As we prepare for the upcoming release of the CountryRisk.io Insights platform, we're doing more than launching new features. We're redefining what it means to deliver value through economic analysis. The transition from a static, read-only research platform to an interactive, productivity-focused environment marks a major evolution in how our clients use and benefit from our tools.

However, such a leap also brings new challenges, particularly in terms of client adoption. Advanced platforms require more than technical onboarding. They demand strategic alignment, change management, and continuous support. That’s why we’re introducing a new approach to customer success built around a new kind of role: the Forward Economist.

The Shift: From Static Research to Dynamic Productivity

Traditional country risk research platforms, including earlier versions of CountryRisk.io, operate as content delivery systems. Users log in, read analysis, and perhaps download a report. These platforms offer high-value insights but are largely passive in nature. While they are easy to use, they are also limited in terms of the actions they enable.

The new CountryRisk.io Insights platform is designed to break that mold. It empowers users to:

• Build repeatable country risk workflows using customizable templates.
• Integrate proprietary or third-party data with CountryData.io.
• Develop and test their own sovereign risk scoring models.
• Upload and annotate documents to build internal knowledge bases.
• Leverage GenAI tools to automate drafting, evaluation, and data exploration.

This transition changes how our clients work. Instead of merely consuming research, they are now shaping it, embedding it into daily decisions, and scaling their internal capabilities through automation.

Yet transformation rarely comes effortlessly. The features that unlock higher productivity also require greater commitment: setup, configuration, training, and internal adoption. This is where our new customer success strategy becomes essential.

Lessons from Other Sectors: The Emergence of "Forward Deployed" Experts

Our thinking is inspired by leading-edge software companies that have tackled similar challenges. Palantir, for example, pioneered the concept of “forward engineers” — technical generalists embedded directly into client teams to co-develop custom solutions on platforms like Foundry and Gotham.

In the legal space, companies like Legora have adapted the idea into the concept of “forward lawyers,” seconding professionals to law firms to implement LegalTech tools and improve operational outcomes.

These roles go beyond simple deployment. They focus on outcomes. By embedding domain-savvy experts in client environments, these companies have increased adoption, improved impact, and deepened user engagement.

Applying the Model to Economics: The Rise of the Forward Economist

The term “Forward Economist” isn’t widely used — yet. But it should be.

As economic analysis becomes increasingly embedded in operational and policy decisions, economists must evolve from report writers to builders of decision tools. The Forward Economist is our answer to this shift: a hybrid role that combines domain expertise with hands-on product deployment, user enablement, and problem solving.

In the context of the CountryRisk.io Insights platform, a Forward Economist:

• Works directly with clients to understand sector-specific use cases, whether sovereign credit, public debt management, AML compliance, trade risk, or macroeconomic forecasting.
• Translates theory into action by turning economic concepts into usable workflows, templates, simulations, and dashboards.
• Co-develops tools and templates inside the platform, ensuring they are both analytically sound and operationally useful.
• Bridges technical and business stakeholders by aligning our technology with the client's strategic objectives and regulatory frameworks.
• Continues to iterate and evolve solutions with the client, ensuring long-term value creation and platform stickiness.

Talent Development: A New Path for Economic Analysts

Generative AI is transforming the research and data landscape. Junior economists who previously gained experience through time-consuming tasks such as templated reporting, charting, or basic data interpretation are now seeing these activities automated. At the same time, clients are seeking more tailored insights that reflect their specific risks, strategies, and contexts.

The Forward Economist model addresses both trends:

1. For Clients: It provides domain-aligned expertise capable of configuring the platform and co-developing high-value outputs.
2. For Talent: It creates a high-impact learning path for junior and mid-level economists, combining client-facing experience with hands-on digital tool building.

This approach accelerates the development of well-rounded professionals who not only understand economics, but also know how to apply it in real-world, tech-enabled environments.

Tailored Implementation Models: One Platform, Two Approaches

To meet the diverse needs of our clients, CountryRisk.io offers two distinct onboarding and support packages for the Insights platform: Standard and Premium.

Standard Package: Structured Onboarding and Ongoing Support

Ideal for clients who want to leverage the platform’s features with internal ownership and occasional guidance.

• A remote onboarding session led by our Customer Success team.
• Platform configuration aligned to your most relevant use cases.
• Guidance on best practices for leveraging key tools like custom dashboards, templates, and AI features.
• Quarterly check-ins to review usage patterns, gather feedback, and introduce new features.
• Access to documentation, learning resources, and our support desk.

This is a scalable model that allows clients to take the lead while benefiting from structured support.

Premium Package: Embedded Expertise with a Forward Economist

Designed for organizations with complex decision environments, internal data sources, or ambitious analytics goals.

• A dedicated Forward Economist becomes part of the team, virtually or on-site.
• Hands-on platform configuration, tailored to client workflows, taxonomies, risk models, and internal data.
• Development of custom tools, templates, and AI workflows using CountryRisk.io and CountryData.io APIs.
• Strategic review sessions to evaluate evolving macroeconomic conditions, validate scoring models, and plan for future use cases.
• Client-specific support and knowledge transfer to empower internal users and drive long-term capability building.

This model is ideal for government debt offices, financial institutions, risk managers, and other stakeholders looking to embed economic intelligence into everyday operations.

Delivering Long-Term Value

At its core, this is more than a new customer success model. It is a partnership strategy. As clients move from consuming information to integrating it into decisions, the CountryRisk.io Insights platform becomes not just a source of analysis, but a system for making better decisions.

By combining powerful technology with embedded domain expertise, we ensure that:

• The platform adapts to the client's environment, rather than the other way around.
• Clients achieve tangible outcomes, such as better reporting, stronger risk monitoring, and more informed investment decisions.
• Our team remains close to the client’s evolving needs, proactively identifying opportunities to add value.

The Forward Economist is a central enabler of this vision. It represents our commitment to making digital economic intelligence practical, actionable, and impactful.

Would you like us to help you evaluate which onboarding model best fits your organization? Reach out to us at [email protected], and let’s explore how the CountryRisk.io Insights platform can elevate your country risk operations.