Unifying Analytics Knowledge by Creating a Data Science Community

With markets evolving swiftly, a Fortune-ranked leader in the consumer packaged goods industry knew scalable data science capabilities were essential for resilience and future growth. Improving their staff’s ability to use sophisticated analytics required training beyond the basics. The company needed to equip their teams with the advanced expertise necessary to drive innovation throughout the organization.

Analytics initiatives at the company had often been siloed, and teams lacked a unified approach to model development, validation, and deployment. Leadership knew that without broad-based upskilling and a robust analytics culture, their substantial investments in data would not consistently deliver measurable returns.

Working side by side with client leadership, Elder Research, a MANTECH company, designed and delivered a multi-cohort data science upskilling program that unites analysts, data scientists, and operational teams across business units.

The program blends live instruction with project-based mentorship, covering foundational topics such as model evaluation, deep learning, and large language models alongside emerging technology and industry best practices. The coursework includes robust QA, office hours, and capstone projects tailored to core business challenges.

The upskilling program transformed the client’s analytics practice. Within five years, Elder Research helped the company achieve the following:

Program graduates have emerged with the confidence to lead analytics projects, share knowledge across teams, and deliver better outcomes. Cohorts have demonstrated measurable upticks in project adoption and technical innovation.

As one participant said, “This was the first time I felt part of a learning community with real impact on my day-to-day work.”