University Modules/Qualifications Student Performance and Insights Dashboard (slide 1)
I developed an analytical suite of dashboards in Tableau connected to a SAS Software Server environment. This product was created to provide faculty staff, senior management, course tutors, and marketing executives with in-depth insights into student performance and demographics related to various modules and qualifications. The suite of tools was utilised by thousands of staff members, helping to drive improvements in courses. It ultimately supported decisions regarding increasing capacity in certain modules and qualifications while leading to the discontinuation of others.
Population Analytics Dashboard (slides 2-4)
I developed a dashboard to showcase and enhance the Office for National Statistics (ONS) small area population data (output areas) for a local authority. The objective was to gain deep insights into the county’s changing population, driven by an aggressive housing development strategy. To achieve this, I used standard ONS data to create a customised population forecast for the next 15 years for each Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) and electoral ward. This forecast was informed by detailed housing trajectory data gathered on a site-by-site basis, linked to the authority’s adopted local plan. I then developed a suite of dashboards that allowed users across the authority to interact spatially with the data. This tool significantly impacted planning for future service delivery and helped to understand the changing demographics of communities, influenced by natural population changes, migration, and housing developments.
Procurement and Contract Spend Dashboard (slides 5-7)
I developed this dashboard to support the commissioning and procurement department of a large organisation. The department faced challenges due to relying on two central systems, as well as several spreadsheets and processes, to manually produce reporting packs for the directorate and corporate management teams each month. This manual reporting process took two weeks per month to complete. It was susceptible to human error and single points of failure, particularly when specific staff members were on annual leave or absent due to illness. To address these issues, the dashboard and associated data integration process were designed to consolidate datasets and automate reporting. The project also included training and a handover of the product to the department staff.
Customer Contact Insights (slides 8-9)
An interactive dashboard I created using customer contact data from a call centre. The goal of this project was to enable call centre managers to analyse insights regarding the geographic locations of customers making calls, as well as to gather additional information about their household segmentation profiles, types of inquiries, and call volume by day and time. This tool provided a comprehensive overview of the inquiries made by different demographic groups and helped shape a strategy to shift more customer support online. This encouraged customers to self-serve and also helped inform automated chatbot routing processes.
Corporate Performance Scorecard (slide 10)
The Corporate Performance Scorecard was developed as a reporting framework for a local authority. It straightforwardly represented key metrics to illustrate the authority’s performance each quarter. The process involved gathering requirements and building stakeholder consensus to identify the essential data points the authority needed to measure and report. This data aimed to provide a balanced view of the organisation’s overall health. Key items included financial metrics (such as revenue and capital expenditure variances), priority Key Performance Indicator (KPI) statuses categorised as Red, Amber, or Green, as well as information on complaints and compliments, customer contacts received and handled, and workforce metrics such as headcount and sickness rates.
Deprivation Explorer Tool (slide 11)
The Deprivation Explorer Tool was created using the Index of Multiple Deprivation data, which was triangulated with other key measures. It was visualised and made interactive using Power BI. The dashboard utilises freely available open data and has had a significant impact by enabling strategy and decision-makers to target specific locations for support and intervention. For example, it helped provide insight for the setup of additional services to support residents struggling with fuel poverty.
Workforce analytical dashboard (slide 12)
I led a comprehensive, high-profile Power BI dashboard development program, where I was heavily involved in the technical aspects. The dashboards needed to be configured within a SAP ERP environment, requiring meticulous planning, stakeholder engagement, and project management. This included creating data definitions and establishing the technical architecture. Additionally, I developed support materials and end-user training resources, which encompassed videos and training sessions. The dashboards were designed to be fully automated, and all calculation logic was thoroughly documented and clearly understood.
David Cook 