3. Provide the capacity to analyse and report on priority business questions within the scope of the master datasets;

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1 Business Intelligence Policy Version Information A. Introduction Purpose Business Intelligence refers to the practice of connecting facts, objects, people and processes of interest to an organisation in such a way as to optimise situational awareness, performance and benefit. A business intelligence framework goes far beyond providing ad-hoc reporting capabilities. Such a framework can empower staff to identify trends, forecast scenarios and leverage information assets for business efficiencies in ways that are not otherwise practical without constantly calling for specialist support. This policy supports the implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of a business intelligence framework in order to: 1. Improve strategic, tactical and operational decision-making processes within the scope of the master datasets (i.e. Customer, Asset, Land and Property, Employee, Financial, Spatial, Environmental and Contract and Supplier); 2. Improve information dissemination, information access and propagation of knowledge about the Council that will help strengthen the internal governance function; 3. Provide the capacity to analyse and report on priority business questions within the scope of the master datasets; 4. Enhance the ability to trace strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT); 5. Provide all authorised staff with access to the information they require, when they require it, using an easy to understand interface that is defined in business terms rather than jargon; 6. Empower appropriately trained key staff to create their own reports and combine existing data elements into custom reports. Goals Provide information that is readily available to the right people, at the right time, and that enables them to act quickly and decisively to new business and faculty demands and meet the existing Council vision and strategies. Approval Date: 23 September 2014 Page: 1 of 5

2 Benefits 1. Performance and Process Improvement to: Enable Group and Service Managers to better support Council process by accurately compiling, analysing and reporting information across data repositories to both internal and external decision-makers; Empower customer service with the information they need to create the best customer delivery environment for all customers; Maximize the availability of information to all levels of the Council: the Executive level receives performance data, the Management level receives trend and summary data, and the Staff level receives detailed data; and Enable ELG to track and monitor Council key performance indicators in order to establish, improve and align them with the Council vision. 2. Extremely fast monitoring - Business intelligence allows Groups to design their own queries and reports, allowing IM to redeploy the resources who formerly performed this task. This can generate significant cost utilisation in human resources, since sought-after staff can be reallocated to projects that add more value to the Council. 3. Improved Supply Chain - A solid grasp of facts and figures is invaluable when it comes to negotiating contracts with suppliers. For instance, by analysing supplier performance on-time delivery trends, tracking scale of problems, and price changes the Council will be in an excellent position to discuss all aspects of the contract as well as possibly negotiate discounts. 4. Improved Customer Service - Whenever a customer interacts with the Council, it is vital that the information available on that customer informs and guides the processes that will help to maximise their experience, while simultaneously making the interaction as effective and efficient as possible. This includes everything from avoiding repetition or rekeying of information, to viewing customer history, establishing context and initiating desired actions Scope The business intelligence framework must support industry best practice processes and provide as a minimum the following functional capability: 1. Information Layer a. Query, reporting and analysis; b. Reporting; c. Dashboards and visualisation; d. Search and exploration; e. Advanced analytics; f. Identify the key targets and metrics; g. Generate insights; h. Validate insights; i. Realize value; j. Monitor performance over time; Approval Date: 23 September 2014 Page: 2 of 5

3 2. Data Warehouse layer a. Extract, Transform and Load; b. Operation Data Store (ODS); c. Data Repository; d. Data Modelling; e. Physical Design; f. Architecture; 3. Data Capture Layer a. Structured Data; b. Unstructured Data; c. Semi-structured data; and d. Data profiling. Governance This policy is governed by the Data Stewardship Group. Document Control 1. Only the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) can approve amendments to this policy 2. Approved amended documents must be submitted to Corporate Meetings & Registers to place the document on the Policy, Guidelines and Procedures Register B. Principles 1. One data dictionary - RCC has one dictionary of data that clearly defines the meaning and etymologies of each Data Concept; 2. Information is an asset - Information is an asset that has value to RCC and is managed accordingly; 3. Information is shared - Users have access to the information necessary to perform their duties; therefore, information is shared and accessible across the RCC; 4. Single system of record - There shall be a single application identified as being the owner for each Data Entity. This shall be the only application allowed to update this data; and 5. Risk based information security and audit - Information shall be secured and auditable based upon the threats and risks associated with loss, damage or exposure of that information in accordance with the agreed security classification of that information by the business. C. Relevant Information Context This policy fits within the Council s Information Management Governance Framework. Approval Date: 23 September 2014 Page: 3 of 5

4 Responsibilities 1. Managers (General/Group/Service) Managers at all levels are responsible for promoting awareness of the value of quality information to the performance of the Council and recognising the important contribution of the data stewardship role. 2. Chief Information Officer (CIO) The CIO is responsible for ensuring the Information Management Group provides and supports an enterprise architecture that enables the achievement of the business intelligence principles and capability. 3. Data Stewardship Working Group is primarily responsible for: Data quality management and metadata management within Council; Maintaining the RCC Master Data Dictionary; and Ensuring business processes are aligned with the principles of data management 4. All Council Staff All staff have a responsibility to contribute to the achievement and maintenance of data and information quality expectations set by the Data Stewardship Working Group Other related documents Information Management Strategy ; POL-1001 Identity Management Policy; POL-1002 Data Management Policy; POL-1003 Enterprise Content Management Policy; POL-1004 Application Management Policy; Enterprise Architecture Principles; IM - Service Catalogue; GL Business Intelligence Guideline GL Master Data Management Guideline; GL Data Quality Management Guideline; GL Metadata Management Guideline; Data Stewardship Working Group Terms of Reference; GL Records Management Guideline; GL Back-Up, Recovery and Archive Guideline; GL Guideline; RCC Master Data Dictionary. Approval Date: 23 September 2014 Page: 4 of 5

5 Definitions The following definitions are relevant to this policy: Term Data Management Data Information Data Entity Business Applications Data Quality Master Data Master Data Dictionary Metadata Enterprise Architecture Definition The development, execution and supervision of plans, policies, programmes and practices that control, protect, deliver and enhance the value of data and information resources. Data consists of disconnected numbers, words and symbols relating to the events and processes of an organisation. Information is data communicated in a meaningful way. A concept that describes a collection of data elements, attributes and relationships in a structured manner that represents the organisation s understanding and use of a particular business subject or object. A computer software program designed to apply the capabilities of a computing platform to one or more specific business purposes. The business expectation of data defined in terms of dimensions such as accuracy, completeness, currency, consistency, integrity, topology and compliance with naming conventions and data dictionaries. The core data entities of an organisation that are fundamental to the operation of the business and are shared across organisational departments. A glossary of terms, definitions and descriptions representing key data elements that construct the organisation s master data entities. Data regarding the characteristics of any data item, such as its name, location, perceived importance, quality or value to RCC, and its relationships to other data items that RCC has deemed worth managing. The construct of IT Infrastructure, Applications and Databases that effectively and efficiently enables the delivery Information Management Services. Version Information Version Date Key Changes number 1 September 2014 New Policy Back to Top Approval Date: 23 September 2014 Page: 5 of 5