Data consultancy for small and mid-sized businesses
We gather the invoices, spreadsheets, contracts, reviews and call logs you already have, verify them, and hand back findings you can act on this quarter.
No new software. We work from the files you already have.
The process
We pull every figure out of every export, contract, map, review and spreadsheet into a single working set. Nothing retyped, nothing lost in the hand-off between the person who has it and the person who needs it.
Duplicates out, orphans flagged, stale entries retired, each figure traced back to the record it came from and the person who entered it. A number without provenance does not get through.
The verified set goes into order, and we test for the movements that matter, not the ones that look interesting. What comes back is short: three to five things worth doing, ranked by what they are worth.
Each finding becomes an action with a baseline and a measurement window. If the lift is not there, we say so. If it is, you get the number and the confidence behind it.
Case studies
Clients are described, not named, at their request. Numbers are theirs. Named references on request.
Regional HVAC contractor · 14 staff · dispatch in one system, invoicing in another
“I thought the problem was slow payers. It was jobs we never billed.”Owner
Online specialty retailer · $4M revenue · Shopify, a 3PL and a returns inbox
“Two numbers in a report and a decision we made the same afternoon.”Operations lead
B2B distributor · 40 accounts · contracts in a filing cabinet, prices in email
“We had the contract the whole time. We had never read it against the invoices.”Owner
Illustrative samples until the first engagements are published.
How an engagement works
Fixed scope, agreed on the first call. You see the findings before you decide on the next step.
You bring one question and one export. We say whether the data can answer it, and what it would take. Free, and it ends in a yes, a no, or a referral.
You send exports in whatever format they are in. We work in an encrypted copy, remove duplicates, orphans and stale rows, and show you the count of each.
A short report: three to five findings, ranked by what they are worth, each with the decision it points to and how we will measure whether it worked.
About
I'm Alwin Hui, the founder of Signum Insights. Before Signum, I led the data analytics team for Deloitte's global aviation practice, helping 170+ airline clients adapt to new challenges such as COVID-19, rising fuel costs and decarbonization mandates. I've also sat on the investment committee at multiple venture capital firms analyzing and advising hundreds of startups, and co-founded Proscia, a digital pathology company that sold for $270M.
Throughout my career, data has been the key thread tying everything together. Whether you're a startup or a Fortune 500 company, there are millions of data points available, but making sense of them is a challenge every company faces. My goal is to help you aggregate, analyze, and assess these data points into actionable insights.
I hold an MBA/MS dual degree from Stanford, and a MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins. Originally from San Diego, I am passionate about advising companies, skiing and hiking, and making progress in my goal of visiting every country in the world (50+ so far).
Questions owners ask first
Whatever you have, as it is: exports from your accounting or point-of-sale system, spreadsheets, PDF invoices and contracts, review and support exports. Most clients start with one CSV and a one-line question.
Cleaning it is step two. Duplicates, orphans and stale rows are expected, and the report tells you how many of each we found.
We say so, on the first call if it is obvious and in the report if not. You are not charged for the next step.
A fixed fee per engagement, set by the exact scope of work and agreed before anything starts. Our rates are market competitive. Reach out for a free estimate.
Start here
A 20-minute call with the person who does the analysis, not a salesperson. We tell you what the file already says and what it would take to be sure. You leave with a yes, a no, or a referral.
We reply within one business day. No deck, no pitch. You keep the notes either way.