Context
Our client holds a rich repository of knowledge - a collective store of data and mātauranga that underpins important decisions and services for their people and communities. In the last five years they have grown significantly, increasing their number of FTE more than fivefold. Over that time, as new systems were introduced and information grew, their data became spread across multiple SaaS platforms and stand-alone systems. This made it difficult to access, navigate, and fully understand what was held or how it connected.
Recognising this, the organisation wanted to build a clearer picture of its data environment - understanding what systems exist, how they interact, and the quality of the information within them. The goal was to reduce risk, close gaps in institutional knowledge, and unlock the full value of their data as a taonga that supports better decision-making and service delivery.
Our Role & Approach
Our role was to support the organisation through discovery and analysis, creating a system catalogue, a system map, and a baseline for assessing data quality.
We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with kaimahi throughout this process - we actively listened to their desires and experiences to learning from their insights, ensuring the work reflected their needs and aspirations. We carried out interviews, sampled data, and reviewed systems together to build a shared understanding of the current state. As we developed our findings we tested this with kaimahi to ensure their insights had been translated appropriately and once the report was finalised we passed on our knowledge of their data landscape, to live on after our work finished.
By walking alongside kaimahi, we were able to translate complex and fragmented information into a structured baseline that everyone could understand and use. This approach built trust, strengthened internal capability, and ensured the outcomes were grounded in the organisation’s own insights and expertise.
Outcome
Through this mahi, the organisation gained its first organisation-wide system catalogue, system map, baseline of data quality, and detailed recommendations for lifting data quality generally and specifically for each system.
As a result, the organisation now has much greater clarity over where its data lives, how it is managed, and where risks currently lie. This is already supporting stronger governance structures, more confident decision-making, and a foundation of recommendations that will guide future integrations and enhanced reporting capabilities.
Looking ahead, this work helped the organisation to:
Move from a fragmented, reactive approach to one that is structured and proactive
Gain visibility over areas that were previously hidden or uncertain
Develop a shared language and framework for discussing data quality and performance
Importantly, the organisation has taken the recommendations forward in a way that fits their priorities, resources, and readiness for change. As one leader put it:
"I'm really delighted to see how this is tracking”
If your organisation is navigating similar challenges - scattered systems, growing data, or uncertainty about where to start - we'd love to walk alongside you to build clarity and confidence from the ground up.
Contact us at [email protected]