University staff members are eligible for cash prizes of up to $12,000 for developing ways to work smarter.
Advisors on Information Management Strategy (AIMS) and Michigan Administrative Information Services (MAIS) are accepting nominations until Feb. 27 for the third annual Business Intelligence Data-into-Action Awards. University executives consider the BI Awards an investment in the University’s future. Past nominees report saving millions in money and time.
LSA Database Analysts Rob Wilke and Nick Hadwick were two of last year’s cash prizewinners. Their Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Reporting System allows administrators to quickly and easily evaluate trends in faculty appointments, student credit hours, admissions and faculty-to-staff ratios.
“The KPI Reporting System helps in strategic decision-making, management of daily operations and budget preparation at LSA,” says Robin Sarris, administrative director. “The easy availability of information has led to cultural changes and increased efficiencies across the college at a time when wise use of resources is most crucial.”
“We are looking for more great ideas like Wilke’s and Hadwick’s that can be replicated across campus,” says Laura Patterson, associate vice president for MAIS and AIMS member. “Business Intelligence is a powerful management approach that uses data to optimize planning, predict trends, and reveal unseen efficiencies. Sharing practical examples of how BI can help units is vital to helping U-M tackle its current economic challenges.”
Another 2008 Honorable Mention, the Medical School‘s Office of Space Management, used BI to reduce response time to requests for space by 97 percent. It originally took two members of the facilities staff one to three days to fulfill space data requests. Now anyone can get an answer within minutes with minimal training.
To nominate an individual or team for the BI Awards, complete the online nomination form at www.bi.umich.edu by Feb. 27. Nominees will be judged based on several criteria, including creativity, integration and positive business impact. Profiles of past winners are available on the site.
All regular full- or part-time staff at the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses, as well as the U-M Health System, are eligible for nomination.
Those interested in learning more about BI may join the Business Intelligence Community of Experts, a group of nearly 400 U-M employees working together to foster ideas and build solutions.
