La Trobe University is implementing a comprehensive data governance initiative to establish a unified view of each student in its systems and ensure consistent data collection based on standard definitions. Led by the Director of Data and Analytics, Anthony Perera, the university’s data and analytics center of excellence is orchestrating a three-phase program. The first phase involved setting up an enterprise data analytics platform (EDAP) on Azure, completed last year. The focus in 2022 was on the second phase, centered around data governance.
The university aims to enhance data cleanliness, accuracy, and trust by implementing data governance, which will improve analytics and reporting capabilities. Additionally, the goal is to create a 360-degree view of student data, enabling personalized engagement and targeted communications with prospective students, current students, post-graduates, and alumni.
To achieve these objectives, La Trobe University has chosen Informatica’s Customer 360 SaaS solution to power its data governance efforts. The initiative addresses the challenges of establishing a single customer view across various applications and automating master data management to eliminate manual efforts.
Data governance will involve the creation of a business glossary powered by Informatica to establish a shared understanding of terms and definitions. This will ensure consistent conversations and decision-making across the institution. La Trobe University is committed to becoming more data-driven and data-led, with a strong emphasis on data quality and a common language for effective decision-making.
While the university is still in the early stages of applying data governance principles to existing datasets, the commitment to the process and the shared understanding of the value of data governance are evident. The focus is on making data-informed decisions based on accurate and consistent information. La Trobe University leverages Power BI as the self-service visualization tool on top of its Azure-based EDAP, but it is exploring other technologies to democratize data in a governed manner.
The university’s efforts in data governance and establishing a data-driven culture are aligned with its strategic goal of leveraging data for informed decision-making and ensuring everyone operates from a unified data foundation.
