National data analytics firm move into Electric Works

Major growth, evolving workspace needs, talent attraction and access to grant funding draws data analytics company Simpson Associates to Electric Works.

This month Simpson Associates moved into their new corner office at Electric Works. With floor to ceiling windows facing South Street Park Amphitheatre, rising up from Sheffield station, just below the skyline of the iconic Park Hill Flats, their new office view is one of the most sought after in Sheffield.

Data analytics consultancy Simpson Associates already has an office in York which they recently upgraded; moving from the outskirts of the city into the bustling hub of York Centre. Their latest expansion to a city centre workspace location here in Sheffield will further accommodate their growing team.

Giles Horwood, Managing Director explains the motivations behind their recent move to Electric Works:

“The way we work and what we need fr

om our place of work is very different today to a few years ago. Now more than ever our workspace offer is an integral part of our talent attraction and retention package. This is reflected in our recent move to Electric Works.

Giles expands: “We’ve always operated using a hybrid model of face-to-face and remote working but we’ve become more reliant on video call features in recent years. This means that when we are in the office, we still need a range of different conferencing facilities, meeting rooms, and private spaces for those online calls.

“We also need to make ‘coming into the office’ an attractive proposition, so that teams (and especially those new to the workplace) benefit from the knowledge transfer and social capital that comes from being in the same physical environment.

“The office culture and location that we invest in must offer something better than the homeworking environment. It needs to deliver community, accessibility, excellent transport links and great learning and social opportunities for people.”

Founded in 1991, Simpson Associates has grown their team from 35 to 85 people in the last 24 months. Specialists in data analytics and AI, the firm works across public and private sectors to find bespoke solutions to customer challenges. The York and Sheffield offices provide a base for all departments across the business to work from, as well as regular coworking and collaboration space for the remote consultants who operate out in the field alongside their clients.

Simpson Associates help customers to make decisions and address challenges based on a really good understanding of their data. The challenge could be around improving productivity within a business or identifying crime patterns within a policing district. It could relate to mapping the needs of vulnerable people for a local authority area or automating a safety check within an industrial setting. Whatever the job, the motivation is always the same; to help make a positive difference to the lives of people as Giles explains:

“If you know how to collect and organise data well, you can follow the story and find the solution. It means you can make better decisions based on evidence and this can generate real change for people's macro and micro environments. Data can help you direct the right resource to health, social care or housing services. It can track educational attainment and pinpoint areas for intervention. It can help identify the communities most impacted by a downturn in the economy. It can support a business to be smarter, greener and more competitive. We work with our clients to understand the challenge and then build solutions that will help people to live better lives. This is at the heart of our culture. It’s what we love to do and it’s what we are really good at.”

Simpson Associates have a core team working from their new Sheffield base at Electric Works. A regular graduate recruiter, the proximity to Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield was a major draw to the workspace. They’ve also benefited from a £10k Tech Welcome Grant from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. The grant scheme is a pilot project designed to support tech businesses to locate and grow in South Yorkshire.

To find out more about Electric Works and the community based here, follow us on Linkedin or get in touch today to arrange a tour info@electric-works.net.