IT Services provides support for everyone who creates, stores and uses data, to help ensure that it is always available, accessible and reliable. This is offered in collaboration with the Business Intelligence (BI) team in Planning and Council Secretariat (PACS).
As well as being vital for good decision-making and meeting reporting responsibilities, well-governed data means less reworking, less duplication of effort and less time spent searching for the right data or being unsure that it is of the right quality.
Guided by the University IT Strategic Plan (use SSO to view), the University’s new Data Strategy and the Data Governance Framework, our Data Reporting, Architecture and Modelling (DRAM) team provides the systems, information and tools you need to help you with data tasks big and small, from day-to-day data processing to the data elements of a project.
Data architecture
Our data services coordinate all the resources you need to get the most from data. This includes maintaining an enterprise view of the University's core administrative data to reduce complexity and avoid duplication.
We can help you:
- identify the right source for the data you’re looking for
- model data so it is better understood
- be confident that the data you are creating or using is of the right quality
- understand and use the correct, agreed, definitions for data
- find the right person to help you with questions about specific data areas
- report any data issues you come across.
For further information please see our Data architecture and modelling page in the Service Catalogue.
Metadata management
We manage the metadata that describes the characteristics of the University's core administrative data and integrations. Further information is available from the Enterprise Modelling SharePoint site.
Data warehousing
We manage the data warehouse, which gathers and presents frequently-updated data in a logical and clear way to enable efficient analysis and reporting. It also makes it more straightforward to comply with the University's data security legal responsibilities.
The warehouse is currently used for selected student, research administration, libraries, HR and purchasing data. More sets of data will be added to this list.
For further information please see our Business intelligence: Data warehousing page in the Service Catalogue, or contact the DRAM team for advice and information (see 'contact us').
Analytical reporting – Tableau and Power BI
We also administer access and licences and provide technical support for Tableau and Power BI, which can be used to help with effective and efficient data analysis and reporting.
Power BI is part of the Microsoft 365 suite so as long as you have a University Nexus365 account, you can access Power BI via a free licence enabling you to create and publish reports and dashboards for your own consumption, but also to view those shared with you by PRO licence holders. If you need to share your reports with others, you can buy a Power BI PRO licence (see link below).
See further information about Power BI, how to get a PRO licence and where to access training and guidance on the Power BI help page.
Power BI is not replacing the Tableau service at this time. To use Tableau in any capacity you will need to purchase a licence by submitting a service request.
See also the Business intelligence page in the Service Catalogue and please contact the DRAM BI team with any questions.
APIs and Integrations
We provide Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and other integration solutions to facilitate data exchange between different systems and applications. This contributes to operational efficiency, accurate reporting, and informed decision-making.
APIs enable software systems to communicate and exchange data. Integration solutions support the extraction, transformation, and extracting, transforming and loading (ETL) of data, contributing to data consistency and availability across platforms.
Our services facilitate data exchange across the University's systems by:
- Automating Data Processes: supporting the automation of data transfers and workflows between applications to reduce manual intervention
- Enhancing System Interoperability: enabling communication between disparate systems to improve functionality and reduce data silos
- Enabling Data Utilisation: providing assistance in exposing data and functionalities through documented APIs, supporting custom applications and analytical efforts
Our offerings include:
- API Design and Development Guidance: support for the creation of well-structured and secure APIs for data and services
- System-to-System Integration Support: assistance in connecting business applications and data sources, including the use of technologies such as SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) for ETL processes
- Integration Strategy Consultation: advice on data integration practices and approaches for specific requirements
- Data Exchange Assistance: support for establishing data pipelines for internal and external data sharing
For further information regarding our API and Integration services, or to discuss specific requirements, please contact the Enterprise Architecture Team in the first instance or find out more on the Azure Integration Platform page and in the Service Catalogue.
