Is your bi system fit for purpose?

Is your BI system fit for purpose?

Steve Bailey, JISC infoNet

Where do we see BI sitting?

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www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/strategy www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/strategywww.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/strategy

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Environment Scanning

Internal Analysis

External Analysis

Status Quo

Future Challenges

SWOTSWOT

PESTLEPESTLE

Boston MatrixBoston Matrix

Benchmarking

Benchmarking

Scena

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Scena

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Trend AnalysisTrend Analysis

Current BI interest/activity

4Source: JISC infoNet survey of BI Solutions in Higher and Further Education run between 10th May

2010 and 11th June 2010. Response rate: 102

Background and context

• JISC (JOS) funded project

• Began March 2010

• Launched March 2011

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"Investigate, identify and evaluate what can be derived from the information base of institutions that can be used to

improve the decision making process of senior managersimprove the decision making process of senior managers" and "discover which institutions are currently considering or

adopting business intelligence and data visualisation systems and their experiences to date."

www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/strategy www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/biwww.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/bi

Evidence base

• Assessment of information needs survey• March - April 2010 (116 responses)

• BI solutions survey• May – June 2010 (102 responses)

• Desk-based research• Vendors, data sources

• Interviews and visits• Vendors, data sources and institutions

• Feedback on draft resource• (October – November (41 responses))

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What the BI resource…

Is

• An introduction / overview

• Practical

• Accessible

• Broad

• A tool for self-reflection

• Integrated with other resources

• Driven by sector need

• Evolving

Isn’t

• Comprehensive

• Theoretical

• Specialist / niche

• Deep

• The solution

• Stand alone

• Driven by our own agenda

• Finished

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What do we mean by BI/BIS?

8Business IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence: Evidence-based decision-making and the : Evidence-based decision-making and the processes that gather, present, and use that evidence base. It can extend processes that gather, present, and use that evidence base. It can extend from providing evidence to support potential students' decisions whether to from providing evidence to support potential students' decisions whether to apply for a course, through evidence to support individual faculty and staff apply for a course, through evidence to support individual faculty and staff members, teams and departments, to evidence to support strategic members, teams and departments, to evidence to support strategic decisions for the whole institution.decisions for the whole institution.

Business Intelligence SystemsBusiness Intelligence Systems: A system that compiles and presents key : A system that compiles and presents key internal and external information in a concise, pictorial format, to support internal and external information in a concise, pictorial format, to support decision-making, planning and strategic thinking. It provides easy interactive decision-making, planning and strategic thinking. It provides easy interactive access to reliable, current, good quality interdepartmental information, when access to reliable, current, good quality interdepartmental information, when needed. It allows senior management to be confident in the integrity and needed. It allows senior management to be confident in the integrity and completeness of the information as they move between an overview and a completeness of the information as they move between an overview and a detailed view. Advanced BI systems provide reliable, comprehensive detailed view. Advanced BI systems provide reliable, comprehensive information to all interested parties and include flexible user-defined views information to all interested parties and include flexible user-defined views for senior managers and planning staff, and fixed views for public access for senior managers and planning staff, and fixed views for public access and other users.and other users.

Is a checklist of attributes of more use?

9Required Desirable

Accessible when needed Automatically updated in real time

Concise, pictorial or graphical Can be refreshed at the user’s command

Up to date, current Includes external information sources

Known update times and intervals Complete

Can select data for [any, or defined] time period

Different (pre-designed) pictorial formats available

Good, reliable quality and integrity of data items

New pictorial formats are easily designed and implemented

[All, major] internal information sources are included

Fixed views can be set for public, student, and some staff users

Drill-down and roll-up capabilities

Easy to understand

Easy to export to a presentation or document

Is a checklist of attributes of more use?

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Source: JISC infoNet survey of BI Solutions in Higher and Further Education run between 10th May 2010 and 11th June 2010. Response rate: 102

What purpose do you want your BI solution to serve within your institution?


Or to provide answers to specific questions

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In relation to your current role, what is the most burning question that you would most like to be able to answer within your institution which you are not currently able to?

In short:

What would you most like to know?

Or to provide answers to specific questions

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What do each of our What do each of our programmes cost to run, in programmes cost to run, in total and on a per student total and on a per student basisbasis

What is the quantity and What is the quantity and quality of our research quality of our research activity, where are our activity, where are our strengths and weaknessesstrengths and weaknesses

How much course delivery How much course delivery costs for each course- at costs for each course- at the level of the individual the level of the individual module delivered module delivered

which course generates which course generates most income for the most income for the institution together with institution together with benchmark informationbenchmark information

Conversion rates of Conversion rates of applications to eventual applications to eventual new enrolments by tuition new enrolments by tuition fee status & by time of yrfee status & by time of yr

What’s our trading position What’s our trading position re. recruitment & retention re. recruitment & retention today & how does this today & how does this compare with recent yrscompare with recent yrs

Which staff, of which type, Which staff, of which type, teach which students, on teach which students, on which modules - creating a which modules - creating a set of internal SSRsset of internal SSRs

How many students have How many students have we got - the Q I’m asked we got - the Q I’m asked most of all - people can’t most of all - people can’t grasp why it’s a problemgrasp why it’s a problem

How I can estimate end of How I can estimate end of session new entrant session new entrant targets from Applications targets from Applications statistics with accuracystatistics with accuracy

Which of our uncapped Which of our uncapped courses has the best courses has the best potential for growth in a potential for growth in a competitive market placecompetitive market place

Explain the relationship Explain the relationship between students enrolled, between students enrolled, the value of invoices raised the value of invoices raised and income collectedand income collected

How are our schools How are our schools performing in comparison performing in comparison to peers in rival institutions to peers in rival institutions around the worldaround the world

The main challenges – for institutions

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Business caseBusiness case

Senior level sponsorship & Senior level sponsorship & engagement engagement

Security vs. accessSecurity vs. access

Off the peg vs. bespoke Off the peg vs. bespoke systems developmentsystems development

Who should control the BI Who should control the BI system?system?

Data quality & definitionsData quality & definitions

Over simplistic view? Unrealistic expectations?

Pros and cons to each. Neither the ‘easy route’ some might think

Garbage in / out. Lack of consistency

IT Dept vs. data owners vs. users of data

Can benefits be quantified?

Achieving the right balance

Predictive modellingPredictive modelling Realistic goal or unachievable nirvana?

Challenges: Where is this data going to come from?

15Internal data sources External data sources

Central line of business applications? Funding bodies (HEFCE, SFC, RCUK etc)?

Local databases? Statistical agencies (HESA, ONS etc)?

Unstructured data? Special interest bodies (SCONUL, UCISA etc)?

Tacit staff knowledge? League tables?

Specifically captured bespoke data? Commercial providers (Tribal benchmarking etc)?

Other… Other…

Information audit? Record Survey? Process Review?

JISC infoNet Record Survey Guide & Process Review infoKit

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Challenges: Commonly reported problems


Addressing information mgt issues

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www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/information-management

Challenges: Is part of the problem closer to home?

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Challenges: (Stereo)typical senior mgt attitudes?

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““Let’s use this fact, it fits with Let’s use this fact, it fits with what we are trying what we are trying to to prove”prove”

““the data must be wrong”the data must be wrong”

““I trust it more if it comes from I trust it more if it comes from a consultant”a consultant”

““I need more data”I need more data”

““I don’t care where it comes I don’t care where it comes from”from”

““I need more detailed data”I need more detailed data”

“its not telling me what I want to hear”

“to try & make it tell me what I want to hear”

“but I have no idea what I will then do with it”

“So long as it tells me what I want to hear”

“and lets just ignore all the others which say the opposite”

“it must be more reliable if we’re having to pay for it”

Remember this?

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www.lfhe.ac.uk

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/gradschool/sict/

42“We recommend that all higher

education institutions should develop managers who combine a deep

understanding of Communications and Information Technology with senior

management experience” (Dearing, 98)

Achieving successful BI: A journey, not a project

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Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 1

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An institution has An institution has disparate, unconnected disparate, unconnected information sourcesinformation sources. Since these sources are . Since these sources are often often not accessible to all staffnot accessible to all staff, or are not , or are not trusted (or both), staff in Schools, Faculties or trusted (or both), staff in Schools, Faculties or Departments often keep local data Departments often keep local data on on spreadsheets or local databases. spreadsheets or local databases.

Planning or reporting meetings may spend up to Planning or reporting meetings may spend up to 60% of their time 60% of their time wrangling about data quality wrangling about data quality and disputing specific data items. and disputing specific data items. Gathering Gathering coordinated datacoordinated data (e.g. the cost of a new course, (e.g. the cost of a new course, the income generated per faculty member, the the income generated per faculty member, the profile of students who do not complete their profile of students who do not complete their courses) courses) is a difficult manual processis a difficult manual processs


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In order to have reliable, trusted corporate In order to have reliable, trusted corporate information, five steps have been found to be information, five steps have been found to be necessary. They are not always done in the same necessary. They are not always done in the same order, or with the same rigour, but all seem to be order, or with the same rigour, but all seem to be required to establish reliable data across the required to establish reliable data across the whole organisation:whole organisation:

2a – Build 2a – Build governance structuresgovernance structures2b – 2b – Replace systemsReplace systems, if necessary, if necessary2c – 2c – Make local staff responsible for the Make local staff responsible for the

data data they supplythey supply2d – Support data entry with 2d – Support data entry with validationvalidation2e – 2e – requirerequire that the central systems be used that the central systems be used


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The next step toward Business Information The next step toward Business Information maturity is to maturity is to set up a BI project set up a BI project and and select an select an approach to BI approach to BI and a BI system (vendor). There and a BI system (vendor). There are a number of options here:are a number of options here: • Select a system that replaces some or all of Select a system that replaces some or all of your existing systems and provides a dashboard your existing systems and provides a dashboard linked to the remaining systems (‘single central linked to the remaining systems (‘single central system’ approach)system’ approach)• Build a data warehouse with a system that Build a data warehouse with a system that displays information from it (‘Data warehousing’ displays information from it (‘Data warehousing’ approach)approach)• Build your own BI system (‘BI as IT project’ Build your own BI system (‘BI as IT project’ approach)approach)• Select a system that can see all your existing Select a system that can see all your existing data and display them in a dashboard (‘various data and display them in a dashboard (‘various vendors’ approach) vendors’ approach)


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When a BI system is selected and installed, most When a BI system is selected and installed, most successful projects limit the types of data covered successful projects limit the types of data covered in the initial phase. Sometimes this is financial in the initial phase. Sometimes this is financial and personnel data, other times student data are and personnel data, other times student data are the priority. The important aspect is to get a the priority. The important aspect is to get a limited system up and working, and to obtain limited system up and working, and to obtain visible benefits from it. visible benefits from it.

Some projects go for a BI system that will link to Some projects go for a BI system that will link to all of their data sources from day one. This may all of their data sources from day one. This may be riskier and more expensive, but it can be a be riskier and more expensive, but it can be a successful strategy.successful strategy.

In either case, In either case, make sure the initial system is make sure the initial system is configured to suit your institution's style and configured to suit your institution's style and needs, and make sure that some benefits are needs, and make sure that some benefits are realised and are visible realised and are visible to the whole community.to the whole community.


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No BI system should be seen as something you No BI system should be seen as something you install and forget about. Once a BI system is install and forget about. Once a BI system is available, other parts of the institution (service available, other parts of the institution (service and support departments, academic departments, and support departments, academic departments, research teams) will find ways that they could use research teams) will find ways that they could use the BI system to save time, improve data the BI system to save time, improve data gathering and interpretation, and improve gathering and interpretation, and improve services. services.

Provision should be made for the BI system to Provision should be made for the BI system to evolve and growevolve and grow. Eventually it will probably be . Eventually it will probably be providing dataproviding data to senior management, to all to senior management, to all other levels of institutional staff, to students, to other levels of institutional staff, to students, to prospective students and to the public.prospective students and to the public.


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HE and FE institutions are constantly changing, in HE and FE institutions are constantly changing, in response to society's changes, to government response to society's changes, to government initiatives, and to the results of their own researchinitiatives, and to the results of their own research

The ultimate value of a BI system is that The ultimate value of a BI system is that it allows it allows an institution to understand its past, its an institution to understand its past, its present situation, and to predict the effects of present situation, and to predict the effects of likely futureslikely futures. A mature BI system can show the . A mature BI system can show the likely financial and human results of closing a likely financial and human results of closing a course, opening a new course, increasing the course, opening a new course, increasing the proportion of part-time students, refurbishing a proportion of part-time students, refurbishing a building, and so on.building, and so on.

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JISC BI Programme

Institution Project Title

Bedfordshire Supporting institutional decision making with an intelligent student engagement tracking system

Bolton Bolt-CAP (data for TRAC)

UCLAN BIRD - Business Intelligence Reporting Dashboard

Durham Enabling benchmarking excellence

East London Bringing corporate data to life

Glasgow ENGAGE - Using data about research clusters to enhance collaboration

Huddersfield VoRS - Visualisation of Research Strength

Liverpool LUMIS - Liverpool University Management Information System

Manchester IN-GRiD (building profile data)

OU RETAIN - Retaining students through intelligent interventions

Sheffield Business intelligence for learning about our students

Themes

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Institution Prominent subject keywords according to project summaryBolton TRAC, Enterprise Architecture, Costing & Pricing, Data collection, predictive modelling, process

improvement, reporting, data collection

Manchester Data collection, decision making, predictive modelling, performance management, finance and costing, data definition and management, Enterprise Architecture

Bedfordshire Student progression, predictive modelling, visualisation, decision making, system development and implementation

Sheffield Student progression, benchmarking, data integration, semantic web, data definition, system implementation

UCLAN Sharepoint, system integration, predictive modelling, staff, students, CRM, data w/h

Glasgow Research, decision making, visualisation, data definitions, repositories

Liverpool Performance management, decision making, data definitions, reporting, predictive modelling, SPOT, system procurement, system implementation, change management, data quality

OU Student progression, predictive modelling, system integration, VLE, visualisation, process improvement

UEL System integration, student progression, performance management, benchmarking, visualisation, rapid development, Qlickview, predictive modelling, demonstrator

Huddersfield Research, benchmarking, data integration, repositories, visualisation, demonstrator

Durham Benchmarking, mapping, HEIDI, subject codes

Proposed cluster groups

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1. Benchmarking Durham, UEL, Sheffield

2. Predictive Modelling Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, UCLAN

3. Visualisation Glasgow, OU, Bedfordshire, Huddersfield

Do you fancy being a ‘critical friend’?

• To provide strategic advice and guidance to projects from an

external perspective, providing insights and raising awareness of

relevant developments and initiatives in the sector

• To invite project teams to reflect and review their progress and

activities, acting as both mentors and coaches to project teams, in

both a supportive and challenging role

• To identify synergies and facilitate relationships between projects in

the programme

• To act as ambassadors for the projects through their networks of

contacts

• However else each cluster groups thinks they can best be utilised

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Expert knowledge of one or more of…

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BI systems and technologies, data warehouses etc

Data visualisation techniques & technologies etc

Data definition, integration & management system integration

Use of BI to inform strategic decision making

Benchmarking

Performance management

Use of BI for predictive modelling

Project and change management within a BI context

The role (March 11 – March 12)

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Task Number of days per critical friend

Project support visits (1 per project, scheduled at the projects discretion)

4

Attendance at Cluster group meetings 2

Assistance in the preparation for cluster group meetings and recording of outcomes (2 days per meeting)

4

Support calls and email exchanges with projects (amounting to 0.5 days per project)

2

Conference calls with JISC/JISC infoNet (amounting to 0.5 days)

1

Total days 13

To then be reviewed for remainder of the project…

Next steps for the BI infoKit

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Projects x 11Projects x 11

Relevant related resources

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www.jiscinfonet.ac.ukwww.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

Questions?Questions?

[email protected]

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Thank youThank you

Is your bi system fit for purpose?

Technology

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