Implementing a Business Information System to Improve the Quality Assurance Mechanisms in a Portuguese Higher Education Institution

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) face, nowadays, enormous challenges to be competitive in a global world. The competitive environment means that HEIs, like other organizations, must be concerned with evaluating and monitoring their strategic objectives. Business Information (BI) systems combine different sources of information, from different information systems (IS), with analytical tools to present competitive information to planners and decision makers. In this way, BI systems emerge as tools that allow institutions to create future competitive advantages. This paper presents a case study of a Portuguese HEI, describing the implementation of a BI system to support the quality assurance system, and to improve its future strategy. This study focuses on one of the three HEI mission vectors: Teaching and Learning. As a result of this work, it was possible to parameterize the BI system, and to identify the digital information missing in the IS, and the necessary developments to collect it.

Roadmap for Implementing Business Intelligence Systems in Higher Education Institutions: Systematic Literature Review

“…For Varouchas et al [24], KPIs are measurable values that explain the effectiveness of an HEI and how it achieves its main objectives. Morais and Castro Lopes [25] indicate that KPIs consist of quantifiable values that show how HEIs achieve their institutional objectives. Tomchuk et al [26] present the potential for HEI leaders to monitor and implement development management functions through the use of a KPI system, which can improve the management system and the motivation of teaching and management staff in higher education.…”

“…Tomchuk et al [26] present the potential for HEI leaders to monitor and implement development management functions through the use of a KPI system, which can improve the management system and the motivation of teaching and management staff in higher education. KPIs should be developed according to the different factors that characterize an HEI, to ensure that they actually add value to it, so it is important that the KPIs are aligned with the institutional strategy and its respective objectives, and that they have the capacity to require reliable and accurate data that can be easily obtained and subsequently acted upon [25]. Given that KPIs are directly linked to the mission of HEIs, the level of achievement can demonstrate whether or not the HEI is aligned with its mission and strategic objectives [10].…”

“…A7: Morais and Castro Lopes [25] describe the implementation of a BI solution in a Portuguese HEI, which aims to support its quality system and improve its future strategy, based on the area of teaching activity. The project includes several stages: mission, strategy, and process analysis, identification of KPIs, validation of KPIs by process managers, identification of the IS in use at the HEI, identification of the existence of the necessary information in these systems, definition of access profiles according to the different users of the process, and the selection and implementation of the BI system.…”

“…Despite this, it is clear that the development of a BI system consists of a progressive process, in which it is possible to identify the various stages that should make up a roadmap, with a view to using BI to support the decision-making process at HEIs [74]. Morais and Castro Lopes [25] state that the process of implementing a BI solution in an HEI consists of the following phases: (i) analysis of the business processes, as well as the HEI's mission and strategy; (ii) analysis of the pre-existing indicators for each process; (iii) review of the literature to identify and define the KPIs; (iv) validation of the KPIs by the employees responsible for each process and consequent adjustments to the list of KPIs resulting from the validation; (v) identification of the IS implemented at the HEI; (vi) analysis of the IS to identify the sources of information needed for the KPIs; (vii) definition of the users' access profile; (viii) selection and implementation of the BI technological solution.…”