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Analytics Resources at Pitt

Becoming a data-driven and informed University is paramount for effective decision-making and enhancing overall operations. Analytics is an indispensable tool in making that vision a reality.

Analytics resources from Pitt Information Technology enable schools and departments across Pitt to uncover hidden insights, make informed decisions, and track progress toward achieving their goals. Below you can learn more about how to take advantage of these resources.

Overview of Analytics Tools 

  • Alteryx: Streamline processes, improve data-informed decision-making, and increase productivity.
  • Tableau: Explore and visualize data so that you can move quickly from question to insight. 
  • Cognos: View, run, and create standard University financial and student reports. (Note: Cognos reports are migrating to Tableau). 
  • University Data Warehouse: Pitt's central authoritative data source provides support for reporting, ad hoc data queries, and analytics.

The Power of Analytics: Transforming Graduation Certification

 

"The graduation dashboard helps me get students from last term to alumni in half the time."

- Brandi Belleau, School of Computing and Information

 

"I could probably certify all the students right now in a couple hours, as opposed to a whole semester."

- Jody Federer, Pitt Business.

Analytics Enablement Program 

Pitt IT is launching an Analytics Enablement Program to advance analytics across the University. The program will empower Responsibility Centers to reap the full benefits of the Alteryx analytics and automation platform by providing Pitt-specific training and support. Watch this space for details.  

Alteryx

Alteryx Designer provides data scientists and data analysts with a Swiss Army knife for data. It has tools for data extraction, transformation, geospatial mapping, and predictive analytics—all in one easy-to-use package.

  • Save time and effort by using automated workflows to replace manual data tasks.
  • Create predictive, statistical, and spatial analytics for all—code-free for analysts and code-friendly for data scientists.
  • Connect to data wherever it lives—in the cloud, data warehouses, Microsoft Excel, social media data, and other platforms.
  • Use a friendly drag-and-drop experience to prep, blend, and analyze data.
  • Provide scalable customization, scheduling, and publication of analytics. 

Key Resources

Tableau

Tableau is an easy-to-use data analytics software for exploring and visualizing data. Tableau places an emphasis on visual analytics, allowing you to move quickly from question to insight. Pitt IT hosts a number of Enterprise Dashboards on our Tableau Server, which is open to University faculty and staff through Pitt Passport. For individuals interested in building their own customized reports, Pitt IT also sponsors the purchase of Tableau Desktop licenses at a reduced cost.

  • Access, visualize, and analyze your data quickly and easily. 
  • Uncover hidden insights to make impactful business decisions. 
  • Ask new questions, spot trends, and identify opportunities.
  • Take advantage of an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. 

Key Resources

Cognos

Note: The Cognos reports and workloads are being migrated to Tableau. Information below is provided to help support existing users as they transition to Tableau. Contact the Technology Help Desk if you'd like to schedule a consultation on your adoption of Tableau.

Cognos Analytics is a tool for enterprise reporting, ad hoc data querying and self-service analytics. Using Cognos Analytics, authorized staff can view standard University financial and student reports. Data and administrative professionals can use Cognos Reports to create or run existing reports.

Data from the University data marts are organized into packages within Cognos. These packages provide data for pre-built reports, as well as providing data sources for ad hoc reporting via the Cognos Report tool.

Key Resources

University Data Warehouse

The University Data Warehouse is the central authoritative data source for the University, providing support for reporting, ad hoc data queries, and analytics. The University Data Warehouse is an Oracle-based database that is comprised of data originating in multiple University systems, including the Student Information System (PeopleSoft) and PRISM. The data is extracted from those systems, optimized for speed and ease of use, and placed into Data Marts. A Data Mart is a subset of the University Data Warehouse and is oriented toward a particular type of data or a particular function. 

Key Resources