Rupert Morrison - "Be tenacious and resilient. You need a dogged determination to succeed"

Job Title: Managing Director

Company: Concentra

Website: http://www.concentra.co.uk/

Find out more about Rupert Morrison at : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rupertmorrison

Event Bramble Hub Partner Technology Event September 2015

Concentra helps organisations with their analytics giving them what we call the 'analytics edge'. We use analytics to look at organisational design and data and to answer awkward business questions.

Concentra is the merger of two types of business; A management consultancy, where we deal with substantial business problems and help organisations make important decisions, and a Technical Development Agency where we develop tools that help our clients use their data more effectively and sustainably.

Traditionally consultants have used Excel or Access to supply data and these work very successfully for one-off interventions. But we found that questions were ongoing and that we needed something sustainable, collaborative and scaleable to really be able to help our clients.

As well as using a range of externally developed business intelligence software such as Python, Tavleau and Alteryx we developed two products of our own, OrgVue and SupplyVue

We have grown rapidly, initially concentrating in healthcare providing a range of tools for services including patient care and organisational design and workforce planning.

I wrote a book 'Data-Driven Organisation Design' which looks at how businesses can and should use data to transform organisations. I saw that many people and organisations were constantly struggling to manage and get transparency around their data and analytics. Data needs to be tangible and we spend a lot of our time making sure that information is accessible

We use a lot of graphics to explain the data in OrgVue and SupplyVue because we understand that the way you see the world is the world as you understand it. We make complex things understandable. Our focus is on Technology, People and Methods

At Concentra we make a point of only employing really good people with deep domain expertise and analytical skills. We hire the sort of people you would expect to see in huge/global organisations. Our clients often need to feel comfortable that they are working with people who have solved this issue before.

As an SME it is often frustrating selling into government the tenders are complex and if you have an innovative product the issue can be even harder.

Having Bramble Hub representing SMEs to government is really useful. We spent a long time searching out the right partner – and Bramble Hub is definitely right for us.

We got a really good reaction from the audience at the Bramble Hub Technology Interchange event and hope that as a result of seeing our presentation people think about us when they see an opportunity.

The advice I would pass on to other SMEs – Be tenacious and resilient. You need a dogged determination to succeed.

I would also say always employ 'A team' players. 'A team' players want to surround themselves with 'A team' people. 'B team' players want to surround themselves by 'C team' players.

And lastly think about your value proposition – does it resonate and is it scalable?

The best advice I have been given was that ' Everything is harder and takes longer than you think – but it is more rewarding too.'

Event: Bramble Hub Partner Technology Interchange – September 2015