How the Reconomy Group and Valpak Went From Spreadsheets to Scalable AI-Powered Data Platforms

How do you turn complex regulatory data into something customers can actually use, trust, and act on?

Recording live from Qlik Connect, I sat down with Robin Astle, Head of Qlik Analytics at Reconomy Group, to explore how data is becoming far more than an internal reporting tool. In Robin's world, it has become a product in its own right, helping some of the world's largest retailers manage compliance, reduce costs, and make smarter sustainability decisions.

Robin works across Valpak, a business at the center of environmental compliance and packaging regulation, supporting over 100 enterprise customers across the UK, Europe, and the US. From packaging taxes and recycling targets to government submissions and sustainability reporting, the amount of data involved is enormous, and the stakes are high.

In our conversation, Robin shares how the Valpak Insight Platform evolved from manual SQL extracts and spreadsheets into a fully scaled cloud-based analytics platform ingesting millions of rows of data every day. We discuss how that transformation helped reduce onboarding from weeks to days, created up to 90% time savings on CSR and analytics requests, and helped customers reduce compliance costs by up to 15%.

We also explore the launch of PackChat, which uses natural language queries to help customers interact with compliance and packaging data without needing deep technical knowledge. Robin explains why context is everything when dealing with environmental regulations, and why building trust in the data model is essential before AI can deliver real value.

There is also a bigger conversation here around how businesses can use data to serve customers directly, not just support internal teams. From OEM partnerships and cloud automation to scaling AI-powered services across global markets, Robin shares what it takes to turn data into a revenue-generating service.

So as more organizations look to unlock value from the information they already hold, are we still thinking too narrowly about what data can do? And could your greatest untapped product actually be the data sitting inside your business today?

Join me for a fascinating conversation from Qlik Connect, and let me know your thoughts. Are you still using data for reporting, or are you starting to think about it as a product?

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