Version 1 Delivers Data-Driven Transformation for Belfast Met

Belfast Met is the largest further and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland and one of the largest in the UK. The College provides further and higher education to help students secure their dream career.

Belfast Met selected Version 1 to modernise its legacy systems to enable real-time data capture, interrogation, and reporting to enable key strategic decisions to be made with confidence.

Challenge

Meeting Increased Demands

Relying on legacy reporting tools, Belfast Met struggled to meet increasing demands for timely, comprehensive, and trusted data intelligence on its performance. Its centralised Management Information Systems team, using daily data capture from a limited number of sources, delivered reports in excel and word formats. Requests for further investigation were performed manually.

Solution

Adopting an Agile Approach

Version 1 adopted an agile approach to understanding the existing business challenges at Belfast Met, analysing the quality of its current data and determining the journey to realising their vision. Version 1 integrated Belfast Met’s key business systems and developed a true self-service business intelligence dashboard for all college employees using Qlikview™.

Belfast Met recognises the benefit of data in driving its organisation forward. Version 1’s business intelligence solution has overhauled the Belfast Met’s approach to data. Ownership and responsibility of data has been decentralised and given to the business. Employees now have immediate access to high-quality data analytics and the ability to view and track progress against targets since 2014.

True self-service performance reporting gives Belfast Met timely oversight of all curriculum data for:

• Student welfare and support
• College funding
• Paying lecturers accurately
• Obtaining results from information quickly
• Ensuring class register is completed

Real Differences…

…Delivered.

As part of this engagement, the following benefits were delivered:

Revolutionising Performance Management: With access to accurate, real-time performance data, Belfast Met can now make informed business decisions resulting in improvements across all areas. Since the implementation of Version 1’s business intelligence application in 2014, Belfast Met has experienced a steady 4-year upward trajectory across Retention, Achievement, and Success.

Widespread Adoption and Buy-in: There has been a fundamental change as to how Belfast Met records, manages, and uses its data. Actual performance has become more transparent which has instilled a new level of personal responsibility. Widespread adoption and buy-in have had a significant positive impact on performance.

Proactive Student Engagement: The ability to identify trends allows staff to tailor their practices and courses to better meet the needs of its students. Belfast Met can target students at risk of withdrawal and put in place early interventions to ensure these individuals get the support they need to have a positive learning experience at Belfast Met.