INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Changes to an information system need to be carried out with care and consideration of the possible consequences.
Learn moreWYERWORKS
MAKING COMPLEX INFORMATION SYSTEMS WORK BETTER
Wyerworks helps organisations improve their information systems so they can work more efficiently, make decisions based on reliable data, and provide better services.
STARTING WITH THE DATA
Wyerworks starts with the data because that's where many of the important signals are.
Patterns in when and how data is collected can reveal data-quality issues, potential workflow problems, and differences between what the data is supposed to mean and how it is actually being used.
From there, we look at how data gets into the system and how it comes back out. This helps us understand how people actually use the system, including workflows and workarounds that may differ from the documented process.
A workaround isn't automatically a problem. It can reveal something important about what users need, or expose a risk that the organisation needs to address.
AREAS OF WORK
DATA ARCHITECTURE AND MODELLING
An organisation starts having problems with the way its data is structured when the databases can’t store all the types of information that the organisation needs.
It can also become a problem when the same information exists across different systems but the systems don’t store the data in the same way, or it’s collected with different regularity.
Learn moreDATA GOVERNANCE
An organisation realises it has a data governance problem when it doesn’t know where the data is, who has access to it, or what’s involved in collecting, storing or using it.
Learn moreDATA QUALITY AND VALIDATION
Poor-quality data can leave different departments using different metrics and disagreeing about what’s really going on in the organisation.
Learn moreDATA FLOWS, ETL AND INTEGRATION
An organisation has a problem with its data flows when it’s not clear where the data is going, when the data loses its meaning as it moves from one place to another, or when there are bottlenecks in the flow.
Learn moreINTEROPERABILITY
Two systems can both work perfectly well on their own but have problems working together when they can’t exchange and understand each other’s data.
Learn moreWORKFLOWS AND REQUIREMENTS
The workflow people actually use can be quite different from the workflow the system was designed around.
Learn morePERSON AND IDENTITY DATA
An organisation starts having problems with data about people when the data no longer matches sufficiently or usefully with the lived reality of the person it represents.
When that happens, the person might find they’re excluded from the services they need.
Learn moreWHEN WYERWORKS CAN HELP
Something needs to change
You know something needs to change in your information system, but the system is complex and you’re worried that changing one thing might break something else.
The system has become a pain to use
Everyone knows the system is difficult to use. The worry is that once you start changing it, it's going to create more trouble.
You’re planning a change
You’re planning something new, but you’re worried that changes to the system could have unexpected consequences elsewhere.
You’re not sure you can trust your data
You have lots of data, but you’re not sure whether it’s reliable. It may be creating friction in the organisation, and you’re not confident that you can trust the decisions being made from it.
Your organisation has outgrown its data processes
Your organisation has changed or grown, but it feels like your data processes haven’t grown along with it.
EXPERIENCE
The experience behind Wyerworks comes from years of working on information systems in health, education, refugee data management, epidemiological research and the public sector.
I’ve worked with Save the Children, World Education and Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, as well as on projects funded by USAID, UNESCO and UNICEF in Thailand, Myanmar and South Africa.
My responsibilities have included system design, stakeholder engagement, data modelling, implementation and technical documentation.
My PhD added an infrastructure perspective. I now look at information systems on a wider scale, including how they are interconnected, how they change slowly over time and how a seemingly simple change in one part of a system can cascade to affect people’s lives.
ABOUT WYERWORKS
Founder
Dr Katherine Wyers
I started Wyerworks because I wanted to use my experience from information systems fieldwork, together with the theoretical and empirical work from my PhD, to help organisations improve their information systems.
I wanted to create a practice for organisations that genuinely want to improve their systems. Wyerworks brings information-systems analysis together with an understanding of socio-technical complexity and the political dimensions of how information systems are designed and used.
INSIGHTS
I write Wyerworks Insights to help people spot potential situations where their decisions about information systems could lead to problems further down the line.
QUESTIONS.
We can always have a chat about what you need. Reach out with a quick email or book a call with me and we'll see where you're at.
YNo. I work with lots of different types of information systems. I've worked in health, education, refugee data management, and medical research. But one of the areas I specialise in is data that represents people.
Yes. I work with organisations of different sizes, from small non-profits, to universities and internatioanl NGOs.
DISCUSS A PROJECT
You don't need to diagnose the problem before contacting Wyerworks. Just start the conversation.
Wyerworks supports remote and international engagements, including work with distributed and multi-country teams.