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Thanks Steve, that was very helpful. I might take you up on that, get our project sponsor to approach your Registrar. Georgina Georgina Spary Business Intelligence Manager SBPO, Corporate Affairs Oxford Brookes University + 1865 484887 Chadwick, Stephen wrote: > Hi Georgina > > Thanks for your considered response to this which I - for one - found > very useful. > > Durham ran a pilot DW project three years ago now and was totally sold > on the benefits. We have been holding off for various technical > reasons which I won't bore you with here but much of what you wrote > resonates with our experiences too. We will begin Implementation of a > full DW in august 2011 having spent a long time sorting out a whole > range of data issues identified during the pilot. > > As to your question about making your business case. Our Registrar > recently conducted a major exercise to identify the main barriers to > implemting our new Strategy. She visited every academic dept to talk > to the admin staff. The main conclusion coming out of that exercise > was that we have as many duplicate student or finance systems as we > have depts (despite having a very good student record system in > Banner). Consequently, her top recomendation to our Exec is that in > order to reduce duplication and cut costs we need to invest in IT > systems which are fit for purpose and which provide excellent > management information. I'm sure she'd be happy to share the > conclusions of that extensive bit of internal research with you if you > thought it would help your case. Give me a call or email me if you > want to pursue this. > Steve > > > Steve Chadwick > Director of Satrategic Planning & Change > University if Durham > Office +44(0)1013346885 > Home +44(0)1388871966 > Sent from my iPhone > > On 11 Feb 2010, at 05:15 PM, "Georgina Spary" <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > >> Hi Jennifer & all >> >> Rebecca Mander passed this email on to me, and I thought I'd let you >> know where we're at and also ask the group a related question. >> >> I joined Brookes in 2009 with the task of developing a data mart plus >> university wide reporting tool to support our MI for the strategic >> plan (a subset of our KPIs around students). I started small with a a >> static prototype based on one source only. I would recommend the >> prototype route because it allows you to take the time needed to >> define the fields properly, sorting out user requirements and getting >> a complete and robust set of requirements and ETL definitions before >> you invest in external expertise. The prototype was delivered in Nov >> 2009 and we're now in the middle of an ITT to find a supplier who can >> a) turn this into a 'live' data warehouse with data validation, >> automated refresh, slowly changing dimensions etc., using industry >> recognised ETL tools like BODI, OWB >> b) provide a universally acceptable (!!!) reporting tool, again we've >> played it safe, major players (OBIEE, SAP BO, Cognos) only >> >> We are also considering an interim stage: buying just the reporting >> software, and polishing up the prototype so that it's at least auto >> refreshed. ie we would omit the super duper time trend data >> warehousing development, and just have something up and running. >> Bearable in the short term and much much cheaper. It would not be >> futureproof in the long term as we bring in lots systems, but should >> be a cheap way to start bringing some of the core systems together in >> the first year. >> >> So. First - my attempts to answer your questions >> a) What products do you use? --- see above, procurement not yet >> completed >> >> b) What solutions have proven most cost effective? - well a staged >> approach starting small has worked for us (sort of). Every other >> person I've talked to who has got the full implementation to work >> from scratch has spent £100-250K up front + lots ongoing. I do see >> that your top priority is to bring several systems together (this is >> our long term priority too) - but I would start getting the thing >> working just from one system. Also, using a contractor for us was >> much better value for money than a consultancy - but maybe we were >> just lucky. >> In the long term, to have a robust workable system from many sources, >> you should definitely go the full data warehousing route, but you can >> get quite far in selling in the idea with something less formal. >> >> c) Have there been many non-technical issues to resolve? -- some >> absolutely key things to get in place, which I have picked up over >> the years (iused to be a data mart project manager in the private >> sector): >> --- commitment at the highest level, an evangelistic VC sorts the >> whole project >> --- internal technical resource - 2 seems to be the minimum although >> possibly can work with 1 FTE, ongoing >> --- internal business resource - a BI reporting team, strong user >> representation >> --- this one's important - get all the requirements &definitions >> really pinned down to technical detail, as far as you can - this is >> where many projects fall over because they usually need the busiest >> people in the organisation to agree them, and no amount of time spent >> by IT or external people can replace this. >> --- I know lots of people have had issues with reporting tool >> licensing structures, may not be relevant for you. >> >> d) What would you do differently next time? >> Um. Demand £250K up front? alternatively write a persuasive >> business case to ensure sufficient in house IT resourcing for the >> project. >> >> *****************Which leads me to my question to the >> group:************************ >> -- I need to write a persuasive business case justifying additional >> resource in a difficult climate, by demonstrating the direct >> financial benefits of a Business Intelligence system. Any of you >> people with existing well established systems have any thoughts >> and/or examples on their benefits you could share, at the highest >> level? Anything at all would be appreciated, however vague. and >> anonymised of course. >> >> Thanks - hope the above helps you as well >> >> Georgina >> -- >> >> >> Georgina Spary >> Business Intelligence Manager >> SBPO, Corporate Affairs >> Oxford Brookes University >> + 1865 484887 >> >> >> -------- Original Message -------- >> Subject: [Fwd: Re: Reporting from multiple systems] >> Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:49:21 +0000 >> From: Rebecca Mander <[log in to unmask]> >> Organisation: Oxford Brookes University >> To: Spary Georgina <[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> -------- Original Message -------- >> Subject: Re: Reporting from multiple systems >> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:53:29 +0000 >> From: Andrea Cheshire <[log in to unmask]> >> Reply-To: Academic, financial or space planning in UK universities >> <[log in to unmask]> >> To: [log in to unmask] >> References: >> <[log in to unmask]> >> >> >> >> Dear Jennifer >> >> >> >> We have invested in a data warehouse at UWE and have operated the >> system over the last 2 years. Currently the warehouse holds data from >> our student record and finance systems but we are expanding to bring >> in admissions data. The warehouse has opened up completely new >> avenues for business analyses which single systems can never provide >> . Although it is quite an investment, it is paying off in terms of >> efficiency and effectiveness of analysis and reporting. We are >> currently using it to drive performance improvements across the >> institution. >> >> >> >> As the reporting front end we have chosen Business Objects, although >> there is very little difference to other systems like Cognos. >> >> >> >> The key factor of success of our project was the quality of the data >> warehouse design. You really need to get this right, as it determines >> the avenues for future analysis. We used consultants as we don’t have >> the knowledge in house. However we ensured significant know how >> transfer in the first project and are now confident to do more >> ourselves. >> >> >> >> The biggest non technical issue is the review of the quality of your >> data. We have spent months cleaning our records and are still picking >> up issues. But this is to be expected and I have had similar feedback >> from other institutions that went down the warehouse route. >> >> >> >> We are happy to give more in depths informaton if this is helpful. >> >> >> >> Best wishes >> >> Andrea >> >> >> >> Andrea Cheshire >> >> Director Business Intelligence and Planning >> >> University of the West of England Bristol >> >> [log in to unmask] >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* Academic, financial or space planning in UK universities >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Arkell J.H. >> *Sent:* 21 January 2010 12:10 >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Reporting from multiple systems >> >> >> >> >> >> Dear all, >> >> >> >> Here at Southampton, we're looking to improve our reporting from >> multiple corporate systems (rather than the single system reporting >> which makes up the majority of information at the moment). >> >> >> >> I would welcome experience and advice from institutions who have been >> down this route already on issues such as >> >> >> >> What products do you use? >> >> What solutions have proven most cost effective? >> Have there been many non-technical issues to resolve? >> >> What would you do differently next time? >> >> >> >> We don't have a data warehouse system at the moment, and I would be >> particularly interested in institutions who have found interim >> solutions to this problem without investing in a data warehouse. >> >> >> >> Jennifer >> >> >> >> ________________ >> >> Jennifer Arkell >> >> Corporate Planning Manager >> >> University of Southampton >> >> www.soton.ac.uk >> >> >> >> 023 80594447 >> >> (internal 24447)