Consulting Services
Statistical thinking and methodology can be used to improve understanding and decision-making in virtually every area of business, industry and research - anywhere, in fact, that you have data (so that's everywhere). Scroll down or click on one of the links below to find out more about how I can help you make the most of your data.
Training Courses
I have been developing and delivering training on statistical and technical subjects across a wide range of application areas for over 25 years, as well as teaching at degree and post-graduate level in an academic setting. Courses can be provided for large or small groups, or on a one-to-one basis, and can be tailored to your needs.
Please get in touch to discuss your training requirements or take a look through a selection of the courses on offer.
Data Analysis
Sometimes, you just have too much data and too little time. I can help you make the most of your data, whether it's digging into large, unstructured data sets or just helping out with the results of a questionnaire or small study. An expert eye can often reveal insights that others would miss and my experience across a very wide range of application areas ensures that I will be able to quickly identify the most appropriate software and methods. Output can be anything from a few lines of text, usually with summary tables and graphs (just try and stop me), to a formal report ready for submission to management or external clients.
Study Design
When you need to get started on some research, be it a designed experiment, an observational study or a questionnaire-based survey, I can guide you through the process to ensure that the results are both informative and reliable. Your chief enemy in any investigation is bias and it is vitally important to actively look for potential sources of bias in all stages of the design process, most particularly in the sampling strategies and measurement systems selected.
Probably the most common question every statistician gets asked is, "What kind of sample size do I need?" The answer is always, "It depends". Specifically, it depends on a number of characteristics of your study, such as the amount of variability present in the item(s) being measured, the size of effect (e.g. a change in response or a difference between two groups) that you consider to be important and the degree of uncertainty or risk you are comfortable with, as well as the specific method of analysis that you plan to use. This is a critical question that should be addressed as early as possible in the study design process. Getting it wrong can be very costly and I can help you to get it right.
Process/Quality Improvement
Over the years, I've spent my fair share of time on factory floors, discussing control charts, capability indices, experimental designs and measurement systems analyses. What I've learned is that there are always improvements that can be made to manufacturing processes, and the right statistical methods, intelligently applied, can make a huge difference. So, whether you're trying to disentangle the root causes of a sticky problem or just looking for the next steps in your quest for perfection, get in touch and I'll be happy to help.
Application Development
With an eye for detail and more years of programming experience than I care to remember, I always aim to provide a solution that meets all of your requirements (including some you haven't thought of yet) at minimum cost and complexity. Sometimes, a simple Excel spreadsheet, with or without VBA automation, will do the job. On other occasions, I might suggest a more robust or sophisticated solution involving dedicated software. I will also always let you know up front if I don't think I'm the right person for the job. Some examples of the type of solution I might deliver include:
- Excel spreadsheets for data management and analysis
- VBA macros for MS Office automation
- Automated analysis systems using R, Statistica or other specialised software
- Website tools using PHP and Javascript
- Web-based dashboards based on R Shiny
