A data strategy the business will actually follow.
Cyber Samurai builds pragmatic, DAMA-aligned data strategies for UK organisations - defining the operating model, architecture and prioritised roadmap needed to make Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric investments pay back.
Where you start
No company starts with a good data strategy in place.
We build a bespoke data governance roadmap that takes you from where you are now to where you need to be. A data strategy is a journey of continuous improvement, not a document that gets written once and then left on a shelf.
- 1
Where you are now
We assess the data, systems, ownership and controls you already have - what works, what is at risk, what is missing and what nobody is accountable for.
- 2
The bespoke roadmap
A prioritised plan built around your business rather than a template, sequenced so early work funds and informs the work that follows.
- 3
Where you need to be
Governed, documented and well-run data that supports decisions, reporting and AI, then reviewed and improved as the business changes.
Most journeys start with a short assessment of where you are today. Tell us what you have and we will tell you what is worth fixing first.
Start with an assessmentProblems we solve
What can be achieved
Connect business goals to data so every investment pays back.
What's available
The technologies involved
A data strategy covers more than technology. These are the areas we work in.
- Data operating models - people, roles and responsibilities
- Data architecture - Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric
- Data governance - DAMA-DMBOK aligned frameworks
- Data quality - measuring and improving trust in data
- Master and reference data - one version of key records
- AI readiness - getting data fit for AI
- Roadmaps and business cases - prioritised and costed
How we work
Strategy works best in expert hands
A strategy written without hands-on experience reads well and fails in delivery. Experienced data practitioners know what is realistic, what each platform really costs and where projects usually stall. AI can draft a strategy document in minutes, but only an expert can tell whether it fits your business and will survive contact with reality. That is why our strategies are shaped by specialists who also deliver.
Controlling your data
Keep control of your data, on-prem or in the cloud
A data strategy does not have to assume everything moves to the cloud. With the right platforms you can keep data on-prem and still give applications, analytics and AI safe, governed access. We work with two tools that make this possible.
DreamFactory - on-prem API management and AI gateway
DreamFactory sits between your data and everything that consumes it, generating and governing APIs on-prem. It also works as an AI gateway, so AI applications get controlled, audited access to enterprise data without bypassing your security.
Find out more at dreamfactory.comIntegrate.io - on-prem data pipelines at a fixed price
Integrate.io lets you build data pipelines on-prem as an alternative to Azure Data Factory, and the price stays fixed no matter how much data you work with - making costs predictable as your data volumes grow.
Find out more at integrate.ioNot sure whether to keep data on-prem, move it to the cloud, or run a hybrid? We can map the options against your strategy.
Discuss your platform optionsData governance
Govern the data you already have
A strategy that only covers platforms and projects leaves data unowned, undocumented and hard to find. Governance is the layer that makes data discoverable, understandable and safe to use, and in practice it comes down to four capabilities.
Data discovery
Find out what data you actually hold and where it lives, including personal, financial and customer records. Discovery is the starting point for GDPR mapping and for any analytics or AI project that needs to know what it can legitimately use.
Data catalog
A searchable index of datasets, owners and agreed definitions, so two departments stop reporting different revenue figures and analysts stop rebuilding the same report from scratch.
Data lineage
Trace where a number came from, what touched it along the way and where it flows next. Lineage turns a disputed figure into a short investigation and makes migrations, audits and incident reviews survivable.
Data access management
Give people the access they need and nothing more, with least-privilege rules, clear approvals and audit trails. Done well, access decisions get faster rather than slower.
Governance is where strategy turns into everyday practice. We can run it for you, or help you build the capability in-house.
Explore Data Governance as a ServiceOutcomes
What a good data strategy delivers for the business
A data strategy earns its keep when the business can point to what changed. These are the benefits we expect to see.
Related services
Often paired with
Insights
Related reading
GDPR Pressure Without a Data Map: Where Mid-Market Firms Get Stuck
GDPR data mapping is where most mid-market compliance efforts stall, not the policy or the paperwork, but simply not knowing where personal data actually lives.
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The Mid-Market Data Operating Model: DBA + Platform + Governance + Insights
A practical data operating model for mid-market companies: how database administration, platform and engineering, governance and insights fit together as one system.
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Observability → Migration → Trust: The Sequence That De-Risks Major Change
Observability before migration, migration with reconciliation, then earned trust, the sequence that de-risks major data change for mid-market companies.
Read articleQuestions
Frequently asked
- Both - a clear strategy plus a prioritised roadmap our delivery teams (or yours) can execute.
Start the conversation
Get a data strategy that leadership will back.
What you'll get
- 30–45 min consultation
- Clear priority map
- Recommended first engagement
- No obligation to proceed
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