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Derek Capps
Manager Data Engineering at Avanade
Professional Background
Derek Capps is a highly skilled Senior BI/Data Engineer boasting over a decade of extensive experience in the field of business intelligence and data analytics. His career has been defined by his unique ability to leverage data to drive decision-making and improve operational efficiencies. Currently positioned as a Manager of Data Engineering at Avanade, Derek has cemented his reputation as a thought leader in business intelligence and data engineering. He has previously held significant roles at prestigious organizations such as MGM Resorts International, Neudesic, and MedAvail Technologies Inc., showcasing his versatility and expertise in various aspects of data engineering.
Throughout his career, Derek has demonstrated exceptional leadership and training capabilities. He has successfully managed teams, utilizing Agile and Scrum methodologies alongside tools like Rally, JIRA, and Confluence to streamline workflows and enhance productivity. His hands-on experience with database architecture, including the development of data pipelines, automation processes, and data lakes, has facilitated smoother data operations across the teams he has led. This competence in crafting technical infrastructures has been a game-changer in navigating the complexities of data management.
In Derek’s present role at Avanade, his focus centers on improving customer experience through insightful analytics related to returns, installations, and call center data science. By delivering comprehensive reports and dashboards, he empowers stakeholders with the necessary information to make informed decisions, ultimately contributing to enhanced customer satisfaction and company performance.
Education and Achievements
Derek earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the Utah State University - Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. His educational background equipped him with foundational knowledge and skills critical to understanding complex data systems and business operations. This degree, paired with his extensive on-the-job experience, has positioned him as a leader in the field of business intelligence and data analytics.
In addition to his impressive professional journey, Derek's commitment to lifelong learning and professional development sets him apart. He continuously updates his skills and knowledge in technology, analytics, and business intelligence—ensuring he is always at the forefront of industry advancements. His proficiency with a wide array of tools and technologies, including Azure, AWS, Salesforce, Power BI, Tableau, as well as programming languages like SQL, Python, and R, underscores his capacity to adapt to evolving industry demands and enhance his contributions to teams.
Achievements
Derek's career accomplishments speak volumes about his capability and drive. He has successfully implemented automated processes that significantly enhance efficiency and streamline operations in various organizations. His meticulous approach to data ensures that stakeholders receive the most accurate and relevant reports, fostering well-informed business decisions that influence company outcomes.
Derek excels at identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) and developing actionable dashboards and reports that empower executives and teams. His ability to report, collaborate, and gain buy-in from executive management showcases his exceptional communication skills, which complement his technical expertise.
Derek's experiences in business intelligence, team leadership, and a strong emphasis on customer experience have allowed him to maintain a holistic perspective that drives strategic goal achievement. He is adept at using data not merely for analysis but as a narrative device that communicates essential business insights, making him a valuable asset in any organization.
With a proven track record of success in varied roles—from Cloud Solutions Architect to Business Intelligence Manager—Derek Capps continues to push the envelope in data engineering and analytics. His passion for data and its transformative power will undoubtedly shape the future of business intelligence in any organization fortunate enough to utilize his talents.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Clay is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Clay as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Clay offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Clay's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.