A UWF employee is empowered to make decisions and take action based on key performance indicators, dashboards and analyses of data from trusted and understood sources.
Key Success Factors |
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Trusted and understood sources of data |
The underlying data supporting the dashboards, trends, graphs and key performance indicators must come from consistent definitions of data elements across the enterprise, standardized views into the data, and a myriad of historical snapshots, production databases, or extracts (such as BOG files) from which to draw. If it is unclear what the source of the data is, or whether that data is accurate, the resulting analysis is useless. |
Easy-to-use tools |
The tools for both creating and utilizing the dashboards and analyses must be easy to learn, and the resulting reports must be simple to access, share, and understand. |
Ability to take action |
Stunning dashboards and worksheets are useless if the underlying details supporting the analysis are not readily available to the end user. Details identifying specific students, instructors, courses, waivers, etc. must be available as drill-down within the analyses to allow staff to verify information, correct problems, and decide how to modify business processes or otherwise influence the trends they see. |
Protect the data |
The sensitive and confidential nature of the data must be considered in each and every case. Some analyses and dashboards may be shared publicly, while others may require the strictest possible security. |
Focus on what is most important |
Data is everywhere supporting every system we use. Our presumption is that the most important data requests to satisfy are those that pertain directly to the 2010 University Work Plan. |
Tableau Desktop Professional and Tableau Server are already in use at UWF in ITS, Institutional Research, Office of Academic Affairs, and Research and Sponsored Programs. This limited deployment provides offices who have purchased the desktop software, and who have access to their own sources of data (such as Microsoft Access or Excel spreadsheets and databases) to publish their own analyses to Tableau Server. Our CORE server licensing allows them to share a link to the published analyses via email, or even embed them in web pages for anyone to view. ITS has used Tableau to satisfy some reporting requests (such as probation/suspension analysis, Nautilus Card Identity Tracking, and Nolij document imaging usage statistics), and has received resounding support and encouragement for further use of this tool.
With a successful limited deployment, it is now time to prepare for a university-wide implementation. The tasks identified below can be performed in parallel, and all contribute directly to the defined key success factors. Tasks listed in the two left-most columns require “the business” to take the lead. Tasks in the two right-most columns can be led by ITS. Tasks are listed chronologically.
<< Business Driven ITS Driven >> |
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KPI ‘work plan’ |
Enterprise Needs |
Basics |
Quality Assurance |
Participate in focus groups, user meetings to identify data needs
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Expand and refine the “Data Elements and Definitions for Data Warehouse - Feb 4 2010” as basis for data dictionary
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Enable a “missing data request” process
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Create checklists for publishing
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