A good tailor is indispensable, as they can do everything from alter a suit to make it fit you better to completely design and create a bespoke suit that will flatter you in every way possible (Souster & Hicks).

Susan is a lot of things. She’s The Classification Guru, first and foremost. She’s also the Queen of Consistency, a defender of data, and the creator of COAT. But what you may not know is Susan is also a Tailor. A Data Tailor.

Much the same as a tailor will make you a custom and bespoke outfit, or make an existing garment fit you perfectly as if it was made especially for you, The Classification Guru can do that with your data.

Off the rack is fine, it does the job. But let’s face it there are times in everyone’s life where something a little bit more bespoke is required. There are also times in business when this applies too. You shouldn’t be making big business decisions based on off-the-rack classification.

So, what does that look like? Well, you’ll hand your data off to a company who may tell you they’re using automation but actually, the classification might be carried out by an offshore team who are not necessarily skilled in that area or they may be inexperienced. You won’t know the true source of the classification (human or AI) or where your data is actually being classified. It’ll also not receive the care and attention to detail that you would get with a Susan the Tailor.

Let’s think of this as like a new coat. Your off-the-rack version isn’t going to wash well, it won’t last long, and the seams might even come away. You might think then that going High End is a good idea. But actually, more often than not your High-End coat just comes from the same factory as your off-the-rack version with a different label slapped on it.

And, even if you do shell out the big bucks there’s a good chance you’ll still only get 95% of your data classified – or the remainder will be classified as “uncategorised” or “tail spend”.

With Susan the Tailor, 100% of your data is classified every time. Data is classified exactly as what the spend is. And it’ll be tailored to you and your business needs.

Make your data fit better

Data can be classified from an existing or customised taxonomy. This can be from single or multiple file sources and the preferred format to receive the file is Excel.

The level of detail in the classification will be dependent upon the amount of information in the invoice description, where possible this will be as detailed as possible. For example, if the description is a keyboard it will be classified as a keyboard, not just IT equipment or accessories.

Although you may already have your data classified, if it’s not been carried out using the correct taxonomy you won’t be able to report on the information you need, and if there have been multiple parties involved in the process, there will be less consistency and more chance of inaccurate and misleading data.   

Bespoke taxonomies

This is built as the data is classified so that all spend can be accurately classified, and as an organisation, you can report on exactly what you need to as a business.

You can choose how to break down your spend, for example, split the spend by organisational unit (ops, retail, etc.) or direct/indirect at level 1 before breaking it down by categories.

Data is cleansed, deduplicated, and reformatted to allow you or your team to work more effectively and accurately.

The tools of the trade

Much like a suit tailor has their sewing kit and a tape measure, Susan the Tailor also has tools of the trade – namely her trusty COAT.

The COAT principles are applied to every service The Classification Guru offers. These are:

Consistent – Generally data is used by many people or teams, which can lead to multiple classifications of one product. For example, one person might put DHL as a ‘courier’, while another might log it as ‘logistics’ or ‘warehousing’ but these should all be classified under the same banner so everything can be reported accurately.

Organised – Data is only useful if it’s organised. It can be organised in different ways, depending on what you want to get out of it and that will help produce various types of reports/analytics.

Accurate – This can mean different things to different people. At its most basic level, accurate data is correct. In more detail, this could be no duplicate information; correct invoice descriptions; correct classifications; no missing product codes; standard units of measure and so on!

Trustworthy – This is critical. You have to be able to trust that what you’re looking at is the right information, and you need it to be accurate for your teams to use the data in their daily jobs.

I couldn’t tell you how to maintain your data without living and breathing the same practices myself. I am:

Consistent – in communication, work ethic, and results.

Organised – to make sure your data is returned when agreed.

Accurate – so you can make better business decisions.

Trustworthy – so you know the decisions you make are correct.

A good tailor is indispensable – and so is The Classification Guru.

So, why don’t you get yourself a Data Tailor? Get in touch to find out more – it’s susan@theclassificationguru.com.