Business Intelligence at Drake

Across the University, we need access to high quality, understandable information and intelligence that enables and supports decisions in order to achieve the University’s strategic objectives.

The vision for BI at Drake University is to provide consistent, accurate and timely information that supports understanding and insight across all levels of the institution.

BI at Drake University incorporates a variety of data sets, reporting tools and calculations to transform data into actionable information.

Using institutional data sources including Banner and Starfish, the goal is to provide Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive perspectives to internal and external users.

A number of principles have been established for Business Intelligence informing the way in which the strategy and roadmap have been developed.

1. Information is a shared asset: Information has value for the organization. We have a shared responsibility to manage and maintain information.

2. Information must be available and accessible: To those who need it, information should be available and easily accessible. This relies also on the availability of reporting tools and flexibility to analyze data in different ways.

3. Information must be consistent, accurate and timely: Information should be rooted in a common understanding of what we mean by different terms, how metrics are calculated and who is responsible for each data domain.

4. Information is an enabler: In understanding where we are, how we compare and what actions need to happen to achieve our strategic objectives.

5. Information is insightful and actionable.  By stratifying data into descriptive, predictive and prescriptive levels, we will use this information to define and proactively manage the institution in a strategic manner.

Operational systems and data are collected for the management, monitoring and reporting of the University in general.  Operational data is focused on producing an output. It can be measured and compared against previously collected data to provide Performance Indicators of how the business is running.  Operational data may include applications and data including Banner, Starfish, Slate, Qualtrics, Goals and Razr’s Edge data.

Business Intelligence is a set of methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information used to enable more effective strategic and operational insights and decision-making.  Business Intelligence utilizes the data that the organization has at its disposal to allow users to make informed decisions and is heavily linked to the University’s strategic aims and objectives.  While Business Intelligence allows a high degree of flexibility and the user to dynamically interact with the data, it is governed by strong business principles to allow reporting on a consistent basis.

Business Intelligence at Drake University is offered primarily through singular portal, BI.DRAKE.EDU to provide access to Operational, Strategic and Key Performance Indicators.

Through a variety of reporting tools including Pyramid, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and Power BI, BI.DRAKE.EDU will provide a singular ‘One Stop Shop’ for data needs across the institution.  Role-based security will deliver the right information to the right end user.