An Analysis of Data and Information Management Techniques in a Higher Education Institute: With Special Reference to University of Bolton (UoB) – Academic Centre Sri Lanka (ACSL).

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of the current situation at University of Bolton (UoB) Academic Centre Sri Lanka (ACSL) with regard to its data and information management techniques. Proposed new techniques, and show how best they can address the issues/problems identified in the said analysis and assess the benefits of implementing those new techniques at ACSL. No enterprise can be effective without high quality data. Today's organizations rely on their data assets to make more informed and more effective decisions. Let us now make an analysis to see how best ACSL has considered data and information which is recognized as a vital enterprise asset in the Information Age. As a leading foreign university operating in Sri Lanka, the ACSL’s “Data and Information Management System” should facilitate Campus transformation aimed at improving the quality of education by leveraging the benefits of the system in learning, administration and collaboration in the Campus. A typical scenario exists at ACSL; almost all the master data lists are maintained manually and available as hard copies in files. On the other hand, proper information governance is lacking in ACSL. That means the application of formal and informal control to ensure information is managed in accordance with the ACSL’s legal and operational requirements. Yet another aspect of this is more than policies and procedures, governance is a culture of accountability to which ACSL’s employees at all level must be committed. If that is lacking best technology available at ACSL and the well-considered guidelines will mean little, and operational standardization and compliance both will go out of the window of ACSL. Preceding discussion on Data and Information Management Techniques at ACSL has found several issues. All stake holders find it difficult to take timely decisions as and when the Campus authorities needed to take immediate actions for the smooth functioning of the Academic programs. Many delays and dissatisfaction on the part of customer (students) frequently occur. This situation certainly affects the academic program of the ACSL. The present student are the de facto “Reference Markets” for future students to be attracted to ACSL’s products (various undergraduate and postgraduate programs offer at WCMT). If they face difficult situations at ACSL they will sure not act as reference markets for our future programs. It is also observed that necessary policies such as “Policy related to E-mail Management” is lacking at ACSL.ICLIM – 2017, University of Kelaniya 3 Although ACSL maintains a Webpage which acts as a web Portal where part of the master data are also can be access by its customers (Higher Education Students) and staff according to an evaluation done by the author using “Google Analytic” tool hardly any target audience have view the website at all. Master Data Management System coupled with an e-mail management system and text analytics which facilitate incorporating Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities in the identified problematic and other areas of the data and information management systems at ACSL. Implementing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques is also crucial in the data management at ACSL.