Reading time 6 min

Stijn Vandereyken

Over the last few years, digitization and innovation have had an enormous impact on the application landscape. A company’s application architecture used to be relatively simple, but that is no longer the case. Numerous cloud solutions, rented on a monthly basis, now complicate things to the point where it’s no longer obvious which data is kept where . Combine this trend with the shift towards self-service applications from a data consumption perspective and the impact on data architectures is inevitable. In this blog post, we’ll dive deeper into this (r)evolution in the world of data and the impact of a changing application landscape on your data architecture . Keeping an open data architecture ‘Data’ is a broad concept and includes an incredible amount of domains that all require specific knowledge or some sort of specialization. There are plenty of examples: data architecture, data visualization, data management, data security, GDPR, and so on. Over the years, many organizations have tried to get a grasp on all these different ‘data domains’. And this really isn’t a cakewalk, since innovative changes are taking place in each of these domains . Additionally, they often coincide with other and newer concepts such as AI, data science, machine learning, and others. In any case, it’s preferable to keep your vision and data architecture as ‘open’ as possible . This keeps the impact of future changes on your current implementation as low as possible. Denying such changes means slowing down innovation, possibly annoying your end-users and vastly increasing the chance of a huge additional cost a few years down the line when the need to revise your architecture can no longer be postponed. Modern applications complicate combining data The amount of data increases exponentially every year . Moreover, the new generation of end-users is used to being served at their beck and call. This is a trend that the current application landscape clearly supports. Within many applications, its software vendors offer data in real-time in an efficient, attractive and insightful way. Huge props to these vendors of course, but this poses additional difficulties for CIOs to deliver combined data to end-users. “What is the impact of a marketing campaign on the sale of a certain product?” Anwering a question like this poses a challenge for many organizations. The answer requires combining data from two (admittedly well-organized) applications. For example, Atlassian offers reporting features in Jira while Salesforce does the same with its well-known CRM platform. The reporting features in both of these software packages are actually very detailed and allow you to create powerful reports. However, it’s difficult to combine this data into one single report. Moreover, besides well-structured Marketing and Sales domains, a question like that requires an overarching technical and organizational alignment. Which domain has the responsibility or the mandate to answer such a question? Is there any budget available? What about resources? And which domain will bear these costs? Does Self-Service BI offer a solution? In an attempt to answer such questions, solutions such as Self-Service BI introduced themselves to the market. These tools are able to simply combine data and provide insight their users might not have thought of yet. The only requirement is that these tools need access to the data in question. Sounds simple enough, right? Self-Service BI tools have boomed the past few years, with Microsoft setting the example with its Power-BI. By making visualizations and intuitive ‘self-service data loaders’ a key component, they were able to convince the ‘business’ to invest. But this creates a certain tension between the business users of these tools and CIOs . The latter slowly lose their grip on their own IT landscape, since a Self-Service BI approach may also spawn a lot of ‘shadow-BI’ initiatives in the background. For example, someone may have been using Google Data Studio on their own initiative without the CIO knowing, while that CIO is trying to standardize a toolset using Power-BI. Conclusion: tons of data duplication, security infringement and then we haven’t even talked about GDPR compliance yet. Which other solutions are there? The standard insights and analytics reports within applications are old news, and the demand for real-time analytics, also known as streaming analytics, is rising. For example, during online shopping, stores display their actual stock of a product on the product page itself. Pretty run-of-the-mill, right? So why is it then so hard to answer the question regarding the impact of my marketing campaign on my sales in a report? The demands and needs for data are changing. Who is the owner of which data and who determines its uses? Does historical data disappear if it’s not stored in a data warehouse? If the data is still available within the application where it was initially created, how long will it still remain there? Storing the data in a data lake or data repository is a possible cheap(er) solution. However, this data is not or hardly organized, making it difficult to use it for things like management reporting. Perhaps offloading this data to a data warehouse is the best solution? Well-structured data, easily combined with data from other domains and therefore an ideal basis for further analysis. But… the information is not available in real-time and this solution can get pretty costly. Which solution best fits your requirements? Takeaway As you’ve noticed by now, it’s easy to sum up a ton of questions and challenges regarding the structuring of data within organizations. Some data-related questions require a quick answer, other more analytical or strategic questions don’t actually need real-time data. A data architecture that takes all these needs into account and is open to changes is a must. We believe in a data approach in which the domain owner is also the owner of the data and facilitates this data towards the rest of the organization. It’s the responsibility of the domain owner to organize their data in such a way that it can provide an answer to as many questions from the organization as possible. It’s possible that this person doesn’t have the necessary knowledge or skills within their team to organize all of this. Therefore, a new role within the organization is necessary to support domain owners with knowledge and resources: the role of a Chief Data Officer (CDO). They will orchestrate everything and anything in the organization when it comes to data and have the mandate to enforce general guidelines. Research shows that companies that have appointed a CDO are more successful when rolling out new data initiatives. ACA Group commits itself to guide its customers as best as possible in their data approach. It’s vital to have a clear vision, supported by a future-proof data architecture: an architecture open to change and innovation, not just from a technical perspective, but also when it comes to changing data consumption demands. A relevance to the new generation, and a challenge for most data architectures and organizations. {% module_block module "widget_ee7fe7f9-05fc-4bd8-b515-6bb400cb56b4" %}{% module_attribute "buttons" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}[{"appearance":{"link_color":"light","primary_color":"primary","secondary_color":"primary","tertiary_color":"light","tertiary_icon_accent_color":"dark","tertiary_text_color":"dark","variant":"primary"},"content":{"arrow":"right","icon":{"alt":null,"height":null,"loading":"disabled","size_type":null,"src":"","width":null},"tertiary_icon":{"alt":null,"height":null,"loading":"disabled","size_type":null,"src":"","width":null},"text":"Check out our data services"},"target":{"link":{"no_follow":false,"open_in_new_tab":false,"rel":"","sponsored":false,"url":{"content_id":null,"href":"https://acagroup.be/en/services/data/","href_with_scheme":"https://acagroup.be/en/services/data/","type":"EXTERNAL"},"user_generated_content":false}},"type":"normal"}]{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "child_css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "definition_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "field_types" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{"buttons":"group","styles":"group"}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "isJsModule" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}true{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "label" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "module_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}201493994716{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "path" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"@projects/aca-group-project/aca-group-app/components/modules/ButtonGroup"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "schema_version" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}2{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_objects" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"NOT_SMART"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "wrap_field_tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"div"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% end_module_block %}

Reading time 5 min

Stijn Vandereyken

You may well be familiar with the term ‘data mesh’. It is one of those buzzwords to do with data that have been doing the rounds for some time now. Even though data mesh has the potential to bring a lot of value for an organization in quite a few situations, we should not stare ourselves blind on all the fancy terminology. If you are looking to develop a proper data strategy, you do well to start off by asking yourselves the following questions: what is the challenge we are seeking to tackle with data? And how can a solution contribute to achieving our business goals? There is certainly nothing new about organizations using data, but we have come a long way. Initially, companies gathered data from various systems in a data warehouse. The drawback being that the data management was handled by a central team and the turnaround time of reports was likely to seriously run up. Moreover, these data engineers needed to have a solid understanding of the entire business. Over the years that followed, the rise of social media meant the sheer amount of data positively mushroomed, which in turn led to the term Big Data. As a result, tools were developed to analyse huge data volumes, with the focus increasingly shifting towards self-service. The latter trend now means that the business itself is increasingly better able to handle data under their own steam. Which in turn brings yet another new challenge: as is often the case, we are unable to dissociate technology from the processes at the company or from the people that use these data. Are these people ready to start using data? Do they have the right skills and have you thought about the kind of skills you will be needing tomorrow? What are the company’s goals and how can employees contribute towards achieving them? The human aspect is a crucial component of any potent data strategy. How to make the difference with data? In practice, the truth is that, when it comes to their data strategies, a lot of companies have not progressed from where they were a few years ago. Needless to say, this is hardly a robust foundation to move on to the next step. So let’s hone in on some of the key elements in any data strategy: Data need to incite action: it is not enough to just compare a few numbers; a high-quality report leads to a decision or should at the very least make it clear which kind of action is required. Sharing is caring: if you do have data anyway, why not share them? Not just with your own in-house departments, but also with the outside world. If you manage to make data available again to the customer there is a genuine competitive advantage to be had. Visualise: data are often collected in poorly organised tables without proper layout. Studies show the human brain struggles to read these kinds of tables. Visualising data (using GeoMapping for instance) may see you arrive at insights you had not previously thought of. Connect data sets: in the case of data sets, at all times 1+1 needs to equal 3. If you are measuring the efficacy of a marketing campaign, for example, do not just look at the number of clicks. The real added value resides in correlating the data you have with data about the business, such as (increased) sales figures. Make data transparent: be clear about your business goals and KPIs, so everybody in the organization is able to use the data and, in doing so, contribute to meeting a benchmark. Train people: make sure your people understand how to use technology, but also how data are able to simplify their duties and how data contribute to achieving the company goals. Which problem are you seeking to resolve with data? Once you have got the foundations right, we can work up a roadmap. No solution should ever set out from the data themselves, but at all times needs to be linked to a challenge or a goal. This is why ACA Group always organises a workshop first in order to establish what the customer’s goals are. Based on the outcome of this workshop, we come up with concrete problem definition, which sets us on the right track to find a solution for each situation. The integration of data sets will gain even greater importance in the near future, in amongst other things as part of sustainability reporting. In order to prepare and guide companies as best as possible, over the course of this year, we will be digging deeper into some important terminologies, methods and challenges around data with a series of blogs. If in the meantime, are you keen to find out exactly what ‘Data Mesh’ entails, and why this could be rewarding for your organization? {% module_block module "widget_1aee89e6-fefb-47ef-92d6-45fc3014a2b0" %}{% module_attribute "child_css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "definition_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "field_types" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{"buttons":"group","styles":"group"}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "isJsModule" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}true{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "label" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "module_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}201493994716{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "path" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"@projects/aca-group-project/aca-group-app/components/modules/ButtonGroup"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "schema_version" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}2{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_objects" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"NOT_SMART"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "wrap_field_tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"div"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% end_module_block %}

Reading time 12 min

Stijn Vandereyken

Data is the driving force that propels organizations towards success. ACA Group’s Data Team is eager to help you unleash the full potential of your data. We don’t just provide a service, but offer a partnership that empowers your business to thrive in the data-driven era. Read on and meet our dedicated team of data experts! Meet the Data Team at ACA Group Come and meet ACA Group's Data Team – where expertise meets dedication! Our skilled data experts are on a mission to turn any challenge into a triumph with an "anything is possible" mentality. Collaborative, committed, and skilled to the bone, we're not just solving problems; we're transforming data into opportunities for your business to flourish. — Stijn Vandereyken , Data Lead Expert at ACA Group 14 Data Experts, 1 Team Stijn Vandereyken Function: Data Team Lead Data Expert. ACA'er since: June 2019. Main activities: Writing offers, coaching of team members, project planning, start-up of projects. Best thing about ACA: “ The time and space you get to determine your own direction as a team and individual, while you know you can rely on the support of the other teams.” Proud of: “The achievements we realize as a team, such as the adoption of trending technology or the visualization of integrated real-time information.” Fun fact: “My guilty pleasure? My daily Royco Soup break at 11 AM.” "Our team spirit is really amazing. Everyone is willing to run the extra mile for each other. You can sense a genuine and relaxed camaraderie, which makes for a highly enjoyable and motivating atmosphere." - Stijn Vandereyken Jef Suffeleers Function: Data Engineer. ACA'er since: September 2021 (right after graduating). Main activities: Structuring customer data and uploading them to Google Cloud Platform. Best thing about ACA: “All colleagues, also from other teams, are very warm and welcoming. ACA’s company culture is definitely a big pro.” Proud of: “I am really proud about the way we constructed the backend for our customer Amfori; very consistent and robust. We even got complimented by Google because we implemented their solutions the way they were intended, with a strong focus on performance, usability and results.” Daily habit: “On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we team up to discuss our recent project activities and possible issues we’ve encountered. Together we try to come up with possible solutions. After this short scrum, we go to work.” "The Data Team is a tight group of young people who are more than just colleagues. I can truly say that I can call many of my team members friends. We regularly go and have a drink together or meet up at someone’s house. We also organize a yearly weekend on our own initiative." - Jef Suffeleers Ellen Appermont Function: Operations Manager Data Service Delivery Manager. ACA'er since: April 2022. Main activities: Project management, budget resource planning, project administration. Best thing about ACA: “It feels like we are a big family. On Friday the Data Team has its weekly team day, which I really enjoy. We have the opportunity to work from home, but you’ll practically always see me at the office, because I enjoy the vibe there so much.” Proud of: “At ACA we always get things done! Even when deadlines are sharp and the challenge is extremely hard. And if someone is on sick leave, other team members will jump in and do extra working hours just to be sure we deliver as promised.” Fun fact: “I occasionally run marathons. I am also a member of the ‘ACA Runners’, a group of ACA employees who regularly participate in running events under the ACA flag. It is really fun to share your passion for sports with your colleagues.” “A lot of the Data Team members are currently buying and renovating houses. We try to help each other out when needed. A while ago we held a demolition day at a colleague's house with almost the entire team.” - Ellen Appermont Mathias Luyten Function: Digital Product Owner. ACA'er since: February 2021. Main activities: Responsible for the design and development of customer’s data products. Gathering what reporting needs there are in the business and translating them to IT and ensuring that the data products are aligned with the customer's strategy and vision. Best thing about ACA: “Working in a team and making you stronger together. In addition, a lot of emphasis is placed on coaching and personal development, which is very valuable." Why I joined ACA: "I chose ACA because I would work in a small, start-up data team. This gave me the opportunity to make my own mark in the way we approach projects, while still providing sufficient support from ACA through the years of experience of other teams." Proud of: “I worked for three years as a Data Analyst on a project at amfori. As a result, I have built up a very good relationship of trust with the customer. This trust has allowed me to grow into a Digital Product Owner, which allows me to steer the future and vision of the data platform that we have set up with ACA at amfori." Fun fact: “Aside from work, I have been teaching guitar lessons at the local music school for over 10 years." "Strength at ACA lies in teamwork, strengthened by a focus on coaching and personal growth.” - Mathias Luyten Siebe Janssen Function: Data Engineer. ACA'er since: June 2022. Main activities: Extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) data from multiple sources into a central data warehouse. Best thing about ACA: “The Data Team is like a close group of friends, so work doesn't really feel like work. We put a lot of effort into team activities, making the whole experience more enjoyable.” Proud of: “I'm involved in the data project for our client, Amfori. Thankfully, we haven't encountered major issues so far. Our primary goal revolves around maintaining its functionality through regular updates and integrating new features.” Fun fact: “I play water polo, a very physical and tactical sport.” “Initially, I worked as an analyst at Deloitte for almost 2 years. I then transitioned to ACA's data team because I quickly realized that my interests aligned better with that role.” - Siebe Janssen Lucas Verscheure Function: Data Analyst. ACA'er since: April 2023. Main activities: Translating business requirements to dashboards. Best thing about ACA: “The working environment in ACA stimulates learning and self-development. If you have questions, your colleagues are always willing to help.” Customer projects: Agentschap Natuur Bos, Aertssen, and the city of Hasselt. Proud of: “Every time me and my colleagues successfully finish a project, I am very proud of the result. I’ve worked on projects for several customers such as Agentschap Natuur en Bos, Aertssen, and the city of Hasselt, and each of these projects had its own challenges. Tackling these challenges and delivering the end result, feels very rewarding. ” “The best part of working for ACA? The team culture of collegiality and the variety between different projects” - Lucas Verscheure Joppe Weustenraad Function: Data Engineer. ACA'er since: October 2019. Main activities: Solving architectural challenges and selecting the appropriate tools of Google Cloud Platform or cloud-native for every project. Setting up the architecture and performing low-level development during sprints. Best thing about ACA: “We are given substantial responsibility and the freedom to experiment and try out new ideas. They throw challenges our way, pushing us to get creative with new solutions and embrace innovative tech. All of this takes place within a familial yet driven atmosphere.” My average working day: “A regular workday offers a good mix of things, like delving into a spike by researching tools and figuring out how to use or set them up, supporting colleagues with the technical side of their stories, brainstorming on complex data modeling problems, and working on ETL jobs and dashboards for clients.” “I was looking for a company in Limburg with a great vibe and a good work-hard/play-hard ethos. ACA fitted that description perfectly. That became crystal clear during the ACA weekend in September 2019, where I was able to join, even before my first official working day.” - Joppe Wuestenraad Jordy Raeman Function: Data Engineer. ACA'er since: March 2023. Main activities: Ensuring the flow of client data to the data platform, and setting up, maintaining, and enhancing the necessary architecture. Why I joined ACA: “The first thing that struck me when I got to know ACA Group at a job fair was the friendly atmosphere, as well as the focus on real benefits for employees. It turns out it was all true!” Proud of: “I am proud of the setup of the data platform at Group A is/was actually the first time I had to build a data platform from the ground up.” Fun fact: “I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, especially with oriental food.” “My average day typically kicks off with a morning stand-up, where we discuss the developments for a specific client and outline the coming goals. This ensures everyone is well-informed about the project status and helps address issues more promptly.” - Jordy Raeman Stef Breuls Function: Data Analyst. ACA'er since: December 2021. Main activities: Ensuring clients can effectively utilize their data. Analyzing available data, collaborating with clients to understand their needs, structuring data for use in reports, and creating actionable reports. Best thing ACA: “I've had the chance to work with a range of clients like amfori, Livlina, ANB, Febelco, Aertssen, and even within ACA. Each project is interesting, and somewhat alike, yet brings its own set of challenges. Dealing with these various environments has been a great learning experience so far.” Proud of: “After a successful setup and significant progress for the client, Livina, we were asked to organize two Power BI training sessions. It was really rewarding to see our solution perfectly met the client's needs and our knowledge sharing empowers them to independently navigate through it.” “The team culture within the Data Team is fantastic. We're an incredibly social bunch, characterized by strong transparency and open communication. Plus, we can always count on each other, both during and outside of work. There's a strong commitment and willingness among all team members.” - Stef Breuls Eva Braeckman Function: Data Analyst. ACA'er since: July 2023. Main activities: Helping customers to get the most out of their data. Best thing ACA: “I was looking for an environment in which I can continuously develop myself, and I found exactly that at ACA. If you feel you want to develop yourself in a certain way, or if you want to switch to another role or team, it's up for discussion.” Proud of: “A while ago, we hosted a datalab for our client Amfori, revealing potential additional insights from their existing data. The Amfori management was genuinely thrilled and commended us for generating new ideas for the future.” Fun fact: “In my free time I regularly put on my boxing gloves. It really helps me to let off some steam and shake off all stress!” “Although the Data Team is relatively young, we're encouraged to take on responsibilities. By giving us a lot of opportunities and the freedom to learn and experiment, I truly feel they believe in me.” - Eva Braeckman Marnick Vanloffelt Function: Data Analyst, Data Strategy Domain Lead. ACA'er since: November 2021. Main activities: “As a Data Analyst, I turn data into valuable insights. As a project manager, I keep projects on track and ensure everyone is informed. As a Data Strategy Governance Expert, I boost clients' data maturity through effective processes, skilled teams, and the right technology.” Best thing ACA: “The great working vibe and the high level of autonomy and entrepreneurship are highly motivating. Each day brings a new challenge.” Proud of: “I am proud of my role as Domain Lead for Data Strategy and the opportunity to contribute to shaping our Data Framework. This has led to the development of new services that will help our clients see real value from their investments in data practices quickly.” Fun fact: “I’m a watch fetishist! Not only do I enjoy buying them, but I also try to repair and assemble them.” “The freedom, team spirit, and entrepreneurial mindset within the DataDots team convince me every day to give my best.” - Marnick Vanloffelt Ruben Claus Function: Data Analyst. ACA'er since: September 2023. Main activities: “After an intense training programme, I quickly started working on an internal project: migrating the ACA reporting platform from Google to Microsoft Power BI. My first customer project was the review and optimisation of a self-service dashboard in Google Looker Studio. I like discovering different technologies this way.” Best thing ACA: “The team spirit is the best part! The Data Team is like a close family – always ready to lend a hand, and after a good chat with coffee, we dive back into work together. In the beginning, I worked from home three days a week, but now I'm almost always at the office. Why? Well, it's just a really enjoyable and inspiring place to work.” Proud of: “The project of the reporting migration was a real challenge. Originally, the idea was to use Google Looker, but after analysis and a lot of internal discussions, we decided that Microsoft Power BI would be the best choice in the long term. Although it was a team effort, the result today feels like a personal achievement.” “Despite my limited experience, I was given full trust in my first internal project. Even when things got difficult, they kept on supporting and believing in me. That's very reassuring and motivating.” - Ruben Claus Vincent Mees Function: Data Solutions Architect. ACA'er since: April 2022. Main activities: “As the Data Analytics Competence Lead for Microsoft Azure, It is my responsibility that all Azure projects run smoothly. I provide technical support and manage the Azure team within our Data Team.” My average working day: “I handle a variety of different tasks and responsibilities: from architectural workshops, pipeline development, and integration with external data sources, to coaching sessions, and more. It makes every day unique for me.” Proud of: “With the team, we succeeded in building up a completely new data platform offering in Microsoft Azure. Starting from scratch was a real challenge, but now we are reaping the benefits of it.” Fun fact: “I like working on a project late in the evening, without the daytime distractions.” “The family-like and supportive team culture combined with a pragmatic approach, makes ACA stand out as a quite unique company in the sector.” - Vincent Mees Jan Eerdekens Function: Data Engineer. ACA'er since: November 2005. Main activities: Keeping helicopter view over the architecture in client projects, coaching, and supporting colleagues. Best thing about ACA: “The combination between the coziness of a small company with a flat organizational structure, and the knowledge and experience of a big IT player. And the infamous ACA weekend and New Year's parties!” Proud of: “During the past years, I’ve become a real Liferay expert, earning me the opportunity to speak at the Liferay Devcon.” Fun fact: “Every day I start my working day with a sandwich with chocolate spread while going through my emails. The team has even given me a t-shirt that says Sandwich Man (‘Boterham man’ in Dutch).” “As the team member with the most experience, I like to support and coach younger colleagues. This is how I hope to share my experience, empowering them to confidently take on tasks, recognize when to seek support, and eventually pass on their knowledge and working methods to new colleagues.” - Jan Eerdekens Our mission: turning your data into competitive advantage An effective data strategy is not just about collecting data; it's about transforming your data into a powerful tool that gives your organization a competitive edge. ACA Group’s Data Team helps you to align data initiatives with your business goals, using data as leverage to enhance business efficiency. We provide you with the data streams and visualization tools you need to gain more insights more quickly. That way, it gets easy to… Make the right decisions at the right time. Optimize your business processes. Improve your offering and customer service.