Case Studies

Automating and optimising processes to enhance productivity

In the Marketing sector, Data Science and Machine Learning techniques can help predict customer acquisition, retention and profitability to improve business outcomes. There are a plethora of Data Science tools and techniques available to analysts. Therefore, ensuring analysts understand when and how to apply these techniques to generate business value is essential.

“We worked with the team at Cambridge Spark to define a package that would suit our needs specifically – It was absolutely relevant to us,” says Matt Wilson, Senior Manager, EDF Energy. “We’ve actually re-used a lot of the code put together in the training exercises to deploy production models – the workbooks completed as part of the training are referred to by our data science team frequently.”

The Business Outcomes

“Utilising the skills picked up in this training we have been able to market to our customers and prospects more effectively, using less resources to acquire and retain customers.

We’re now moving forward and looking at using some of the methods we’ve picked up as a result of this training to fix some larger business problems,” says Matt Wilson. “We’re 5 months on from the training now, the training was very useful for us to build capability quickly, we used it to quickly deploy a series of classification models for marketing optimisation (predicting campaign outcome).
We’re still using them now, however, they have been vastly improved on, tuned and fully automated.”

Designing new product offerings that add value to your clients

New research and technologies are continuously emerging in the fields of Big Data and Data Science. To keep up to date with the latest advancements, Deloitte chose Cambridge Spark to provide on-site data science training for their Consulting Analysts.

The training equipped analysts with Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing and advanced analytical skills to bring to new projects and client offering across healthcare, life science, retail and industrial products.

The Business Outcomes

“There are always new algorithms and tools coming out that we need to learn about, and these courses help us understand the fundamentals then dig deeper,” says Fei Liao, Technology Consulting Analyst at Deloitte. “At Cambridge Spark, you have really exceptional trainers who are specialists in the field. We can definitely trust your team and your expertise.”

“I focus on delivering data-driven solutions to clients, most recently for the cognitive and robotics automation projects. Deep Learning and neural work are such hot topics in this field, so myself and my colleagues need to keep up with these new advanced technologies. I’ve been really looking forward to this training to learn more,” says Fei Liao. “We have a good relationship with Cambridge Spark, last year we ran the Machine Learning Bootcamp in Python. The course received really good feedback from attendees and we have continued to do great stuff together.”

Forecasting demand and consumer buying patterns to enhance sales

The retail sector is adopting Data Science techniques to reduce costs, improve decision making and explore ways to do more with data. This is an area of focus for Cambridge Spark client, Sainsbury’s Argos Ltd.

To quickly develop the skill set of Argos Analysts, Cambridge Spark delivered an intensive conversion training course on Data Science and Machine Learning using Python. The 5-day course introduced Argos analysts to a core set of techniques they can apply to internal projects such as forecasting demand and footprint to optimise operational efforts and better understanding of consumer buying patterns to enhance sales.

The Business Outcomes

“The programme was really flexible and beneficial,” said Richard Pegler, Operational Strategy Manager at Sainsbury’s Argos Ltd. “Cambridge Spark presented content that our supply team have already started using in for location strategy optimisation and short horizon store forecasting.”

“For the supply team, their main objectives are demand forecasting and segmentation across stores. We found the Time Series Analysis and Clustering content particularly useful and individuals have already starting applying the knowledge and theory covered,” said Richard Pegler. “Overall, we are really pleased with the content and make-up of the course.” 

Enhancing the education and employability of students

Combining mathematics and statistics, computer science and domain expertise, Data Science is an interdisciplinary skill set that can be applied in every field and an essential secondary skill set students can learn to complement their academic studies. There are an abundant number of tools and techniques that can help students analyse vast amounts of data for their research, and in doing so, help them build skills that are highly sought after by industry.

“The course content was varied enough and advanced enough to meet the diverse requirements of our group. As the attendees are from different backgrounds, researching completely different areas, we will all use the topics to different degrees and in different ways,” says Simon Blackwell, PhD Research Student at Loughborough University.

The Training Outcomes

The in-person Core Data Science training was complemented by continuous learning projects using K.A.T.E.^®, Cambridge Spark’s Knowledge Assessment Teaching Engine. Using K.A.T.E.^®, students can keep experimenting with Python exercises as well as Machine Learning tasks within a simulated work environment and receive instant feedback to help improve their code.

“The objective of the programme was to give researchers an understanding of the concepts and benefits of Data Science and Machine Learning, and a solid foundation on how to apply those techniques, says Simon Blackwell. “The most enjoyable part was the informal delivery with great dialogue. We were encouraged to ask questions and free to deviate from the material whenever useful. The instructors were knowledgeable without being unapproachable.”

Training Biomedical Data Scientists

In Bioinformatics, new applications of Machine Learning are emerging that improve the accuracy and efficiency of processes, and open the way for disruptive data-driven solutions. For example, the implementation of Data Science in Biomedicine is helping to accelerate patient diagnoses and create personalised medicine based on biomarkers.

Aligned with these advancements and the learning objectives of students at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Cambridge Spark delivered a three-day Introduction to Data Science using Python training session, on-site, at the Department of Vector Biology.

The Training Outcomes

“The course was intended to improve the data science capability of our department, though each student had their own motivation for signing up. Personally, I was looking for an overview of machine learning tools, the necessary considerations when applying them, and indications about how to implement them,” said Eric Lucas, Post Doctoral Research Associate, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

“The training was very relevant, I was actively searching for organisations that could provide in-house machine learning courses, and the course which Raoul proposed matched very closely with what I envisaged,” said Eric Lucas. “I really enjoyed the discussions on pitfalls of machine learning, what makes them effective, what can be expected of them and what can’t be expected of them.”

Delivering advanced Data Science and Machine Learning modules as means of continuously professionally developing Perpetuums Analytics team

Machine Learning has the potential to revolutionise the Logistics and Transport industry by determining the most important factors for the success of a supply network, whilst continuing to learn in the process. Today, it’s applied in industry to increase productivity and reduce cost by identifying optimised delivery routes, optimising warehouse usage, forecasting demand and delivery times, extending the life of assets, and more.

Perpetuum was looking for us to deliver a course, focusing on Data Science and Machine Learning, as a means of continuously professionally developing their Analytics team. To enable Cambridge Spark to adapt the delivery of the content to the level of Python expertise within the Analytics team, we provided Python exercises on our proprietary adaptive learning platform, K.A.T.E.®, giving us full visibility of the abilities of each individual — enabling a personalised learning experience on the day.

The Training Outcomes

To enable Cambridge Spark to adapt the delivery of the content to the level of Python expertise required from the Perpetuum participants, we provided Python exercises on our proprietary adaptive learning platform, K.A.T.E.®, giving us full visibility of the abilities of each individual, enabling a personalised learning experience on the day. On the day, the Analytics benefited from diving deep into the theory, before putting their skills to the test in hands-on Jupyter notebooks.

When asked to summarise the experience of working with Cambridge Spark to provide continuous professional development for their Analytics team, here’s what Perpetuum had to say…

“The programme was great, we really liked the approach on the material… it was an ideal way to ensure we knew a reasonable level before we started the course. The overall communication was good and Tim [our tutor] was excellent; we were really impressed with him. He was competent and able to explain things at a good level.”

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