is your bi system fit for purpose?
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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
rio P
lannin
g
Scena
rio P
lannin
g
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?
Source: JISC infoNet survey of BI Solutions in Higher and Further Education run between 10th May 2010 and 11th June 2010. Response rate: 102
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
Source: JISC infoNet survey of BI Solutions in Higher and Further Education run between 10th May 2010 and 11th June 2010. Response rate: 102
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
Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 2
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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
Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 3
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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)
Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 4
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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.
Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 5
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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.
Assessing your BI maturity: Stage 6
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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