Fix what’s broken
A critical workbook, database or report has failed. Understand the cause, recover what can be recovered and make controlled changes.
Resolve an immediate problem →Business processes · Systems · Change
Practical help today.
Clearer decisions for tomorrow.
Independent advice and hands-on support for cost-conscious SMEs; from a critical spreadsheet to ERP, CRM and ongoing technology leadership.
Start where you need help.
Fix what’s broken. Make better use of what you have. Plan the next step with care.
You can start at any point. Each piece of work is agreed on its own merits.
Use what you have better
Reduce manual work with advanced Excel, Power Query and data modelling. Strengthen existing tools and help people get more from their systems.
Improve everyday work →Consider what comes next
Connect business priorities with ERP, CRM, MES, planning, cloud and AI options. Establish the need, costs and readiness before committing.
Explore systems change →Move forward with confidence
Turn strategy into practical steps, choose suitable suppliers and support people through changes to systems, responsibilities and ways of working.
Get experienced guidance →Safe intervention. Clarity before transformation.
Understand before changing
Investigate the evidence, dependencies and business impact before recommending an intervention.
Keep the response proportionate
A repair, training or a better process may be enough. New technology needs a clear reason.
Leave you better informed
Clear written findings, relevant risks and practical next steps, with knowledge transferred to your team.
Experience in practice
Different problems. A practical approach.
Examples from my career and work through Datum. Each starts with understanding what is really getting in the way.
Manufacturing & ERP
Helping production flow
A factory’s documentation process made small batches difficult. Using SAP’s production controls properly helped remove that constraint.
Factory documentationProcesses & information
Keeping the right wording in use
A central content library made approved wording available in Word and Outlook. A small tool that has remained useful for over twenty years.
Document content controllerInvestigation & recovery
Recovering a critical workbook
Previous versions and conflicting changes were brought together to recover a damaged multi-user Excel tool.
Excel forensic recoveryBusiness understanding around the technology.
Industrial experience.
A wider view.
I’m Richard Emmett, founder of Datum. My background spans over 30 years in engineering, manufacturing and business systems.
Experience across product design, QHSE, sales, manufacturing technologies, ERP, IT and data helps me connect decisions across departments. Lean and Six Sigma approaches inform how I investigate work and identify practical improvements.
I’m a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, with particular experience in engineered-to-order and project-based electrical manufacturing. You work directly with me, with specialist input coordinated where needed.
I’m also involved in local early-careers discussions, with an interest in the skills businesses need and the routes young people take into industry.
Find me on LinkedIn ↗Straightforward to engage.
An informal conversation first. Scope and fees agreed before chargeable work begins.
Hourly, daily, project, deliverable and retainer arrangements are available. Establishing our standard service agreement carries no fee or minimum commitment.
How working with Datum works →Not sure who to ask?
You don’t need a finished brief or a technical problem to contact Datum. Tell us what’s happening and we can discuss how to approach it. We may be able to help directly or introduce someone with the right experience.
Get in touch
What’s getting in the way?
Start with an informal, no-obligation conversation. You don’t need a finished brief. Tell me what is happening in your business and we can discuss a useful starting point.