How Argos turned data from a liability into a leadership tool

Departments were at the mercy of Banner deliverable reports, which came in cumbersome, unusable formats. Maintaining changes was difficult, and staff relied heavily on Excel “shadow systems” shared via email. The IT team didn’t have the bandwidth to create the custom reports departments needed, leaving teams hoping extracted data would sync correctly with downstream processes.

This approach limited the university’s ability to engage in high-value conversations that could drive institutional change. Instead of focusing on strategy and direction, discussions often centered on verifying data accuracy.

With Argos, teams gained reliable access to accurate, up-to-date information, drastically reducing reliance on IT for custom reports. Staff could focus on higher-value work, make decisions confidently, and streamline workflows, fostering a culture of efficiency and data-driven action across the university.

One notable example came during the pandemic, when the team used Argos to distribute contact tracing communications and notifications to faculty, a process that would have been nearly impossible without it.

A team favorite is the Academic Standing DataBlock. Communications used to rely on a time-intensive mail merge that sometimes led to errors requiring reversal. Now the DataBlock produces highly customized communications sent at the click of a button, handling exceptions easily while improving accuracy and efficiency, saving staff time and ensuring students receive correct, timely information about their academic standing.

The university is also using the Argos DataBlock connector to bring trusted reporting into Power BI, combining Argos’ data management and processing capabilities with powerful visualizations.