Creating Reusable Data Services For Campus
Finding common integration needs to capture IT efficiencies with reusable data services
The explosion of technology use across different areas of campus means institutional data is now constantly in motion—and IT is under a growing burden to integrate and improve agility.
This research, written for CIOs, directors of infrastructure, and enterprise applications groups, profiles how higher education institutions have successfully consolidated point-to-point integration to provide enterprise-wide data services for their campuses, capturing benefits including better data quality, faster software onboarding, and data capability enhancements.
Inside this executive brief, we’ve profiled a variety of best practices and how you can implement them on your campus.
Campus data needs survey: Engaging distributed IT to prioritize enterprise data requirements
In this practice, CIOs and directors of enterprise technologies poll distributed IT professionals to identify critical data for campus and use those data to prioritize opportunities for investment in reusable integrations. As new projects launch on campus that involve key data components, additional upfront spending supports further API development.
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100+
point-to-point connections replaced by internal web services at Northwestern University
Two-step face-to-face integration mapping: Gaining visibility into unit data use to build a clear picture of campus data movement
In this practice, IT works closely with users and stakeholders to document existing data flows in a two-step interview and edit process. Developers collect detailed information on data use from end users to create data flow diagrams for review. Stakeholders then review the diagrams and confirm or edit them, ensuring that all data augmentation or processing undergone in units is effectively captured.
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Iterative enterprise data rollout: Increasing uptake of centralized data services through inclusive communications
In this practice, CIOs or enterprise technology directors begin introducing new enterprise data objects (EDOs) six months prior to their rollout on campus and publicize the timeline through multiple channels. It provides a structured process for campus to suggest revisions to the EDOs and to implement changes prior to the transition. Giving users time to adapt significantly improves uptake at launch and lowers dissent once the new objects are live.
"We've moved away from our spaghetti mess of point-to-point integrations to a hub that services 370,000 requests a day for data.
"Chief Technology Officer
University of California-Berkeley
Consolidated campus data access point: Leveraging ongoing IT projects to build a user-friendly, one-stop data service
In this practice, high-use enterprise data domains are consistently exposed to systems and users through one central access point (e.g., an API). User access is federated using a unique identification key per individual or system. Consolidating high-use data services into one API improves uptake by streamlining data access processes and improving user experience. Where appropriate data is not yet available, new projects are evaluated for their capacity to provide it, and assigned extra implementation funding to make enterprise data available in the one-stop API.
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