About SchemaHelm
What I do
SchemaHelm is my independent data and reporting consultancy, helping businesses understand why reports, spreadsheets, databases and business systems do not always agree.
I trace where data comes from, how it moves, where it changes and why different outputs may be showing different answers.
My current core capabilities include SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQL reporting logic, Excel, structured data analysis and data-flow investigation.
If your reporting environment uses other systems or technologies, I can assess these during an initial discussion and tell you whether SchemaHelm is the right fit.
Practical by design
My approach is built around practical investigation rather than guesswork.
I work to identify what is going wrong, understand how the data and reporting processes actually work, and establish where confidence in the numbers begins to break down.
You receive clear findings, prioritised actions and a practical route towards stronger, more reliable reporting foundations.
Why it matters
When data is spread across systems, spreadsheets and reporting tools, small differences in definitions, filters, calculations and manual processes can create conflicting results.
Over time, businesses can become dependent on workarounds, undocumented knowledge and repeated manual reconciliation simply to produce numbers people are prepared to use.
Clearer structure, logic and source-of-truth understanding can support:
more reliable reporting
faster and more confident decision-making
reduced dependence on manual fixes
clearer ownership of data and definitions
safer automation
more trustworthy analytics and AI initiatives
Through SchemaHelm, I help businesses strengthen the foundations beneath their reporting so they can trust what they have today and be better prepared for what comes next.
My Background
I'm Dr Ian Kirby, founder of SchemaHelm and a data and reporting specialist with 14+ years' experience across financial services, education and research.
My background includes data analysis, SQL, reporting systems, data quality and business-critical reporting, with technical experience across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Power BI, Excel and Python.
Much of my work has involved getting underneath reporting problems to understand how data moves between systems, how business logic is applied, why different outputs do not always agree and where improvements can make reporting more reliable and easier to trust.
My experience also includes reporting automation, data validation, systems improvement and process analysis, alongside translating technical findings into clear information that people can act on.
I created SchemaHelm to address a common business problem: businesses often don't lack ambition, technology or ideas. What they lack is a clear and trusted understanding of the data beneath their reporting.
When data is messy, systems are disconnected and logic is unclear, reporting becomes harder to trust, decision-making becomes riskier, and automation or AI can amplify existing problems rather than solve them.
Principles
Clarity over confusion
I help businesses understand how their data, reporting logic, systems and manual processes connect, and where those connections begin to break down.
Practical over performative
I focus on genuine reporting problems and usable findings, not unnecessary complexity or vague recommendations.
Evidence before assumptions
I follow the reporting trail and examine the underlying data, definitions and logic before recommending what should happen next.
Trusted foundations first
Before reporting, automation or AI can be relied upon, the data underneath needs to be understood, controlled and sufficiently trustworthy.
Honest boundaries
If a project requires specialist platform engineering, security or implementation expertise beyond my scope, I'll say so clearly and help define the appropriate next step.