{"id":10019,"date":"2026-04-14T15:25:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weareoakland.com\/?post_type=case_studies&p=10019"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:27:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:27:36","slug":"building-a-data-driven-professional-services-firm-a-data-strategy-journey","status":"publish","type":"case_studies","link":"https:\/\/weareoakland.com\/case-studies\/building-a-data-driven-professional-services-firm-a-data-strategy-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Data-Driven Professional Services Firm: A Data Strategy Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A leading UK accountancy and advisory firm<\/strong> on an exciting growth journey, expanding both organically and through acquisitions, needed the data capability to scale with it.\n<\/h2> <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

The Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ambitious Growth Plans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Data is central to how the firm delivers value. Much of its work across audit, tax, and advisory is inherently data-driven, and the leadership vision is ambitious: to build a future where data underpins decisions and enables teams across the business to work with insight and confidence. There is also a long-term ambition to significantly raise data literacy and analytical capability across employees and partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the organisation had multiple programmes underway that depended on strong data foundations. These included automation and AI initiatives, and the rollout of a new CRM. The firm recognised it needed an aligned data strategy and delivery plan to support both immediate priorities and future growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The starting point was a familiar one for fast-growing organisations. The firm had a small central data function, no formalised data governance, and a fragmented landscape with pockets of maturity but no consistent approach. The business needed direction, alignment, and momentum, not a strategy that sat on a shelf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oakland partnered with the firm to define a practical, business-led data strategy that balanced short-term delivery with long-term capability building. The approach ensured organisation-wide value through foundational initiatives alongside tangible, high-impact lighthouse projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work followed Oakland\u2019s proven methodology: Discover, Define, Plan and Execute. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a six-week intensive engagement, we finalised the data strategy and developed a targeted, value-focused roadmap for the next 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using Oakland\u2019s Data Maturity Framework, we worked with the organisation to assess the current landscape and identify key opportunities to strengthen and scale data capability in line with its ambitious growth journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As is often the case in fast-growing organisations, strong pockets of data maturity had developed across the
business, with teams already making extensive use of reporting and insight to support decision-making. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The assessment highlighted several areas where greater consistency and alignment could unlock even more value, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Core systems had grown organically across teams, creating an opportunity to improve integration and data flow across the organisation. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Key data was held in multiple locations, highlighting the need to establish a more consistent single view.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Teams were relying on manual, Excel-based processes to meet reporting needs, demonstrating strong demand for more automated and scalable solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reporting was delivered through a mix of Power BI and Excel, with an opportunity to align approaches and improve consistency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Data accountability often sat with IT, and the organisation recognised the value of establishing clearer business ownership through stronger governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Define<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Define <\/strong>stage focused on shaping the data strategy and the recommendations required to support increased data capability and maturity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Strategic pillars and data strategy components were defined, with recommendations across people, process, and technology. The strategy was designed to connect directly to the organisation\u2019s growth plans and wider digital agenda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It created clarity on what good looks like, how data should enable key programmes such as CRM and AI, and which capabilities needed to be built first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Working in partnership, Oakland created a clear and actionable roadmap to implement the data strategy and
    deliver the capabilities required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The strategy was broken down into incremental components aligned to key inflection points, enabling continuous value delivery. KPIs and measures of success were defined so progress and outcomes could be clearly tracked, supported by a governance programme to oversee delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Execute<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Oakland moved quickly into execution across three connected areas: integration, platform, and governance<\/strong>,
    supporting the organisation end-to-end from strategy through to early delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First, Oakland supported an assessment of integration platforms. The challenge was not only getting data into a data platform, but connecting a hybrid estate of on-premise and cloud applications and enabling reliable data movement and orchestration across systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The organisation already knew an iPaaS approach was required, so Oakland ran a needs and requirements-
    led evaluation across multiple vendors, including Boomi, MuleSoft, Workato and Tynes. Based on the organisation\u2019s requirements, Oakland recommended MuleSoft <\/strong>as the most appropriate solution to support API-led connectivity and scalable integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In parallel, Oakland helped select and design the right data platform architecture<\/strong>. Options including Snowflake, Databricks and Microsoft Fabric were assessed, balancing the existing technology footprint with future needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With the organisation strongly Microsoft-centric and some existing Snowflake presence, Oakland recommended Microsoft Fabric<\/strong> and produced a detailed technical architecture and design document. The initial environment was stood up so delivery could quickly move into onboarding data and enabling use cases in the next phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alongside the technology foundations, Oakland focused on the operating foundations<\/strong> that make platforms valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oakland deployed a best-practice data operations and governance SharePoint site and began establishing
    practical governance ways of working. This included early cataloguing of critical data elements and agreeing
    standard definitions for high-value operational reporting, particularly across delivery and financial performance metrics such as utilisation, billing and budget recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A data governance toolkit was also delivered to support the rollout of ownership and accountability, with a clear path to training data owners and stewards in subsequent phases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our Softcat Partnership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As long-term trusted advisors to this professional services firm, Softcat was asked for recommendations for a partner who could work closely as a true data partner over the long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oakland was the obvious choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oakland worked closely with Softcat throughout the engagement, building on Softcat\u2019s long-standing relationship with the organisation and leveraging its partner ecosystem to accelerate vendor engagement and technical evaluation, particularly during the integration platform selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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