Download Business Intelligence Competency Center DU`s Decision Support

Business Intelligence Competency Center
DU’s Decision Support Network
Charter, Structure, Roles and Responsibilities
December 2012
Purpose:
The need for a cross-institutional group to support the work of business intelligence has emerged
out of the recent UTS strategic planning processes. Business Intelligence, sometimes referred to
as Decision Support, entails using technologies to gather and analyze data and business processes
to support decision-making. Business Intelligence often refers to the use of analytics, data
mining, performance management, benchmarking, and reporting.
A Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) will reinforce and enhance collaboration
and communication regarding business intelligence practices across campus. The BICC will be a
cross-functional team that will emphasize the use of information gathered via various methods in
University-wide decision-making.
Scope:
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Intelligence_Competency_Center) has a broad
description of this concept as follows:
A Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC) is a cross-functional organizational
team that has defined tasks, roles, responsibilities and processes for supporting and
promoting the effective use of Business Intelligence (BI) across an organization.
…A BICC coordinates the activities and resources to ensure that a fact-based approach
to decision making is systematically implemented throughout an organization. It has
responsibility for the governance structure for BI and analytical programs, projects,
practices, software, and architecture. It is responsible for building the plans, priorities,
infrastructure, and competencies that the organization needs to take forward-looking
strategic decisions by using the BI and analytical software capabilities.
A BICC’s influence transcends that of a typical business unit, playing a crucial central
role in the organizational change and strategic process. Accordingly, the BICC’s
purpose is to empower the entire organization to coordinate BI from all units. Through
centralization, it "…ensures that information and best practices are communicated and
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shared through the entire organization so that everyone can benefit from successes and
lessons learned."[3]
The BICC also plays an important organizational role facilitating interaction among the
various cultures and units within the organization. Knowledge transfer, enhancement of
analytic skills, coaching and training are central to the mandate of the BICC. A BICC
should be pivotal in ensuring a high degree of information consumption and a ROI for
BI.
At DU, the BICC would help unite the reporting and analysis needs of individual units with the
support and resources of central offices.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The BICC is tasked with facilitating knowledge transfer, offering best practices, sharing lessons
learned, and ensuring that units within DU all have the opportunities to benefit from BI
successes. The BICC at DU will meet quarterly to discuss and brainstorm shared solutions and
ideas.
Organizational Structure:
The BICC at DU is directed by Sue Lutz, Assistant Vice Chancellor, UTS Enterprise Services.
Sue and Linda Kosten, Assistant Provost for Planning, Budget, and Analysis, will serve as the
initial co-chairs for the BICC. The co-chair role will be shared by BICC technical and functional
area representatives on a rotating tenure. The BICC will not be a physical center and will not
require additional staff. It will connect existing staff to improve the function and use of
information derived from internal and external sources of data.
BICC Membership:
Membership will include key personnel from University Technology Services as well as business
analysts and data analysts from across the institution. This includes, but is not limited to,
representatives from the following areas:

Academic units

University Technology Services
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
Planning, Budget, and Analysis

Institutional Research and Analysis

Business and Financial Affairs

The Office of the Registrar

The Office of Financial Aid

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions

The Office of Graduate Studies

University Advancement

Marketing and Communications

The Controller’s Office

Human Resources

Athletics

Student Life

Alumni Relations
Who will be the unit-level representatives for the BICC?



Representatives who understand the operations of a unit, its processes and functions, as
well as ways to improve the functions of the unit and enhance the use of data in decisionmaking.
Individuals tasked with reporting data as a means to understand and articulate a unit’s
work.
Those who use historical data, conduct peers analysis, and compare data from multiple
sources to create recommendations to improve operations.
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