About Data Services

By moving from a siloed approach to a collaborative effort, Data Services at OTDI will enable better decision making at Ohio State, decrease compliance risk and become a trusted institutional asset.

The university’s data management work will follow the guiding principles below.

 

Data Transformation Initiatives

The implementation of Workday and other enterprise technology platforms encourages a commitment to shared data, leveraging one source of truth. The data transformation initiatives in progress will enhance data quality and analytics while reducing the university’s IT footprint. These initiatives include:

  • Establishing data governance processes and documentation, including standard data definitions.
  • Building the Reporting and Analytics Environment (RAE) to meet external reporting requirements, house historical data and explore data with flexibility and ease.
  • Adopting and supporting modern analytics tools, such as Tableau Server.

 

Guiding Principles

  • Self Service and Data Availability: Data is securely accessible to all via simple, self-service tools that enable analytics and strategic decision making.
  • Data Insights: New technology, skills and processing abilities foster an analytical culture that enhances data quality and advances university goals.
  • Protected Data: Ohio State data is maintained with appropriate levels of privacy and security while still meeting the university’s shared needs.
  • Certified Reporting: Common reports and dashboards are available across the enterprise and represent a single source of truth for Ohio State data.
  • Data Governanc: Trust and value in university data is increased through common policies, procedures and structures that emphasize data integrity, availability, and usability.
  • Minimal Duplication: The need for local, less-secure copies of university data is reduced through a reporting analytics environment and data tools that meet college and unit needs.

 

Benefits to the Campus Community

IT professionals, data analysts and report users across campus will all be directly impacted by the positive outcomes of this work.

  • Security through simplified access and more comprehensive data monitoring.
  • Consistency through eliminated data copies and increased clarity of data definitions.
  • Access to accurate datasets and improved tools.
  • Alignment in common technologies and skills throughout the university community.

Data governance helps us move from a state where there is little trust in data to a future state where there is confidence in the data and it is trusted for use in making sound business decisions.

 

Related Ohio State Resources

The Translational Data Analytics Institute brings together Ohio State faculty, students and industry partners to create data science and analytics solutions for global problems.

 

FAQs

I need a contact person for additional help with Workday reporting and historical data.

Contact information for reporting leads and business area representatives is available in the Adminsitrative Resource Center to help with your data and Workday reporting needs. Log in to the ARC with your Ohio State credentials.

If you still have questions about getting historical data or reporting help after consulting the information in the previous link, please contact the Service Desk by calling 614-688-4357 (HELP) or emailing servicedesk@osu.edu and ask that your question be routed to the “Administrative Services Data Warehouse” group.

What certified data sources are available?

It's highly recommended that users only connect to certified data sources. Certified data sources are those that have been approved by the Data Governance team and by business area data stewards. New data sources are constantly being added to Tableau. This list of current data sources displays what is in production and what is in-progress.
 
To obtain access to a specific data source, follow the RAE access instructions.

Why is data important?

Data is an institutional asset that can help develop trust and confidence. Formally structured data and accompanying data resources will prove useful in making informed decisions. Additionally, data governance encourages greater user education and outreach, which will help Ohio State become a leader in data literacy amongst higher education institutions.

How do I know whether my data is appropriate to share?

Ohio State's Institutional Data Policy should be referenced for guidance on how to responsibly use and share data in accordance with legal, regulatory, administrative and contractual requirements. If you have additional questions, consult with your Tableau Project Leader.

Will the university offer training services for the data and analytics environments and tools?

Yes. We are currently developing training modules and classes to cover all aspects of the new reporting solutions, including Workday Reporting, Workday Worksheets and Tableau, among others. See the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) (login required) for step-by-step information on how to use the available data and reporting tools.

Is Tableau Server available for the Wexner Medical Center?

Tableau Server is available to all campus faculty and staff; however, only select medical center employees with special permission may leverage this tool given the sensitivity of patient data.