“Plan your work, and work your plan.” I strongly believe in this expression. I think you will agree that this motto applies well to strategic planning. If you fail to follow this guideline, you may fall victim to another of my favorite sayings, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”

In a series of four blog entries, I’ll be discussing the best-known methods and best practices in identifying and defining the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), measures and dimensions used when building a digital dashboard that aligns with a higher education institution’s strategic goals and performance measurement plans.

In working with various institutions of higher education to implement Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence projects, I’ve gained a first-hand understanding of their organizational strategies, goals, visions, missions, plans and objectives. In order to stay competitive in this ever-changing and challenging socio-economy, many colleges are embracing new technologies to manage performance and enable informed decision-making. Business Intelligence applications such as dashboards are becoming popular performance management tools among institutions of higher education.

Before diving into the details, let me briefly explain the three key terms I will frequently be using in this discussion.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), also known as Key Success Indicators or Metrics, help an organization define and evaluate how it is progressing toward its long-term organizational goals

• Measures refer to direct numerical variables that represent pieces of business data in relationship with one or more dimensions associated with a KPI

• Dimensions provide the means to view data elements that categorize measures

The aforementioned keywords are the foundations in developing a digital dashboard.

The biggest challenges are where to begin and how to plan.

I will begin to address these two issues in my next blog entry.

On March 26 and 27, the Synch-Solutions Data Warehousing (DW) and Business Intelligence (BI) team participated in the INAIR (Indiana Association for Institutional Research) 23rd Annual Conference in Indianapolis. INAIR is composed of faculty and staff at Indiana’s public and private, two- and four-year colleges and universities, and others who are interested in the study of postsecondary education. It provides a platform for the dissemination of information and interchange of ideas on problems of common interest in the field of Institutional Research. INAIR is dedicated to fostering unity and cooperation among Institutional Researchers at Indiana colleges and universities. It is a regional affiliate of the international Association for Institutional Research (AIR). Institutional Research is crucial to institutions of Higher Education for its role in mining and analyzing data.

Institutional Researchers are the key drivers of new analytical strategies for reducing time, effort and redundant work. Some institutions maintain this group as a standalone unit, while others include Institutional Research in the Department of Information Technology. Research staff may be called Institutional Researchers, or may be assigned titles according to the nature of their work, such as Information Analyst or Management Analyst.

Our Vendor Presentation

On the second day of the conference, the Synch-Solutions team presented on “Institutional Performance Visibility Through Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence.” In this presentation, we put forth insights on DW concepts, BI tools, project initiation and the real power of Institutional Intelligence available to those who employ the tools and processes with the proper mindset. Many Institutional Researchers attended Synch’s presentation and participated in the Q&A session. The interactive nature of the presentation enabled Institutional Researchers to share their current challenges and expectations with Synch team. DW concepts and BI tools can give institutions the edge to stay competitive in an increasingly demanding and challenging field.

At the Exhibit Hall

In addition to making the presentation, Synch-Solutions’ DW and BI team also exhibited at the conference expo. We managed an exhibitor booth to share Synch’s profile and service offerings. The highlight at our booth was our Student Administration Dashboard Demo. The Institutional Researchers were intensely interested in understanding the functionality, technology and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are essential for developing a Digital Dashboard for an institution.

The demo of Synch-Solutions’ Student Administration Dashboard for Higher Education illustrated how, using only 2 significant KPIs, along with more than 15 measures and 9 dimensions with drill-through capability, the dashboard was capable of providing up to 4,000 static reports. The Institutional Researchers liked the multidimensional design and slice-and-dice functionality, and made such comments as, “This is a perfect solutions for improving the efficiency of my department and its capacity to meet the needs of all of our stakeholders.

Institutional Research + Business Intelligence = Institutional Intelligence

Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence can no longer be framed as “long-term goals” for institutions of Higher Education. They are widely embraced technologies that are highly valued for institutions that have implemented them. Such institutions stand as living proof of the effectiveness of DW and BI. 

The Synch team gained valuable experience and knowledge at the INAIR conference, and we are looking forward to attending the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) 49th Annual Forum in Atlanta from May 30 to June 3. We hope to see you there!