SEM11A-Benchmarking Basics: From Data to Decisions to Results, and Back Again (separate registration is required)

Data for decision making is a hot commodity in higher education. This half-day workshop can help IT leaders and benchmarking leads get real value from their benchmarking initiatives. Topics covered will include understanding when and what to benchmark (and when and what not to); applying best practices for data quality; finding, selecting, and working with peers; using benchmarks to communicate and influence; and putting results into action. You will have opportunities to select benchmarking scenarios (such as making the case for more investment in IT, comparing costs of cloud versus on-premises solutions, and communicating the value of IT) and apply them to your own data. Participation in the 2016 Core Data Service survey will facilitate best experiences in this workshop, but other benchmarking tools will be also be covered. A companion afternoon benchmarking workshop will take a deep look at benchmarking in a specific area: information security.

Outcomes: Design or improve an IT benchmarking initiative to inform real-world decisions * Influence leadership to better understand IT's value and the investments the institution needs to make * Avoid benchmarking dead ends, such as bad data or irrelevant benchmarks