Data Visualizations: Will the big BI vendors catch up to the niche players?
June 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The New York Times has really been stepping up its infographic department in recent years. Take a look at this data visualization showing how different demographics voted in the recent democratic primary contest.
All politics aside, I’m most interested in the fact that although this was more than likely developed by an information or graphic designer, it looks like it could have been produced by a BI tool. Of course a tool is just a tool without the data organized in such a way that makes the tool useful (but that is a subject for another post).
What fascinates me is how far the major BI tool providers are from producing these types of visualizations. It seems to me that they are so focused on the integration issues with all of the consolidation in the industry that there isn’t enough time to add the features that decision makers want – new and exciting ways to communicate information that helps them take action.
If you’re interested in data visualization, I highlighted a few interesting developments in the field in my recent column in Campus Technology Magazine.
It seems to me that that the quality gap between the data visualizations produced by tools and those produced by designers is getting smaller, but it is the niche players in the business that are making this happen. I’d love to be proven wrong though.
Thoughts?
Webinar – 6 Best Practices for Successful Institutional Intelligence
June 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
On June 18th, ASR will be hosting a Webinar titled “6 Best Practices for Successful Institutional Intelligence.” The Webinar is an extension of an article written by ASR’s Director of Higher Education Services, Graham Tracey, which was published earlier this year in Campus Technology Magazine.
Since institutional intelligence initiatives require ownership across the college or university community, registrants are encouraged to convene in groups including institutional researchers, IT professionals, and decision makers from the major operational divisions.
Click here to read the full presentation description and to register.
Back from the 2008 AIR Forum
June 2, 2008 | Comments Off
Is there a more committed group of higher education professionals than the members of the Association of Institutional Researchers (AIR)? Last week more than 1700 researchers, analysts, and planners gave up their Memorial Day weekend to descend upon Seattle and attend the annual AIR Forum. ASR Analytics was proud to be among them.
Like most of the attendees, my colleagues and I came back from the conference full of ideas and renewed excitement for the work that we do with and for our clients. Here are a few of the highlights from our perspective:
- During the Monday morning plenary, AIR executive director Randy Swing spoke about AIR members meeting new challenges in an increasingly transparent and more accountable environment. He called for members to look beyond the tools to provide institutional intelligence and renew focus on the methods to produce and disseminate information more widely across the institution – a point of view consistent with that of ASR’s methods for delivering institutional intelligence solutions to colleges and universities.
- While there were certainly many sessions providing practical every day advice, there were many more sessions than in past years emphasizing the increasing importance of the IR office in strategic planning.
- The poster sessions were really well done. Unlike at most conferences, there were dozens of poster sessions that were quite well attended. Attendees were clearly appreciative to learn new and innovative research methods that were on display at these sessions. Don’t skip these sessions next year if you’re interested in learning something new and networking with leaders in the field.
I want to thank the hundreds of people that took the time to come by the ASR booth and speak with my colleagues and me. I hope you learned a bit from our conversation as we most certainly did from you.
For those of you that entered our contest to win an iPod Nano, let your suspense go no further: Judith A. Jaffe from Brandeis University is the proud new owner of a black iPod Nano. Judith, if you’re reading, this sleek little number is on its way.