Information Builders Case Studies WebFOCUS Makes the Grade With Award-Winning Reporting Portal

Edit This Case Study Record

	WebFOCUS Makes the Grade With Award-Winning Reporting Portal Information Builders

WebFOCUS Makes the Grade With Award-Winning Reporting Portal

Information Builders

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization
Applicable Industries	Education
Applicable Functions	Business Operation
Use Cases	Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Challenge	The Minnesota Department of Education (DoE) was facing a challenge in evolving their systems for data collection and basic compliance reporting to offer school districts greater insight into current activities and help them predict important trends. The department was gathering student enrollment data, student assessment data, staffing data, and other information that helps schools compute funding formulas at the federal and state levels. However, their previous reporting efforts focused on basic utility reports for delivering data to their constituents, along with a variety of compliance reports to obtain and secure funding. There was not a lot of consistency in how data was analyzed and shared, nor was there the broad accessibility that they desired. Read More
About Customer	The Minnesota Department of Education is a state agency that collects and disseminates education data. Its roughly 420 employees help approximately 2,000 schools and 350 school districts to manage educational programs and assist with school improvement initiatives. The department gathers student enrollment data, student assessment data, staffing data, and other information that helps schools compute funding formulas at the federal and state levels. The department’s data collection and analysis activities also help the state run its academic programs more efficiently and help educators and administrators make knowledgeable decisions. Read More
Solution	The Minnesota DoE decided to build a business intelligence (BI) environment that would enable schools to demonstrate student progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately improve its educational systems. They chose Information Builders’ WebFOCUS BI platform to provide advanced analytic capabilities. The department sent several people to WebFOCUS Developer Studio classes and to Information Builders’ annual Summit User Conference to gain proficiency with the WebFOCUS environment. They also retained an architect from Information Builders Professional Services to help develop a comprehensive reporting portal. This new reporting system accesses student assessment data from Microsoft SQL Server databases and financial data from flat files on a mainframe system. The department has since created reports for the Assessment Division, Special Education Division, and many of the district finance departments. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Use Cases

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Challenge

The Minnesota Department of Education (DoE) was facing a challenge in evolving their systems for data collection and basic compliance reporting to offer school districts greater insight into current activities and help them predict important trends. The department was gathering student enrollment data, student assessment data, staffing data, and other information that helps schools compute funding formulas at the federal and state levels. However, their previous reporting efforts focused on basic utility reports for delivering data to their constituents, along with a variety of compliance reports to obtain and secure funding. There was not a lot of consistency in how data was analyzed and shared, nor was there the broad accessibility that they desired.

About Customer

The Minnesota Department of Education is a state agency that collects and disseminates education data. Its roughly 420 employees help approximately 2,000 schools and 350 school districts to manage educational programs and assist with school improvement initiatives. The department gathers student enrollment data, student assessment data, staffing data, and other information that helps schools compute funding formulas at the federal and state levels. The department’s data collection and analysis activities also help the state run its academic programs more efficiently and help educators and administrators make knowledgeable decisions.

Solution

The Minnesota DoE decided to build a business intelligence (BI) environment that would enable schools to demonstrate student progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately improve its educational systems. They chose Information Builders’ WebFOCUS BI platform to provide advanced analytic capabilities. The department sent several people to WebFOCUS Developer Studio classes and to Information Builders’ annual Summit User Conference to gain proficiency with the WebFOCUS environment. They also retained an architect from Information Builders Professional Services to help develop a comprehensive reporting portal. This new reporting system accesses student assessment data from Microsoft SQL Server databases and financial data from flat files on a mainframe system. The department has since created reports for the Assessment Division, Special Education Division, and many of the district finance departments.

Impact #1	Teachers and administrators throughout Minnesota can make better decisions for students and their families, improving enrollment, reducing dropout rates, and streamlining educational programs.
Impact #2	The department is now able to provide analytic information to parents, educators, and administrators so they can make better decisions for Minnesota students and their families.
Impact #3	The department has a better handle on how their enrollment numbers trend year to year, how their students are performing, and how each of these variables impacts graduation rates.

Impact #1

Teachers and administrators throughout Minnesota can make better decisions for students and their families, improving enrollment, reducing dropout rates, and streamlining educational programs.

Impact #2

The department is now able to provide analytic information to parents, educators, and administrators so they can make better decisions for Minnesota students and their families.

Impact #3

The department has a better handle on how their enrollment numbers trend year to year, how their students are performing, and how each of these variables impacts graduation rates.

Download PDF Version

Overview

WebFOCUS Makes the Grade With Award-Winning Reporting Portal

Operational Impact