Reducing churn through advanced data analysis
DPG Media
Hire a data analyst
Data Science Lab analysts answer business questions within your team using SQL and Python, as in our data analysis for DPG Media.
Through in-depth data analysis in Python and SQL, we helped DPG Media turn its data into action points
“Working with DSL enabled us to turn our data into useful action points, leading to targeted and effective campaigns and activations.” Mascha Wijker, Communication Manager, DPG Media. This was an analysis project, not a secondment; an analyst can also work as part of your team.
Why are questions from sales, finance and operations going unanswered?
One manager wants to know why margins are falling; another wants to know which customers are ordering less. The answer is scattered across ERP, CRM and Excel, while cleaning up and investigating the data keep getting pushed aside. A data analyst takes on those questions.
A data analyst cleans the data, finds the answer and explains it to decision-makers
Answering questions with SQL and Python
Through in-depth data analysis in Python and SQL, we identified usage patterns for DPG Media associated with fewer cancellations.
Measuring instead of relying on instinct
Together with Port of Amsterdam, we developed a tool that measures historical berth usage, so policymakers can base their decisions on figures.
Bringing sources together
For Fokker Services Group, we brought together pricing, market and logistics data from the ERP system and external marketplaces in a single view.
Cleaning the data before counting
Duplicate customer records, missing dates and inconsistent codes are removed before anything is counted, and the analyst records the decisions made along the way.
The questions you have and where your data is stored determine which analyst we recommend
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Questions and data sources
The questions you need answered, the systems holding your data and the tools your team uses.
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Meet the analysts
Meet one or more analysts with no obligation, and choose who fits your team.
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Working with your team
The analyst works in your environment. The queries, analyses and explanations stay with your team.
Analyst, BI specialist or data scientist: who does our team need right now?
A good fit if
The business keeps asking questions that standard reports cannot answer, the data is in accessible systems, and someone will act on the findings.
Not a good fit if
You mainly want to set up dashboards and a data model; that is a job for a BI specialist. Predictive models call for a data scientist. You can also outsource a single, well-defined question.
Duration and rate
We agree how long an analyst works with your team based on what is needed; we do not set a minimum or maximum. Expertise, experience and duration determine the hourly rate.
Employer and the Wet DBA
Data Science Lab employs our analysts, so this is not a freelance arrangement. Ask HR or procurement to check whether this arrangement fits your rules for hiring external staff.
Ongoing questions, one big question or a permanent role on the team: which approach fits?
Secondment
Choose this if questions keep coming in and your team retains ownership of the data and outcomes. We recommend it when the questions vary from week to week.
Outsource a single question
Choose this if you have one clearly defined question and need a completed answer. Read about outsourcing data analysis.
Recruit yourself
Choose this if the role is permanent and you have time to recruit. We’re open to discussing hiring a seconded analyst as a permanent employee.
Our analysts can rely on colleagues in BI, engineering and data science
An analyst on assignment has the backing of colleagues who have carried out analyses for DPG Media, Port of Amsterdam and Fokker Services Group, as well as our internal lab and Techdays. We’ve worked with data and AI since 2016.
In our first conversation, we’ll discuss the outstanding questions and the tools your team uses
Stef Stoelwinder
Business DevelopmentStef is your point of contact. In our first conversation, we’ll discuss the outstanding questions, which systems hold the data and which analyst is the right fit for your team.
E-mail info@datasciencelab.nl
Phone +31 (0)20 3636 724
Which business question needs someone to dig into the data right now?
Tell us what questions you have and where the data is stored. We’ll reply by email, or we can arrange an initial conversation.
Message sent
Thanks for your message. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible.
Frequently asked questions
A data analyst uses your own data to answer questions from the business. They retrieve data with SQL, clean it, analyse it in Python, Excel or Power BI, and explain what the findings mean for a decision.
If you’re looking to hire a data analyst, this is the role you need. On our secondment page, this work falls under BI specialist, analytics engineer and data scientist.
A data analyst answers one-off and recurring questions through analysis. A BI consultant sets up the data model and dashboards that people use every day. A data scientist builds and tests predictive models.
In a small team, these roles often overlap. The questions you need answered determine which profile is the best fit.
Typically, they use SQL to retrieve and combine data, Python with pandas for analyses that go beyond a spreadsheet, and Excel or Power BI to share the findings. At DPG Media, we used Python, SQL and dbt, among other tools.
The analyst works in your environment, using what is already in place, such as a data warehouse, Databricks or Microsoft Fabric.
With a freelancer, you sign the contract yourself and assess whether the work and arrangements are consistent with self-employment. A seconded analyst has an employment contract with Data Science Lab; we handle selection, onboarding and support throughout the assignment.
If an analyst gets stuck on a technical question, they can bring in a colleague from our lab or the Techdays.
The Belastingdienst resumed full enforcement on 1 January 2025. To assess whether a self-employed professional is working as an employee in practice, it considers factors including supervision and integration into the organisation.
With secondment through us, the analyst is employed by Data Science Lab. Your HR or procurement team can assess how this fits with your own rules for hiring external staff.
By agreeing on definitions in advance, such as what counts as an active customer or an order, and comparing the results with totals from the source system. Queries and notebooks are kept under version control so a colleague can review and repeat the analysis.
Any missing or questionable data is flagged alongside the findings. A figure without that caveat is only a guess.
Queries, notebooks, reports and a description of the definitions remain in your own environment. If an internal colleague will continue the work, they work alongside the analyst so the handover happens naturally.
If you want to keep the analyst on your team, a move to your organisation is open for discussion.
If the data is not yet accessible or is too fragmented, start with a data engineer. If you mainly need regular dashboards, consider a BI consultant.
If you have a single question and need an answer delivered, outsourcing the data analysis is simpler than bringing someone into your team.