DATA MONARQUE

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How it works

How It Works — Data Monarque

From first conversation
to full data confidence

Every engagement follows a clear, structured process so you always know exactly where you are, what comes next, and what you’re getting.

4
structured phases
90
days avg. delivery
Fixed
price agreed upfront
100%
team ownership on exit
UK GDPR
compliant throughout

The process at a glance

Four phases. One clear journey.
Zero surprises.

Every engagement follows the same rigorous framework adapted to your organisation, your systems, and your goals.

01
Discover
Weeks 1–2
02
Design
Weeks 3–4
03
Deliver
Weeks 5–10
04
Sustain
Week 11+
01
Discover
Weeks 1–2

We map your world honestly and completely.

Before we recommend a single solution, we need to understand exactly what you have, what you need, and what’s getting in the way. This phase is about listening, observing, and uncovering not selling.

What we do
  • Conduct a structured kick-off call with your key stakeholders
  • Audit all existing data systems, tools, and integrations
  • Map your current data flows where it comes from, where it goes, where it breaks
  • Identify reporting gaps and board-level blind spots
  • Document pain points in plain language your whole team can validate
What you do
  • Share access to your current tools and systems (read-only is fine to start)
  • Nominate a point of contact for the engagement (usually an Operations or Data lead)
  • Attend a 60-minute discovery session with key team members
  • Complete a short pre-audit questionnaire (30 mins max)
Deliverable
Data Landscape Report

A clear, plain-English document mapping your current systems, identifying the top 3–5 pain points, and outlining the opportunity. You keep this regardless of whether you proceed.

Fixed-price proposal

A scoped, no-surprises quote for the Design and Deliver phases based on exactly what we’ve found.

02
Design
Weeks 3–4

We build the blueprint tailored to your mission.

No generic templates. No off-the-shelf solutions. We design a data architecture and integration plan that fits your organisation precisely including what you can realistically manage yourselves after we leave.

What we do
  • Design your new data architecture systems, flows, and integrations
  • Prototype key dashboards and reports for your review
  • Select and configure appropriate tools (we’re platform-agnostic)
  • Draft a data governance framework appropriate to your team size
  • Prepare a UK GDPR data mapping document for your records
What you do
  • Review and approve the proposed architecture (two rounds of feedback built in)
  • Confirm reporting priorities with your board or senior team
  • Provide access credentials for systems being integrated
  • Sign off the final design before build begins
Deliverable
System design document

Full technical and plain-English specification of your new data environment what connects to what, why, and how.

Dashboard prototypes

Visual mockups of your key reports and dashboards for sign-off before we build a single line of code.

03
Deliver
Weeks 5–10

We build, test, and hand over properly.

This is where the plan becomes reality. We build your integrations, configure your dashboards, migrate your data, and test everything rigorously with you involved at every checkpoint so there are no surprises at handover.

What we do
  • Build and configure all integrations in a sandbox environment first
  • Migrate, clean, and deduplicate your existing data
  • Build live dashboards and automated reports
  • Conduct full UAT (user acceptance testing) with your team
  • Write plain-English runbooks for every system we touch
  • Deliver a minimum of two hands-on training sessions
What you do
  • Attend weekly 30-minute progress check-ins
  • Participate in UAT, testing real scenarios with real data
  • Attend training sessions (key users + admin roles)
  • Sign off each milestone before we proceed to the next
Deliverable
Live, integrated systems

Your new data environment fully built, tested, and running live with real organisational data.

Full documentation pack

Runbooks, how-to guides, and admin references written for your team, not for developers.

Training sign-off

Confirmation that all key users are confident and capable before we close the project.

04
Sustain
Week 11 onwards

You own it. We’re here if you need us.

Every engagement ends with a handover not a dependency. Your team will have everything they need to run, adapt, and grow your data systems independently. Optional ongoing support is available, but it’s never required.

What we do
  • Conduct a formal project closeout session
  • Transfer all credentials, documentation, and admin rights
  • Provide a 30-day post-handover check-in (included free)
  • Offer optional monthly retainer for ongoing support and system evolution
What you do
  • Confirm complete receipt of all documentation and access
  • Run your new systems independently, you’re ready for this
  • Reach out for optional retainer support as your needs evolve
  • Share your experience via a testimonial or case study to help us serve more Non-profits
Optional add-on
Monthly support retainer

Includes system health checks, minor updates, new report builds, and ad-hoc advice.

Annual data review

A once-yearly audit of your systems to identify improvements, flag risks, and plan ahead.

Who does what

A genuine partnership —
clear roles, shared ownership.

We work alongside you, not instead of you. Here’s how responsibilities are split across every engagement.

Data Monarque — what we own
Technical deliveryAll integration builds, data migrations, and system configurations
Project managementTimelines, progress updates, and milestone tracking
Quality assuranceTesting, validation, and sign-off processes at every stage
DocumentationAll runbooks, guides, and training materials written for non-technical users
GDPR complianceData mapping, processing records, and privacy-by-design implementation
Your organisation — what you own
Strategic directionDeciding what decisions your data needs to support
Stakeholder engagementEnsuring the right people are available and bought in
Review and approvalTimely sign-off at each milestone to keep the project on track
System accessProviding credentials and permissions needed for integration work
Ongoing managementRunning and evolving your systems independently after handover

Common questions

Everything you need to know
before you get in touch.

We’re mindful that you have a day job. Typical time commitment for your team is around 2–3 hours per week during the Discover and Design phases, reducing to approximately 1–2 hours per week during Deliver (mainly for check-ins and UAT). Training sessions are typically half a day each. We plan everything around your availability and give you at least two weeks’ notice for any session requiring more than 30 minutes of your time.
Every engagement includes a clearly defined scope agreed at the start. If additional requirements emerge, we handle them transparently via a Change Order — a brief document outlining the additional work and cost, which you approve before we proceed. We never absorb scope creep silently and then surprise you with an invoice.
No. We deliberately build systems and documentation that non-technical staff can manage confidently. Our training is tailored to actual skill levels in your team — not to a developer audience. If you can use email and a spreadsheet, you have enough technical knowledge to engage with us and to run what we build for you.
We sign a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) before any data is shared with us — this is a legal requirement under UK GDPR and something we take seriously. All work is done in secure, access-controlled environments. We never store your data beyond what’s necessary for the engagement, and we fully delete all client data within 30 days of project completion unless a retainer agreement is in place.
Our Data Clarity audit is designed to be accessible for smaller organisations. It gives you a complete picture of your data landscape and a clear roadmap — which you can then implement yourselves, or return to us for when funding allows. We also offer payment plans for all packages, and we actively help clients identify grant funding that covers data infrastructure investment. Just ask.
We are platform-agnostic — we work with the tools you already have, or recommend the best fit for your needs and budget. Common tools in the nonprofit sector that we regularly work with include Salesforce NPSP, Xero, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Donorfy, Beacon, Power BI, Google Looker Studio, Airtable, and many more. We will never recommend a tool because of a commercial relationship — only because it’s right for you.
Standard terms are 50% on project commencement, 50% on completion. For Transformation engagements we offer a milestone-based payment schedule: 33% on start, 33% at midpoint sign-off, 34% on delivery. We accept BACS bank transfer and invoice via standard 30-day terms. We understand cash flow in the nonprofit sector — if you need a different structure, just ask and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Ready to get started?

Book your free 30-minute discovery call.

No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your data, your challenges, and what’s possible.

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