Going back on François Girault’s experience. He is in charge of “the elaboration of decisional dashboards” at the Caen Normandie university.
The Caen Normandie University has more than 30 000 students on 13 campuses, spread over 3 departments.
The university tilted on the acquisition of a dashboarding solution. In fact, it faces a consequent amount of generated data; but more importantly, difficulties consolidating reliable indicators.
Retrospective on the implementation of this ambitious project with François Girault’s testimony. He is in charge of “Elaborating decisional dashboards” for the Caen Normandie University.
Why start a dashboarding project?
“The university produces a very large amount of data and crucially needs indicators. In intern to pilot and follow the establishment’s project. Also, to respond to the Ministery’ demands especially on the site’s contract. However, our data is stocked in different bases that are not linked. Until now, build indicators demanded a few days of work. In fact, we had to export our data from our databases, cross them on an Excel file and report them on dedicated files. It resulted in a non-optimal reactivity.
The General Director’s demand was to put in place and maintain simple and reliable dashboards. More importantly, shared by all the units within our structure.
Head of the university’s IT system, I was called to lead this project.”
How did you proceed?
“Upon assumption of duty, I benchmarked the market searching for a solution fitted to our needs. I received an email promoting an agile, evolving, and cost-effective Business Intelligence software: DigDash! Against the other solutions, we privileged a french and flexible solution.
We rapidly tested the tool. We appreciated the service quality and the team’s reactivity of this editor. But, we only were in an evaluation phase. The results came directly: the solution corresponded to 100% of our needs! Thanks to the UGAP referencing, we have rapidly purchased it!”
Today, where is the project at?
“We have connected DigDash Enterprise to our database: Apogée. It identifies about 300 000 data with more than 100 characteristics per student. We have elaborated the first dashboards in a few clicks. They are currently within the hands of our vice-president that has the role of testing it!
We have also connected our staff base and will move towards our financial data. The capacity to manage consequent data volumes and the utilization simplicity is disconcerting. In fact, we are impressed by this solution’s power!
Thanks to this approach, the time-consuming tasks and without added-value are abandoned. It gives place to analytics missions, performance sources for the university.
In parallel, the university is starting a unique data warehouse creation project. In the perspective to reunite all the information (HR, finance, search…) in a single base.
Above the IT project, it is a true data governance approach that the university has engaged.”