Forward deployed engineer · from £6,950 a fortnight
An engineer in your team, not a report from the outside.
I sit with your people, on site in East Anglia or remote, in your own systems, on your data, and build alongside them: reporting, automations, data pipelines, AI tools. The block ends with something running and someone on your team who can look after it.
Something running in your own systems, on your own data, being used.
Someone on your team who built it with me and can look after it.
A written build plan at the start and handover notes at the end.
Two scoping days
We agree what gets built, who on your team owns it and what done looks like, and you get a written build plan. £1,300, credited against the block.
Building alongside your people
I work in your systems, on your data, next to the person who'll own it, whether that's reporting, an automation, a data pipeline or an AI tool.
Checkpoint, then handover
At the checkpoint either side can stop and you pay for the days used. If we carry on, the block ends with it running and your own person already looking after it.
Scope it, then a fortnight in, or two days a week.
We agree what gets built and who on your team will own it.
- Two days with your team
- A written build plan
- The fee credited against the block
Two weeks inside your team, on site in East Anglia or remote.
- Ten days building alongside your people
- A week-two checkpoint where either side can stop
- Handover built in from day one
The same work spread out, two days a week.
- Twelve days over six weeks
- The same checkpoint and handover
- Longer blocks quoted at the same rate
Longer blocks are quoted at the same rate. Some call this an AI implementation consultant for a small business, others an embedded data engineer. Same job, price on the page.
A block that leaves nothing behind is a waste of your money.
You want a body in a seat
If the brief is to fill a gap in the org chart with no outcome attached, an agency contractor is the better buy. A block here has to end with something running.
Nobody has time to work with me
Handover only works if someone on your team builds it with me. If everyone's flat out, the block leaves behind something nobody can look after.
The gap is a system, not engineering
Sometimes the honest answer is a piece of software you haven't bought yet. If so, I'll say that on the first call rather than sell you ten days.
Support Intelligence · CPiO
“Duncan doesn’t just build reports, he builds solutions.”
I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Duncan over the last 12 months or so, and one thing that has always stood out is how passionate he is about Power BI, reporting and continual process improvement through data driven decisions.
He has a rare ability to take a complex business problem, understand what people actually need to know based on his firm business acumen, and turn it into clear, actionable insights.
A great example of this was the Support Intelligence reporting he developed for us. What started as a requirement to better understand support performance evolved into a set of dashboards that gave clear visibility of case volumes, customer activity, workload trends and operational performance. Duncan was always receptive to feedback, continually refining the reports and challenging assumptions to ensure the end result delivered meaningful insights rather than simply presenting data.
Read the full testimonialShow less
The reports Duncan has built have become an important part of how we manage and improve our service. They help us identify trends, understand workloads, make informed decisions and focus our attention where it is needed most. What I particularly value is that he never loses sight of the people using the reports. He knows when to simplify, when to provide more detail, and how to present information in a way that makes sense to the audience.
Beyond his technical skills, Duncan is simply a pleasure to work with. His enthusiasm for Power BI is infectious, and it’s obvious that he genuinely enjoys helping people get more value from their data. He’s approachable, easy to collaborate with, welcomes feedback, and always wants to deliver the best possible outcome.
If you’re looking for someone who can transform complex data into meaningful insights, challenge your thinking in a positive way, and deliver reporting that drives better decisions, Duncan would be an excellent choice.
Siobhan FineganSupport Manager50% to book, 50% on delivery, 14 days to pay.
Invoice or card, whichever suits your finance team. All prices exclude VAT where applicable.
The deposit holds your date
Booking blocks out my diary, so the first half is non-refundable inside 14 days of the start date. Move it with more notice than that and nothing is lost.
Work pauses on an overdue invoice
Not a threat, just how it works, and saying it now saves an awkward conversation later.
Scope changes get quoted, not absorbed
Every fixed price names what it covers. Anything outside that gets priced before it starts rather than appearing on a final invoice.
Access delays move the date, not the price
Waiting on permissions is the most common reason a turnaround slips. It shifts the delivery date and never the fee.
Frequently asked questions
What's a forward deployed engineer?
An engineer who works inside your team rather than handing over a report from outside. Here it means I sit with your people, on site in East Anglia or remote, in your own systems, on your data, and build alongside them: reporting, automations, data pipelines (the jobs that move data from one system to another) and AI tools. The block ends with something running and someone on your team who can look after it.
How much does an embedded engineer cost?
Scoping days are £1,300 for two days and a written build plan, credited against the block. An embedded fortnight is £6,950 for ten days. Part-time, two days a week for six weeks, is £8,400. Longer blocks are quoted at the same rate. Every block has a fixed fee and fixed dates.
Can we stop after week two?
Yes. Every block has a checkpoint at the end of week two where either side can stop, and you pay for the days used. It's there so nobody stays stuck in a block that isn't working.
What's left when you go?
Something running, and someone on your team who can look after it. Handover starts on day one rather than in the last afternoon: the person who'll own it works alongside me, and the notes get written as the work happens.
When would you say no?
If you want a body to fill a seat with no outcome in mind, if nobody in your team has time to work with me, or if the real problem is a missing system rather than missing engineering. In each case a block would cost you money without leaving much behind, and I'd rather say so on the first call.
Start with twenty minutes.
Tell me what's eating your week. I'll tell you whether it's a report, an automation, some AI advice, or nothing you need me for.