Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll see your first working dashboard within 4-6 weeks. Not a prototype — a live dashboard connected to your actual data. The full implementation (depending on scope) takes 2-6 months, but you see progress weekly from the start. Most firms tell me the first real ‘aha moment’ comes in the first month, when they see utilization or margin numbers they’ve never had before.

Week 1: a strategy session where I map your data sources, understand your operational questions, and define which KPIs matter. Week 2-3: I connect your first data sources and build the data warehouse foundation. Week 4: you see your first live dashboard. Throughout: weekly progress updates so you always know where things stand. No surprises.

It always is. That’s normal — and it’s exactly what I fix. Every firm I work with starts with data scattered across systems that don’t agree. Teamleader says one thing, Exact Online says another. The first step is always an honest assessment: what data exists, where, and how reliable it is. I build from there. You don’t need perfect data to start — you need a system that makes it better over time.

My project services deliver a one-time implementation — I build your data warehouse and dashboards, then hand them over. Managed BI includes the same build, but I also maintain and manage the platform afterwards. Same investment, different packaging. Projects are for firms with internal data capacity. Managed BI is for firms that want everything handled. Learn more about Managed BI →

Professional services firms with 50 to 250 employees — agencies, consultancies, law firms, accountancy practices. Companies that have outgrown spreadsheets but don’t need (or want) an enterprise BI platform. They need one person who connects their systems and delivers operations dashboards that actually get used.

Yes, absolutely. After the first month, you can cancel without issue with 1 month notice. I don’t want clients locked into a long-term contract. This gives me the incentive to deliver value from day one. If the project isn’t working, we both need the freedom to move on.

Big 4 firms offer economies of scale and large teams, but you often pay for overhead, juniors in training, and rigid methodologies that don’t always fit your situation. With me you get: senior expertise from day one (20+ years experience), no agency markup - you pay for my time not office costs and sales teams, complete flexibility - I adapt my approach to your situation, direct communication - no layers between you and the person doing the work, and true independence - no vendor partnerships influencing my advice. Choose a Big 4 if you need political coverage or a huge team. Choose me if you want results.

A full-time BI Manager has advantages for long-term continuity, but consider: a permanent BI Manager costs €80-100K+ annually (salary + employer contributions + secondary costs), usually has limited expertise in 1-2 tools, needs 3-6 months ramp-up time, and carries termination risk if it’s not a match. With me: €20-50K total for a complete operations dashboard implementation (depending on scope — see pricing), broad platform expertise (Metabase, BigQuery, Looker Studio and more), 20+ years strategic experience, cancellable after month one, and deliverable-focused results. Hire a BI Manager if you need daily operational management. Hire me to build the system, so a junior can run it afterwards.

The main pros are: (1) Direct access—you work with me, the expert, not a junior or account manager; (2) Speed and efficiency—AI-enhanced development and zero overhead allow me to deliver faster; (3) Absolute independence—I recommend the best tools for your firm, not what a vendor partnership dictates. The main cons are: (1) Limited throughput—I only take on a few firms at a time to maintain high quality; (2) I’m a single point of failure—if I’m unavailable, work pauses. I mitigate this by building highly documented, standard-based systems that any competent engineer can maintain.

As a solo consultant, I am genuinely independent. I don’t have ties with software vendors pushing their solutions. I don’t have juniors on the bench that I need to staff. Xudo is cashflow positive, so I don’t have to make concessions when it comes to the projects I take on—or refuse. This means I’ll tell you what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to hear it.

If I become ill, I’ll inform you immediately. For shorter periods (a few days), work can often continue with asynchronous tasks like documentation and code reviews. For longer absences, I work with a network of trusted data consultants who can take over or support the project. You only pay for days worked, of course.

Depending on your tier: data pipeline monitoring (weekly or continuous), data quality checks, dashboard maintenance, strategy calls (monthly or quarterly), ad-hoc hours for changes and new requests, and platform updates. Everything needed to keep your data platform running and evolving.

Yes. Existing project clients can add a management contract at the monthly rate. The setup fee is waived since the build is already done. This is the natural path for clients who start with a project and realize they’d rather not maintain it internally.

Absolutely. I can audit existing systems, identify bottlenecks, optimize performance, and help migrate to more modern solutions. For example, at Greenyard Frozen I streamlined complex QlikView environments and managed SAP migrations. Many clients come to me when their current setup is limiting growth.

Recent highlights include: Dropsolid—engineered 3-layer Data Vault architecture in Google BigQuery, delivering automated margin analysis; Greenyard Frozen—interim BI Manager streamlining complex QlikView environments and managing SAP migrations; Onafhankelijk Leven—built workforce planning dashboards enabling data-driven decisions. I’ve also built a complete parking availability app for Gent using open data and AI-assisted development.

My approach is practical and pragmatic—I focus on solutions that deliver real operational value, not just technical perfection. Every system I build is designed to grow with your firm, avoiding costly rewrites as you scale. I bridge the gap between technical complexity and what partners and management actually need to see. I work as an extension of your team, sharing knowledge and building capabilities alongside delivering solutions.

You need a data warehouse when your firm requires consistent, reliable numbers across multiple systems — time tracking says one thing, accounting says another. If partners spend hours reconciling utilization reports or project margins don’t match between tools, it’s time. The key is transforming raw data from your operational systems into one trusted source for reporting and decision-making.

Data strategy should never exist in isolation—it must directly support what your firm is trying to achieve. Do you need better visibility on utilization? Faster insight into project margins? A reliable pipeline forecast? I start with those questions, not with technology. The tools follow the strategy, not the other way around.

Technology alone doesn’t create a data-driven culture—people do. The real challenge at professional services firms is getting partners and team leads to actually use the dashboards in their weekly rhythm. I close this loop by making dashboards part of existing meetings: the Monday resource review, the monthly partner meeting, the quarterly business review. When the dashboard answers questions people already ask, adoption happens naturally.

BI tool licensing is just the tip of the iceberg. The real costs lie in implementation, training, maintenance, and opportunity costs. As an independent consultant, I evaluate tools based on your specific needs, not vendor relationships. I consider total cost of ownership, integration capabilities, and long-term scalability to recommend solutions that truly fit your situation.

I specialize in BI platforms like Qlik, PowerBI, and Google BigQuery, with broad knowledge across the entire data lifecycle. My T-shaped expertise gives you both deep specialization and broad knowledge. I also embrace modern development techniques, including AI-enhanced workflows, to rapidly prototype solutions.

I’m based in Gent, Belgium, and work primarily with professional services firms across Flanders and the Benelux. I’m comfortable working remotely and can travel for on-site workshops — especially the initial strategy session works best face-to-face.

I only engage when I can truly add value to your firm. I help you design a plan to get from where you are to where you want to be—from scattered spreadsheets to an operations dashboard your partners actually use. My end-to-end capability spans from strategy through implementation to adoption, ensuring the transformation delivers real results.