How Data Savvy Is Your Institution? Assess Your Data Practices Using an Analytical Maturity Model 

Achieving enrollment and revenue goals has never been more contingent on institutions successfully leveraging data in the most effective ways possible. To do this, the MARKETview Data Science team recommends institutions assess the maturity of their use of data with an Analytical Maturity Model Framework

An Analytical Maturity Model is a framework that helps an organization understand its current data and analytical practices, define its aspirational state, and set a course to achieve it. An AMM assessment is a no-regret move to start your organization on a path of more efficient enrollment management that is constantly learning from new data, and better positioned to deliver on enrollment goals. 

The Value of Analytics 

Data-driven organizations have an information advantage, and converting information advantages into operational efficiencies is what defines a campus with a high level of analytical maturity.   

In fact, data-driven organizations demonstrate 15% to 20% higher growth rates when compared to organizations that do not leverage data and analytics. Similarly, campuses should expect a return on their investments towards data modeling. 

The first small data-informed improvements applied to the recruitment and admissions cycle often have a high ROI. This is often called “the low-hanging fruit effect.”  However, once low-hanging fruit is harvested, the importance of AMM increases because the ROI on additional data and analytics investment will be much higher if the end-to-end enrollment cycle is designed to be data-rich, analytically efficient, and constantly learning.

The Analytical Maturity Model 

Starting with a model framework that is sufficiently broad to capture relevant dimensions and increasing maturity is the first step, and there are many of these models to choose from. At MARKETview, we generally follow the Analytical Maturity Model promoted by the Federal Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)

Below is an illustration of the CIGIE Analytical Maturity Model. The level of a school’s data maturity matters because it has a direct impact on its ability to reach its goals. For example, Stage 1 schools lack market context and will waste resources and miss opportunities because they can’t react to what they don’t see. Conversely, Stage 5 schools possess true market visibility and superior analytical competence; they will be able to make the very best decisions on how to allocate their resources and navigate marketplace disruptions.  

Thankfully, most colleges and universities are beyond Stage 1, the “Analytically Impaired” stage. However, common issues such as staff turnover of key subject matter experts, lack of data management standards, and shifting budget priorities can threaten an institution’s position, leading to a backslide that could result in impairment.    

For institutions at Stage 2, the data is intact but housed in disparate siloes, often using different tools on separate desktops. Local analysts and leaders may be making a difference, but often are not incentivized to build a more integrated and powerful model. Also, because there has been no effort to integrate the data, there will be issues, the “hidden problems” of data integration can often derail efforts to improve the situation. Integrating data requires expertise, time, and the right data integration model.  

This is where a partnership with an organization such as MARKETview can help advance to Stage 3 and beyond.  We at MARKETview have integrated data for over 150+ colleges and universities.  Through analysis and continuous improvement / continuous deployment (CI/CD) we can see that our mutual investment with our partners in data cleaning and standardization is driving analytical success.  

Complex modeling and analyses are available on a self-serve basis through MARKETview, complemented by the work of our analysts and client success team members who collaborate with the institutions’ enrollment professionals. In some cases, the institution brings advanced analytical talent to the table and data science becomes more collaborative, valuable, and mature. Indeed, we believe that institutions that reach Stage 5 of maturity will have data science talent within the organization to augment their collaboration with a data science service organization. 

Analytical Leadership Matters 

The importance of analytical leadership cannot be understated.  Advancing analytical maturity, and reaping the benefits of this work, will not happen without a champion within the institution who takes on a leadership role. We often see the ability of a leader to move analytical maturity forward depends on a small number of key actions: 

  • Demonstrating how investing in data, analytics, and automation has outsized returns regarding enrollment, retention, and revenue goals.  
  • Starting the AMM discussion with a focus on leadership and results. 
  • Establishing the champion within the organization to provide assessments of analytical maturity and outline a path forward.  
  • Conducting exercises that uncover proof points that build buy-in on where spending will return the greatest ROI in the shortest amount of time.   

The velocity of return on investment is a key differentiator between institutions that are stalled versus those that are truly advancing in their analytic maturity. Institutions do not improve without a commitment from leadership and a defined path forward. 

Advance Your Analytical Maturity with MARKETview 

In an increasingly complicated and competitive higher education landscape, the schools that thrive will be the ones that have successfully assessed their analytical maturity, have taken steps to progress to higher levels, and have used that position of data strength to incorporate advanced technology such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). 

If you want to progress enrollment and retention analytics for your institution, we’re available to talk with you about how to move your analytics forward. We partner with schools at varying levels of maturity and are always ready to help partners achieve their goals using data every step of the way. 

While sophisticated analysts can develop enrollment, retention, and revenue models independently, it is a complex undertaking and resource-intensive. MARKETview partners benefit from additional data inputs that are not available anywhere else. Moreover, our product innovation is driven by an AMM, just as we advise our partners. 

Speed to market is critical to building the class of 2025 and beyond. MARKETview can move an institution from Stage 2, through Stage 3, to a Stage 4 level of analytical maturity in as little as 90 days. 

Ready to advance your institution’s analytical maturity? Speak with our experts today.