---
title: Faking it - How to Easily Create Realistic Test Data - Tim Johnson and Andrew Carr
description: "Guest Speakers: Andrew Carr & Tim Johnson Scott Logic, presented on the \"Faking it - How to Easily Create Realistic Test Data\" about Data Helix.\n\nThis video was from a live FINOS virtual \"Meetup\" on June 4, 2020. Join us live for future \"Meetups\" to see real examples of successful collaboration, hear a few top tips from active contributors, and learn about some innovative approaches to maintaining open source projects."
image: https://www.finos.org/hubfs/data-helix.png
---
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# Community Blog
# Faking it - How to Easily Create Realistic Test Data - Tim Johnson and Andrew Carr
June 04, 2020
[FINOS Team](https://www.finos.org/blog/author/finos-team)
**Guest Speakers: Tim Johnson & Andrew Carr** of Scott Logic,** **presented on the "Faking it - How to Easily Create Realistic Test Data" about Data Helix.
This video was from a live FINOS virtual "Meetup" on June 4, 2020. [**Join us live for future "Meetups" to see real examples of successful collaboration**](https://finos.org/hosted-events), hear a few top tips from active contributors, and learn about some innovative approaches to maintaining open source projects.
#### **Key Links**
[**Meetup Video**](https://www.finos.org/blog/faking-it-how-to-easily-create-realistic-test-data-tim-johnson-and-andrew-carr#scott-logic-video)
[**Meetup Slides**](https://www.finos.org/blog/faking-it-how-to-easily-create-realistic-test-data-tim-johnson-and-andrew-carr#scott-logic-slides)
[**FINOS Data Helix Documentation Site**](https://finos.github.io/datahelix/)
[**FINOS Data Helix GitHub Repository**](https://github.com/finos/datahelix/)
### Tim and Andrew'S Presentation
***Tim and Andrew's Presentation: Faking it - How to easily create realistic test data - From June 4th, 2020 - FINOS Virtual "Meetup"***
Generating test data is a challenge for many organisations, whether because the production data is sensitive, because there isn’t enough of it, or because new data structures need to be tested. In response to this challenge, Scott Logic has developed DataHelix – a test data generation tool that allows significant volumes of representative data to be generated easily. Andrew Carr, Head of Consultancy at Scott Logic’s Bristol office, and Tim Johnson, Delivery Manager, will introduce DataHelix and what it can do. They will show you how to specify fields and constraints using a simple format, utilise fake data, and demonstrate the output. They will finish their presentation with a demo of some of the exciting up-and-coming new features of this open source tool.
### [DOWNLOAD THE SLIDES](https://www.finos.org/hubfs/Webinar_%20How%20to%20secure%20the%20Electron%20container%20for%20Capital%20Markets%20(1).pdf)
[](https://www.finos.org/hubfs/DataHelix%20webinar.pdf)
***Tim's Bio:***
Tim has over 20 years of IT industry experience working with SMEs, government departments and multinationals. He enjoys helping teams to work together more effectively and get better results, and is particularly interested in bringing users and developers closer together, with measurable improvements to delivery. Most recently Tim helped a team improve the performance of their data processing system by a factor of 4, and helped another team reduce the time taken to deploy upgrades from 34 weeks to 7. In his spare time Tim keeps children - he has three energetic boys who are pushing his knowledge of fossils, animals and Minecraft.
***Andrew's Bio:***
Andrew leads Scott Logic’s consultancy teams in Bristol. He has a degree in Computer Science from Newcastle University and has held a variety of roles including Developer, Architect and Manager, with 20 years experience including stints at Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Airbus and Nortel. Andrew’s commercial experience includes the development of front office trading systems, innovation management, and enterprise level data engineering. When not at work he can often be found talking about personality theories, socialising or reading about hi-fi.
### FINOS Virtual "Meetups"
As part of our continued commitment to provide value to our Members and our greater Community, FINOS is expanding our use of virtual meetings and digital communication. While we know this can’t replace our in-person meetups (in New York, London, and Edinburgh), conferences (Open Source Strategy Forum - OSSF - in London and New York), and exclusive FINOS Member Meetings, we think it is a great way for our Community to share their achievements, ideas and even challenges related to open source in financial services.
**FINOS will continue to produce short, regular “meetups” via WebEx (usually on a bi-weekly basis), with guest speakers we often feature in our in-person meetups and at OSSF.** April’s theme is “Overcoming barriers to open source collaboration in financial services - with practical examples.” [**Join us to see real examples of successful collaboration**](https://www.finos.org/hosted-events?utm_campaign=2020%20Content%20Marketing&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9aPVRzN3VNYtj0rOe2gzjwCovX1Uihn-HhUiLwM7_zatLKRJRp-KZRWC4gmexnh2y2VcDA), hear a few top tips from active contributors, and learn about some innovative approaches to maintaining open source projects.
**Interested in FINOS open source projects? Click the link below to see how to get involved in the FINOS Community.**
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2419532/89037a0a-24fa-4ef5-bbf8-34d9a45ea1d3)
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