Get a BI Boost
On-demand business intelligence makes the grade for student services.
Keith Werosh is the university
registrar at the National University
of Health Sciences(IL), where he recently oversaw
the deployment of a comprehensive
student administration
system. He
realized the
system could
offer a wealth
of valuable,
actionable
information—
if only it could
be accessed
more easily; getting the right
information to the right
people at the right time could
make all the difference. With
this in mind, Werosh guided
the implementation of
Crystalreports.com, an online
report-sharing platform
from Business Objects,
to enable “on-demand”
business intelligence. Here,
Werosh draws on his BI
experience at NUHS and
shares his Top 10 tips for
creating and fostering an
information-centric culture, to
improve business operations
and student administration.
Want to be considered for Campus Technology’s Top 10? Send your countdown and a brief background/bio summary to [email protected]
- 10
-
Build a single data repository for all student-related information.
- Bring information from disparate applications into a single data warehouse.
- Use this “one version of the truth” to ensure that all staff are accessing
consistent and accurate data.
- 9
-
Use the central repository as a foundation for collaborative
information sharing.
- Make sure the data repository is accessible to authorized users across campus.
- Encourage cross-departmental data sharing.
- Offer reporting tools and dashboards that deliver data in easy-to-understand
formats.
- 8
-
Pave the way for greater acceptance and adoption by identifying and
satisfying your users’ particular IT and business needs.
- In the design phase, consult with users to find out what data is most important
to them, what format they want to receive it in, and how often they need it.
- Create a BI center of excellence that includes representatives from all
functional areas across the organization.
- If necessary, leverage consultants to overcome departmental divides.
- 7
-
Assess your IT resources..
- Use web-based apps to minimize internal hardware and software investments.
- If your IT department is short-staffed, maximize the team’s productivity by
selecting applications that are fast and simple to deploy.
- 6
-
Remember that for users, simplicity is king.
- People are excited when they can get important information right away and
by themselves, regardless of their technical expertise.
- Choose user-friendly interfaces that are welcoming.
- 5
-
Warehouses ho! Think: ‘Real-time data or bust.’
- Deliver information in real time so people can manage performance proactively.
- Banish spreadsheets. By the time they’re completed, analyzed, and shared,
the information is out-of-date.
- 4
-
Show executive management the benefits of improved data access.
- Demonstrate a system that delivers a solid grasp of how the overall institution
is performing at any point in time.
- Show how staff can align their everyday work to longer-term, strategic
organizational goals.
- 3
-
Compare your university’s performance metrics to industry norms.
- Include both operational and student information in comparisons.
- Analyze attrition and enrollment trends as you tailor program offerings.
- 2
-
Keep an eye toward the future with BI.
- Understand how current performance metrics map to future goals.
- Predict new business, enrollment, or educational trends.
- 1
-
Don’t forget the students!
- Use BI to improve all student service operations, including registration,
financial aid, and housing.
- Leverage data to identify and resolve academic issues, helping to maximize
student potential and improve graduation rates.