Business Intelligence is a system that collects, integrates, analyses and presents business information to support better business decision making.

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1 UNIVERSITY OF EXETER BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Key Messages & Communications Plan 1 Key Messages Background: Staff from across the University extract information from a variety of data storage areas to support their decision making and to track and monitor progress. This can be a time consuming process that largely focuses on retrospective data. This retrospective analysis means that the University is in danger of failing to understand current and developing trends, and may respond to old and potentially obsolete risks. Data is currently held in a range of databases, all of which are individually analysed, usually by exporting data into Microsoft Excel and manually creating reports. These separate structures do however mean that cross system analysis is largely impossible and prevents users from accessing relevant information across all business structures. Why are we developing this system? Business Intelligence is a system that collects, integrates, analyses and presents business information to support better business decision making. As the University continues to progress up the National league tables and consolidates its mission to be Top 10 by 2012, Schools and Services will have to be increasingly responsive to change and make plans based on real-time evidence and information. Developing flexible and current reporting of the University s KPIs is essential to support this process and to ensure that the University can continue to be a competitive force in the market. The Business Intelligence (BI) project aims to provide accessible, accurate, relevant and timely management information to the desktop of, and managers in Schools and Services. These data will be orientated around the University s KPIs and PIs. The use of BI will enable more effective actions to be taken by managers, to improve in year and future performance in the most critical areas. The ultimate outcome will be to provide data across student, research, HR, finance and estate data with reporting functions that allow for retrospective and forward planning analysis. Benefits of the new system The objective of the project is to drive greater efficiencies across the University through timely reporting, by providing accessible, accurate and relevant management information to the desk tops of staff. The BI system will allow managers to access relevant information as and when it is needed in a consistent and easy to understand format. It will standardise the reporting of KPIs across Schools and Services and allow decisions to be made based on up to date, accurate information. Whilst presenting top level decisions making data, BI can provide drill-down functionality from highly summarised data to a specified level of detail in a single report. It will help the University to provide more robust forward looking, predictive analysis providing early warnings of potential issues. By bringing together data from all of the University s data systems it will facilitate analysis across business areas. Business Intelligence can be used for the production of standard or ad-hoc reports with reduced need for specialist IT support. By cleansing and sorting data within the data warehouse, the BI system will reduce the need to manual intervention with these data and so speed up the process of receiving information and drive staff efficiencies in Schools and Services. BI Project Page 1 of 5 Key Messages & Communications Plan

2 Project implementation This is a three year project to cover the major reporting requirements of the University. Throughout the duration of the project, key business reports will be delivered against institutional Key Performance Indicators. The project is split into three main stages. Stage one involves the initial set up of the project, requirements gathering and the prioritisation of reporting areas. This phase will include the specification, acquisition and design of the necessary IT requirements and a review of data quality. Pilot reports on Undergraduate and Postgraduate Research student progression and completion will be delivered by the completion of this phase. Stage one will be completed in summer Stage two will deliver the majority of the KPI reports. A number of discrete work areas will focus on each KPI to gather user requirements, develop reports, build the data warehouse, and publish information. At this stage the management dashboard will be developed. A dashboard will present the University s KPIs in simple visual graphics, such as gauges, charts and tables and will provide instant understanding of how each of the KPIs is progressing. This stage will take place between September 2009 and September 2011 Stage three is the ongoing development of the system to ensure that it is meeting current business requirements. It will incorporate the developing needs of the University and ensure that existing reports are maintained and developed. BI Project Page 2 of 5 Key Messages & Communications Plan

3 2. Communications Plan Business Intelligence Project Message Audience Communications method Date completed Project definition and Statement of Requirements January August 2008 Project proposal, preliminary discussions, outline plan and requirements being defined and final funding approval being sought. Key message Project started Project group and follow up Face to face as required August 2008 October 2008: Project Initiation Document, procurement schedule and draft statement of requirements Project group Project group meeting Face to face as required October 2008 Key message: System requirements finalised Pre-Tender process October and November 2008: Expressions of interest from interested suppliers. Selected suppliers Group discussion Key message: Suppliers short-listed for Tender Invitation to Tender and submission of bids December 2008 and January 2009 Formal invitation to Tender Submission of final bids from suppliers Key message: Tender process completed All short-listed suppliers Tender documents Open dialogue with suppliers Group discussion BI Project Page 3 of 5 Key Messages & Communications Plan

4 Final supplier selection & placement of order February 2009: Review of submissions and approval. Tender awarded, contract negotiation, agreement and sign off. Key message: Contract awarded System Development October 08 April 09 Development of BI infrastructure, review of data sources, recording of business rules relating to the source data. Key message: System development underway System Delivery and Testing April May 09 Delivery of initial reporting tool, testing of key functionality Key message: Initial system infrastructure delivered Legal/IPR team All short-listed suppliers Key business areas Supplier Key Business Areas Review with key stakeholders Supplier discussions Possible 2 nd round presentations Ongoing supplier consultation Review with key business areas Meeting Meeting Project website and follow up Development and Implementation of Business Areas and Associated Reports: Summer 09 Agreement of business area requirements for each report, design and build reports in BI system, test reporting Key message: UG and PGR progression reports are completed FYI meeting Speed up-dating BI Project Page 4 of 5 Key Messages & Communications Plan

5 Set-up of Training Infrastructure: Summer 09 Identify users and their training needs, schedule and deliver suitable training Key message: Training available for all staff who wish to attend. meeting Development and Implementation of Further Business Areas and Associated Reports September 2009 onwards Deliver reports, according to priority list, on 8-10 week rolling programme, with each period focussing on one business area. Key message: Reports are being developed for each of the University s KPIs. meeting FYI Speed-up dating BI Project Page 5 of 5 Key Messages & Communications Plan