BricolageRA

  • RESEARCH
  • ANALYSIS
  • INSIGHT

At Bricolage we use cutting-edge text mining and data analytics technologies and research techniques, which allow us to combine different types and sources of data, then examine and analyse them, to discover useful knowledge and gain new insights.

We specialise in taking both structured and unstructured data and bringing them together to spot and extract patterns, correlations, anomalies, entities, topics, themes and facts that would not have been apparent had just one type of data been used.

By combining data in this way, it becomes possible not just to measure phenomena – to say what is happening and when – but also to look at their possible causes – to understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ – and develop predictive models – to forecast future performance and outcomes.

What We Do

Data Preparation, Analysis and Visualisation

Preparation of all sources of textual and numeric data to make them available for analysis.

Combining data of different types and from different sources to gain additional insights into operations and behaviours. For example:

  • Linking data collected during every-day business operations and administration (operational/administrative data), with aggregate data (such as employment rates, educational attainment, health care outcomes, or geographical location) to better understand outcomes or to target services and marketing.
  • Joining sales data with customer/client survey and feedback data to inform service delivery.
  • Merging natural language text data from different sources and in different formats (such as electronic documents, call centre logs, database text fields, emails, text messages, web searches, web sites, social media posts) into a single text corpus to gain an overview of communications, the themes or topics in a set of documents, or to automate the analysis of very large collections of text materials.

Mixed method analysis of quantitative and qualitative data providing added insight, depth and causal understanding.

Analysis of operational/administrative data (such as CRM database records, spreadsheets, web feedback forms, questionnaires, surveys, reports, documents, financial records, and emails) for:

  • Monitoring and evaluation including real time analysis primary processes.
  • Assessing effects of changes in policy and practice.
  • Analysing business operations and processes to provide business intelligence and aid decision making.
  • Objectively assessing the impact of particular interventions, services or projects.

Extraction of patterns, correlations, trends and anomalies from any available data source.

Using visualisation tools to both explore and analyse data, and to display the results to create clarity and enhance understanding.

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Text Analytics (Text Mining)

Rapid analysis, categorisation and annotation of large collections of all types of electronic text (including social media) to discover themes, topics, and sentiments.

Mining text data for information and facts contained within, including entities such as people, companies, products, places, events, and dates, and the relationships between them.

Enriching text data through the addition of related metadata.

Creating bespoke, industry specific taxonomies and dictionaries for use in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning and automated analysis.

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Predictive Analytics

Developing statistical models to predict outcomes based on current and historical data in order to help plan and target future resources more effectively.

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Assessment of Data Collection and Management Systems

Carrying out detailed evaluation of the accuracy and consistency of data collection structures and CRM systems.

Developing and refining data collection, processing and delivery services, and user experience.

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Assessment of Data Preparedness

Evaluating your organisation’s use of data and the understanding of its potential uses.

Planning a data collection, user education and usage strategy to evolve data usage within the organisation.

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Designing and Implementing Primary Research Projects and Programmes

Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Methods research design.

Designing data collection tools:

  • Questionnaires and Surveys.
  • Interviews and Focus groups.
  • Scales (used to reliably measure social phenomena in various contexts, such as assessing attitudes, structuring observations, and testing concepts and hypotheses).

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Other Services

Project Management, facilitating workshops and delivering training.

Accessing additional specialists and domain experts:

  • Building project teams with expertise in the fields of Software Development (including text and data analysis tools), Defence and Security, Digital Marketing and PR, Military Historical Analysis, Operational Research, Quality Assurance, Social Research and Change Management.

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Publications

Op HERRICK Logistics Lessons Capture Task

Dominic Cassidy Analysis, Downloads

Details

A presentation that outlines the approaches taken to capturing and analysing logistics lessons from a corpus of 4 million words created from multiple natural language data sources for the HERRICK (Afghanistan) operations. A total of 767 lessons were extracted, covering 8 major thematic areas, which allowed for better forward planning of future operations.

Please click here to download this resource.

What We Do

Dominic Cassidy Downloads, General

Details

A downloadable document detailing services offered by Bricolage

Please click here to download this resource.

Limiting Access to Limited Resources?

Dominic Cassidy Downloads, Research

Details

A report detailing how, during 2009-2010, some vulnerable and homeless clients of Wiltshire Council’s Housing Options Service were denied the statutory duties owed to them or were not offered good quality and timely housing advice. The report is based on case studies and a line by line text analysis of anonymised CRM database records. This mixed method approach forms a detailed picture of the treatment of individuals and groups presenting as homeless and points to weaknesses in Wiltshire Council’s procedures and practices for processing and supporting them.

Please click here to download this resource.

Contact Us

Ready to unlock the full potential of the data you hold?

    Our Clients

    Recent clients have included:

    • Ministry of Defence (MOD)
    • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl)
    • Depaul UK
    • Newman Spurr Consulting (NSC)
    Recent Clients