, 2019

In this video I explain the importance of classifying spend data.

Normalising Vendors in Omniscope
The Classification Guru
December 03, 2019

A how-to guide on how to normalise suppliers in Omniscope.

Machine Learning & AI
The Classification Guru
December 01, 2019

A simple but effective description of how AI & ML works.

Live from the Data Den - Jobs in Data Part 2
Susan Walsh
May 09, 2022

After a great discussion earlier in the year, we are back to answer more questions about the job market for data right now, tips on applying for jobs and the do's and dont's of job hunting.

Join myself, Jez Clark, Rich Wilson, Kyle Winterbottom and Peter Petrella for another great discussion!

How to clean up Dirty Data for use in Data Science and Machine Learning
Fourthbrain.ai
January 20, 2022

This session is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to improve their data hygiene but was not sure the best approach.

The Dangers Of Dirty Data And How To Fix It
DPhi
September 26, 2020

Procurement Nightmares, Meltdowns & Trainwrecks
Real Sourcing Network
July 09, 2020

I moderate a group of topnotch, veteran sourcing executives who provide valuable insights into their mistakes, setbacks, and failures. Our panel, share their procurement nightmares, trainwrecks and meltdowns. They also reveal the wisdom gained from their mistakes, and how they have learned to refine their skills and add more value to their companies.

The Impact of Dirty Data on Analytics…..
Qlik Virtual Meetup Scotland
June 19, 2020

An insight into what dirty data is, and how it can affect analytics.

The dangers of dirty data and its consequences
Made to Measure KPI's
June 11, 2020

The Dangers of Dirty Data.... and it's consequences
ThinkLinkers
May 27, 2020

Don't miss the fourth episode with the great speakers Vinay Simha from Philips and Susan Walsh, the Classification Guru. Vinay will cover the topic of MDM Roadmaps: Staying committed to your MDM Vision, and Susan will address The Dangers of Dirty data.

The dangers of dirty data....and it's consequences
Cloud Data Summit
May 27, 2020

Workshop on data cleaning
Cloud Data Summit
May 27, 2020

Tips on how to efficiently clean your data, regardless of skill level.

Big Data LDN Digital: Tips and Tricks for Data Teams During Lockdown
BrightTalk/Big Data LDN
April 09, 2020

Data Quality lockdown tips

The dangers of dirty data...and how to spot it
BrightTalk/DAMA UK
February 07, 2020

We all know what bad data looks like, but what are the consequences? Susan Walsh, The Classification Guru has spent 8 years classifying spend data and will share with you some examples from the perspective of the end user in terms of supplier normalisation and data classification, and will show you how to make quick spot checks of your data to find these.

"Data Cleansing and Machine Learning"
Neuton AI
December 24, 2021

The Dangers of Dirty Data
A.I.M Learning
September 19, 2020

Taxonomy Troubles
Arkestro
April 14, 2022

A workshop sharing tips on how to build the perfect taxonomy

Between the Spreadsheets: Classifying and Fixing Dirty Data
eWorld Procurement
March 01, 2022

You’ll see real-life examples of dirty data, and the consequences it has on the output, such as decision making, reporting, analytics, AI and machine learning. You’ll also learn why data accuracy and maintenance is so important and implement best practices for this.

The Dangers of Dirty Data
Neuton
December 07, 2021

We all think we know what bad data looks like, but what are the consequences?

With a decade of experience fixing your dirty data,

There will be more of a focus on data quality in procurement, normalising and classifying spend data to get true visibility on what's going on and helping to make better business decisions. The days of siloed data sources will slowly get filtered out as many organisations become a single global entity, working in a single system or data warehouse or lake.

Companies will also be focussing on keeping their supplier data clean, having standard name, address and number formats, which causes problems in P2P implementations.

There will be a shift from buying software to fix all our supply chain problems, to a focus on data quality so that it's input correctly and well maintained, minimising the amount of dirty data.

In 2021, I predict there will be further scrutiny of spend data to drive cost savings in every possible area. This, in turn, will lead to many data cleansing/classification projects as organisations realise they have dirty data and are unable to get accurate reporting and analytics.
This will also be driven by digitisation and automation of processes, however, I have to add a word of caution here – if your data is not accurate before you embark on this process, the results will be inaccurate, misleading and potentially disastrous.

Spend Data Classification

Location: Virtual    Date Available: April 16th, 2020     Fees: Price per project

Submission Date: April 16th, 2020     Service Type: Service Offered

Are you struggling to get reliable insights from your data? Do you know how much you are really spending with one supplier, and on what? Have you got free text descriptions which mean you have multiple versions of the same item, often misspelt and not against the correct GL or categorisation? Or missing product codes?

I bring clarity and accuracy to data and help procurement and data teams work more effectively and efficiently, finding cost savings through spend and time management, supporting better, more informed business decisions, delivering a strong ROI and delivering back to your organisation faster and more cost-effectively than using large consultancies or spend analytics providers.

While most people dread having to classify or cleanse data, I love it! I am hugely passionate about providing clients with accurate and meaningful data, and because I have been doing this for a number of years, I can do this much faster and more accurately than people who might look at their data infrequently.

Many businesses struggle to get accurate spend information because of incorrectly classified data, unclassified data or limited visibility on their spend. Without this, it's difficult to negotiate better rates with suppliers, track KPI's, reduce spend or make good business decisions.

With accurate data, you can do all of this, plus prevent costly mistakes from happening.