In our experience, generic technology-led solutions can look impressive but do not inform good decision making. What’s needed is a collaborative team of data scientists who understand the policy context and who can transform the vast amounts of data available into tailored and useful solutions.
We’ve worked hard to stay at the forefront of digital innovation over the last decade, hiring team members with data-science skills, such as GIS, coding and database management and integrating them into our consulting team. As a result, everyone at SGS has broadened their skills. We teach our planners and economists the basics of coding and GIS, and we make sure all our coders have an appreciation of the fundamentals of planning and economics.
This multi-disciplinary team-based approach means we tackle projects differently. Our team has built a common language and shared understanding about the tools, approaches and frameworks we can deploy to client problems and opportunities. It means we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and exploring new approaches in ways which remain true to the social, economic and environmental problems we are aiming to solve.
