Transcript Raising your BI IQ—How Business Intelligence Impacts IR

Raising your BI IQ—How
Business Intelligence Impacts IR
Presenters
Faron Kincheloe, Baylor University
Martha Oburn, Lone Star College System
So What is BI Anyway?
BI (Business Intelligence) is an umbrella term to
describe a set of concepts and methods to
improve decision-making by using fact-based
support systems.
Source: Wikipedia
Why is BI needed?
• Increasing size and complexity of our
institutions
• Need for more information—not just data
• Expectations that information will be
accessible, flexible, easy to use
• The desire to provide advanced analytics
including predictive modeling, forecasting
What are the components of a BI
system?
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Projects
People
Data
Software
Hardware
BI Terminology 101
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Decision Support Systems (DSS)
On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Dashboards
Scorecards
Data warehouse
Data mining
Analytics
Evolution of BI
• Was it really a data warehouse?
• Diverse definitions
– Archived data
– Transactional reporting center
– Data Mart
Diverse Definitions
• Data Closet – It is usually the first stage of the
Data Warehouse, a small, dark place to shove
some data.
• Data Kid’s Room – It is bigger than a Data
Closet, but usually quite disorganized, with
nobody wanting to clean it up.
• Data Haunted House – A Data Warehouse
that has been abandoned because of scary
data.
Source: Unknown
Diverse Definitions
• Data Double-Wide – A poorly implemented
Data Warehouse designed by the boss’ son-inlaw Billy Bob for half the price.
• Data Penthouse – It is very expensive to
maintain and all you can get is top level data.
• Data Fortress – It could be the greatest Data
Warehouse ever, but you’ll never know
because the security guys have it locked down
too well.
Source: Unknown
Diverse Definitions
• Data Wal-Mart – A Data Warehouse that is so
successful it expands rapidly and people from
other departments organize protests to try to
keep it from taking all their resources.
Source: Unknown
Evolution of BI
• BI was there all along
• Shift from past to present and future
– Dashboards
– Analytics
– Forecasting
How do BI systems get implemented?
• Executive support is critical to success
• Start comprehensive planning sooner not later
• It’s not about the software!
• Try not to let budget constraints drive key
decisions
How do BI systems get implemented?
• Involve key staff at the start
• Partner with your IT department
• Start training immediately
• Manage expectations
• Anticipate culture change
About that Software
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Compatibility
Adaptability
Scalability
Your ability
What does planning for BI include?
• Identify the goals and purposes of BI
• Review current sources of data and
information
• Assess the costs and risks related to BI
implementation
• Determine who will benefit—and who will pay
What does planning for BI include?
• Define the key metrics and their information
requirements
• Establish the best ways to measure each
metric
• Develop strategies to monitor progress and
make adjustments as necessary
• Identify security implications
A key question
How will IR be involved in planning,
implementation, and organization of
BI?
Where Does BI Live?
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IR vs. IT
Data knowledge
Technical expertise
What works in your culture
Teamwork is essential
What can BI do for my College or
University?
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Single version of the truth
Better informed decisions
Targeted marketing
Predictive modeling
Data Subjects in Institutional BI
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Recruits
Applicants
Enrolled Students
Degrees Awarded
Employees
Financial
– Aid awards
– Tuition revenue
– Expenses vs. Budget
Typical Information Formats
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Drillable Cubes
Stored Processes
Static Reports (PDF)
Interactive Excel Documents
Links to other web resources
Automated updates
How Does BI Impact IR?
• Make our jobs easier, right?
– Self-service for users
• Questions get tougher
• Exposes data issues
– Cleaner data
• More organized data for IR
• Ongoing maintenance
• Users are hungry for more!
Questions?
[email protected]
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