Powering innovation in the data landscape. Meet Sii Poland’s Data & Analytics Competency Center

Since its establishment in 2006, Sii Poland has been committed to advancing skills in specialized areas. One such dedicated business unit within the company, the Data & Analytics Competency Center, has emerged as a strong digital transformation player. The center offers all-encompassing solutions on modern data platforms and analytics using artificial intelligence. Now, after six successful years in the industry, backed by a team of 250 seasoned professionals with more than 120 projects carried out, it stays at the forefront of innovation. Learn more about their business intelligence services and discover the secret behind the center’s success.

Sii’s Data & Analytics Competency Center specializes in developing strategies for Modern Data Platforms and defining comprehensive migration plans from on-prem into cloud. At the heart of its operations lies the development of scalable big data solutions and the creation of advanced reports using analytical tools such as Power BI.  The center also has its own solutions, with a perfect example being the proprietary Data Crawler framework, which automates and optimizes the creation and transformation of data pipelines, thereby reducing programming time and speeding up the execution of migration projects.

— For several years, we’ve been observing a dynamic development in the field of Data & AI – data integration, sharing and advanced analytics are becoming an essential economic resource and the foundation of companies’ business decisions — says Małgorzata Wodzisławska, Data & Analytics Competency Center Director at Sii Poland. —Therefore, companies are looking for efficient, scalable data platforms they can rely on and experts in managing these solutions. Our center has such expertise and supports companies in building data-driven strategies aligned with business processes, people, and technology — she explains.

Developing future-ready services

Sii Poland keeps pace with market trends. Most of the Data & Analytics Competency Center’s projects revolve around cloud-based data migration.

— The clients opt for cloud platforms due to the convenience of resource scalability, the ability to precisely manage costs, secure data storage and access to the latest services and products, including ready-to-use artificial intelligence components for text and image analysis, as well as predictive analytics — comments Krzysztof Saniak, Solution Architect at Sii Poland.

Building analytical solutions in the cloud further promotes the democratization of data access, facilitating internal and external data sharing. For companies with a robust foundation in data integration and processing, Sii Poland recommends exploring the following areas:

• Data analysis automation – utilizing artificial intelligence to recognize patterns, forecast trends, and automate decision-making processes,
• Text analysis using Natural Language Processing (NLP) – for contracts, offers, reviews on websites, etc., to extract key information, summarize, de-duplicate documents, verify compliance, and build chatbots – assistants that answer questions based on a knowledge database, supporting business operations,
• Real-time data analysis – enabling faster response to market changes and better exploitation of business opportunities.

— One of the Data & Analytics Competency Center’s own projects in line with the trend of generative AI is the AI Legal Assistant — says Marcin Mosiołek, AI Subject Matter Expert at Sii Poland. — This innovative chatbot operates on authentic legal documents for unparalleled accuracy and reliability. It offers the ability to verify its answers by referring directly to the source documents on which it bases its knowledge — he clarifies.

Implementing innovative projects

The Data & Analytics Competency Center at Sii Poland has built its strong position on high-impact projects for global brands, pushing AI to the forefront of day-to-day business. The center’s work allows companies to make well-informed decisions, e.g., plan demand for products or services, forecast market trends, and manage inventory. All that to improve their daily operations and help make necessary decisions about the future. Real-time data analytics also means companies can respond quickly to unexpected patterns or issues, reducing risk and avoiding financial loss.

Successful collaborations with global leaders show how the D&A Competency Center uses advanced technology to help businesses adapt and stay resilient in today’s fast-paced market. Here’s how they do it:

• Huhtamaki: Sii experts helped global food packaging manufacturer Huhtamaki standardize their data processing and management, integrating data from various operational systems to analyze key business processes. Huhtamaki’s decision to use Microsoft Azure for its scalability and security set the stage for better data-driven decision-making.
• Dodge Data & Analytics: In partnership with the leading American data, analytics, and insights provider, the Data & Analytics Competency Center team automated the extraction of critical information from text documents related to commercial construction projects. Dodge’s processes were significantly streamlined through Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning.
• Erbud: One of Poland’s most prominent construction groups needed a comprehensive project management solution. In collaboration with D365 specialists, Sii Data & Analytics experts provided a state-of-the-art solution, enabling Erbud to manage its key business processes.

Achievements, industry partnerships, and academic collaboration

The Data & Analytics Competency Center is constantly growing. This is evidenced by the specializations they regularly acquire, such as Analytics on Azure associated with Microsoft Data & AI Solutions Partner. It confirms that Sii Poland has extensive experience in planning and delivering analytics solutions in Microsoft Azure, enabling clients to leverage the full range of their data assets to help create innovative and secure analytics solutions for enterprises across industries.

In addition to pursuing industry-recognized certification, the center’s experts participate in significant industry events. In May 2023, Sii Poland was a partner in the opening of Microsoft’s data region in Poland. Malgorzata Wodzisławska, Data & Analytics Competence Center Director, appeared at the EXPO STAGE to conduct a discussion on Danone’s data transformation, cloud migration projects with Daria Bronik, Business Solutions Analyst and One Source Program Coordinator at Danone Poland.

The Data & Analytics Competency Center also extends its influence on the academic world, sponsoring Python postgraduate studies at WSB Merito in Wroclaw and the Ghost Day conference at the Poznan University of Technology.

This fosters a community of AI and Machine Learning enthusiasts, promoting innovation and collaboration among students and experts. As part of their plans to share knowledge more widely, the center is setting up an AI Community at Sii, aiming to create a space for learning and collaboration

Ambitious roadmap ahead

Sii’s Data & Analytics Competency Center aims to expand by venturing into new industries and tackling new business challenges. As they continue to grow, Sii’s recruitment needs also increase.

– We’re looking for analysts with domain knowledge such as banking, finance, healthcare, and others, as well as technical expertise in Azure, Power BI, AWS, and Snowflake – says Monika Dąbrowska, Resource Manager at Sii Poland. – We’re also searching for data engineers with machine learning and natural language processing experience. Candidates should have a strong command of Python, have experience working with text documents, and have participated in projects in cloud environments like Azure, AWS, and GCP. These professionals will find exciting opportunities at Sii — she comments.

The center’s experts plan to strengthen their industry presence further by participating in key industry events such as the ABSL Summit 2023, taking place from September 6-8 in Krakow. The prestigious line-up of speakers for the event includes the former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rassmussen and US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski. Marcin Mosiołek, an NLP expert from Sii’s Data & Analytics Competency Center, will also present there. He’ll focus on how to safely harness the potential of generative artificial intelligence in day-to-day business operations.

Furthermore, the center is setting its sights on investing in developing and optimizing its products.  This applies not only to improvements in cloud migration and data management but also to new areas of reporting such as Marketing and Green Analytics. Moreover, they are eager to expand their AI product range. Currently, they have embarked on a Proof-of-Concept project for text analysis and sentiment analysis based on reviews for medical clinics, underlining their commitment to innovative solutions across diverse domains.

Discover Sii Poland’s Data & Analytics Competency Center offering, or contact Sii experts to take your business forward. To advance your career in this area, check out our job opportunities and join the Power People team.