Evisions Blog
Argos X and Accelerators: Your Questions Answered
On February 25, 2025, Evisions presented a webinar introducing Argos X and Accelerators. As brand...
Navigating the Growing World of Data Privacy in Higher Education
The landscape of data privacy in the United States has undergone significant shifts in recent...
IntelleCheck, FormFusion, and the Move to SaaS: Your Questions Answered
On December 7, 2023, in a webinar hosted by Ellucian, Evisions provided key updates on...
Sink or Swim: Tackling Higher Education Enrollment Challenges
A sort of panic sets in when people in higher education hear any peep about enrollment challenges...
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: A Post-Op Implementation Analysis
WHEW! I can take a breath…I think. It was both a whirlwind and a perfect storm when Redlands...
The Power of the Checklist
Just as I hit ‘Send’ I saw the typo. Next, I’m chiding myself because I know I should always read...
Pros and Cons of Using Visual Designer vs. Free Type SQL for Argos DataBlocks
Within Evisions Argos, every user with a DataBlock Designer role has the option to choose between...
How I Came to Realize the Importance of User Acceptance Testing
Testing is an important concept and practice when it comes to technology, regardless of what...
Best Practices for DataBlock Design, Part Three: The Value of Good Documentation
If you’re just joining us, welcome to the third and final installment of our series on good Argos...
Best Practices for DataBlock Design, Part Two: Getting the Look Just Right
Welcome to our second installment of our Best Practices for Argos DataBlock Design series. If you...
Best Practices for DataBlock Design, Part One: Planning Your Ideal DataBlock
When it comes to Evisions Argos, jumping into DataBlock design can be a bit overwhelming at first....
The Anatomy of a DataBlock
When talking about institutional reporting, it’s easy to get lost in a discussion of the data...
Three Steps to Building a Comprehensive Security Strategy
A successful security strategy should include a close look at the broader security environment in...
Best Practices for Using Extract Reports
Anyone involved with institutional reporting or sending data to other vendors will tell you that,...
Cloud vs. Client: Where Do You Want to Keep Your Higher Ed Data?
The abundance of data available to institutions of higher education is staggering. It’s found in...
Higher Ed: Moving Beyond a Crisis
Now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel that has been the COVID-19 pandemic, there...
Evisions CO-OP: Top 10 Most Viewed FormFusion Templates
The Evisions CO-OP User Community is a collaborative place where clients can share ideas,...
Synchronous vs Asynchronous Learning: What’s the Balance for Success?
Rounding the corner of a wild year where both instructors and students scrambled, and sometimes...
Success Equals IT Having a Seat at the Executive Table
Would having an information technology representative at the executive table of a higher education...
Recruiting, Admissions & Marketing: Solving Enrollment Challenges Together
For many colleges and universities, maintaining or increasing enrollment has been an ongoing...
Cybersecurity Trends and Threats in Higher Education
It is undeniable that the historic events of 2020 created long-lasting changes in work and...
Higher Ed: Achieving Success Together (Even When We’re Apart)
2020 was a year that will not soon be forgotten. Everyone had to make changes and adjustments –...
Student Success: It’s Time to Think Outside the Box!
The student success pillar of the Educause Top IT Issues of 2021 describes the need to advance...
Looking for Data in the Right Body of Water
It is easy to compare data to water. It’s fluid, after all. It’s ever changing, often diluted and...
Student-Centric Higher Education: Why the Urgency?
Institutions of higher education were designed to aid young men and women in their transition from...
Data Sources & Reporting Tools: More Isn’t Better
Higher Education is becoming more competitive each and every year. One area that continues to...
Evisions CO-OP: Top 10 Most Viewed Argos DataBlocks
The Evisions CO-OP User Community is a collaborative place where clients can share ideas,...
When the Going Gets Tough, Higher Ed Administrators Simplify
COVID-19 has upended higher education. Everyone is trying to figure out how best to adapt to the...
Data Privacy in Higher Education
Do you know how data is used at your institution? Do you know how data is being stored, processed,...
Three Paths to Get the Answers You Need for Your IPEDS Survey
Many people see the new year as a clean slate, time to start a new diet or exercise program that...
Navigating the Evisions Customer Community
The Evisions Customer Community has always been an invaluable tool for clients. It serves as a...
Shining the Light on SQL Variables in Argos
When an institution begins its reporting efforts – let’s say after recently changing databases or...
The Problem with Self-Diagnosing when Requesting Data
When many of us get sick, we try self-diagnosing the problem. Maybe we look up information online....
Get to Know DaaS (Data-as-a-Service)
Before we dive into DaaS (Data-as-a-Service), let’s take a brief look at the present and the past....
Data Ingestion: Can One Size Really Fit All?
Many institutions find themselves storing their data in aging systems. Often, this leads to...
NCAA Compliance: Using Data to Help Keep Student Athletes Eligible
NCAA Compliance offices are crucial groups, dedicated to ensuring an institution’s compliance with...
What Do National Rankings Mean to Colleges & Universities Anyway?
Every year, millions of high school students are faced with a decision that will shape the course...
When IPEDS Surveys Reveal New Data and Lead to Tough Choices
It's time to complete your IPEDS survey. It's a complex, daunting task. The Department of...
Best Practices for Building Tables (Simple, Pivot, and Otherwise)
You’re tasked with creating a report for a set of data. The goal is to create a report your...
Visualizing Data in Higher Education: Must-Have, Nice-to-Have, Shouldn’t-Have
All departments within an institution of higher education have numerous sources and insane amounts...
Best Practices for Banded Report Design
Over the years, Evisions has taken on numerous projects and tackled many support tickets centered...
The Growth of Voice AI in Higher Education
The penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives over the last several years...
Getting Your Banner Black Belt (Lesson Three): Learn to Love SQL
Welcome to the third and final installment of our Getting Your Banner Black Belt series. In this...
Getting Your Banner Black Belt (Lesson Two): Use Good Requirements Documents
Learning the ropes of Banner reporting can be a challenging process. There is so much data to work...
Getting Your Banner Black Belt (Lesson One): Refuse to Become Overwhelmed
Mastering the art of Banner reporting can be easier than you might think! While Banner is a very...
Best Practices for Designing OLAP Cubes
For making complex data-driven decisions, you need a complex data visualization tool. Happily,...
A Complete Guide to Understanding IPEDS Reporting
Even as you read this, your institution of higher education is likely in the midst of some element...
Addressing Advancement in the Higher Education Industry
People often confuse development, or fundraising, with advancement in the higher education...
Writing Reports with a Scheduling Mindset
There is an ever-growing need for reports to analyze the mass of data gathered by institutions. ...
Taking the Enterprise Reporting Philosophy to Higher Education
I think you’ll agree that it’s an understatement to say we have seen considerable technological...
How Business Intelligence is Solving Some of the Peskiest Higher Ed Problems
Universities, large and small, private and public, are complex enterprises with issues unique to...
Five of the Top Metrics Used in Financial Aid
It doesn't matter if it’s a large state university, local community college, or smaller private...
Addressing the Need of Business Intelligence in Higher Education
Many people are aware of business intelligence (BI) products and how companies can use them to...
How Top Universities Are Making a Difference Through Fundraising Programs
College is a place for students to learn, laugh, succeed, and fail. Most of all, it’s a place to...
Top Challenges in HR Reporting at Colleges and Universities
As is the case with most any organization, the most important operational contributor to a higher...
Key Initiatives to Help with Enrollment, Retention, and Student Success
Have you heard any of these questions at your higher education institution? “Is enrollment up...
Reporting from Multiple Data Sources in Higher Education: Best Practices
In the age of Big Data and Analytics, we find ourselves surrounded by data. While most of the data...
Steps To Higher Education Data Cleanliness: A Technical Perspective
Introduction As data is collected daily through the heavy use of computers and the internet, we...
How to Pull Data From the Cloud: Things to Consider in Higher Education
More and more applications (software) are residing in the cloud. In the past, these applications...
IPEDS Surveys: What Does the Process Cost?
So far, we’ve taken a look at the top mistakes made during IPEDS submission and some steps you can...
IPEDS Data Entry: How to Reduce Basic Data Errors
Question: How many times have you, when reviewing IPEDS data, found basic data entry errors?...
Top IPEDS Submission Mistakes: Based on Real Conversations
The IPEDS submission process is typically not a smooth one. From accessing to collecting to...
IPEDS Surveys Reporting: ‘Tis the Season (Part 2)
“Duck Season! Rabbit Season! IPEDS Season!” While duck seasons and rabbit seasons come and go, it...
IPEDS Surveys Reporting: ‘Tis the Season (Part 1)
“To everything there is a season.” Whether you recognize that line from The Bible or The Byrds,...
Improving Accessibility for Argos Dashboards
When designing a dashboard, you're usually thinking about things like which parameters are...
Using Maturity Models for Data Validation in Higher Education
There are multiple ways of assessing where your institution is at regarding data validation and...
How to Build Trust In Your Higher Education Data: 10 Key Steps
Higher education institutions need to trust their data so that they can engage in effective...
Higher Education Data Governance Explained
If you work at a college or university, there may be plenty of topics that generate more attention...
Best Practices for Dashboard Design
The difference between an art museum and an art gallery is subtle. Museums showcase art for the...
Best Practices for Charting Your Higher Education Institution’s Data
“One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.” The phrase, often attributed to Fred Barnard after it...
Overcoming Data Integration Issues
Data. It’s a simple word. Yet collecting it, analyzing it, and understanding it isn’t always so...
The 5 Most Commonly Found Metrics for Student Success
There is much debate on how to define and measure student success. At first glance, it seems...
Getting Your Reporting Efforts Aligned with Your Fundraising Goals
“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.” –...
A Data-Oriented Approach to Higher Education
Making use of data can be difficult. For instance, many institutions still face the challenge of...
Doing the Impossible in FormFusion: Creating a Fully Customized PO
Template designers know that Evisions FormFusion provides flexibility in the look and layout of...
The Process: It’s Not Just for Acting (It’s for Reporting Too!)
To report, or not to report - that is the question. Okay, maybe it’s not a question. For many of...
How Do I Know if My Reporting Staff is Effectively Trained?
So your institution just purchased a new reporting solution and you would like to train your...
Successful Training Starts With the Manager
You already heard about the discovery process needed to assess whether or not training will be an...
Data Mart: The Data Warehouse’s Little Brother
Your institution operates on data. Lots and lots of data. In order to run your university or...
Understanding When and Why Training is Needed
As a reporting manager, you become rightly concerned when: Your team can’t get reports out the...
Restructuring the Report Tree
The starting point for all your reports is the report tree. It contains the tools you use to make...
How To Take The Guesswork Out of Advancement
Many prestigious schools face a common dilemma. Young people, specifically college graduates, are...
How to Gather Data from Other Reporting Tools
The decision has been made that your institution will be switching to a new reporting tool. The...
Is it Time to Change Enterprise Reporting Solutions?
As unpleasant as change can be in an organization, a lack of change is potentially more...
The Weighting Game: In-House vs. Outsourcing
Requests for new reports and dashboards are constant. You’ve been able to manage for a while, but...
Training Your Reporting Staff
Employee training is essential for an institution’s success. Despite the importance of training,...
Juggling Priorities And Ranking Report Requests
Our world today is swamped with data. More data than ever before is available to help us make...
Seven Steps to More Flexible Dashboards and Sustainable Reports
Picture the following scenario: The boss calls at 3:30 P.M. wanting a report on specific data and...
How to Gather Requirements and Solve Problems
You’ve heard the expression “first things first”? It sounds obvious, but as you’ll see, we can’t...
Argos Dashboard Makes Information Accessible in Lansing Community College’s Financial Aid Office
At Financial Aid offices across the country, managing even the most essential reports and...
What Everyone Should Know About Data Dumps
These days, it seems like everybody has an easy-to-access place to hold all the digital...
Leave Costly, Cumbersome Paper Bills Behind—Switch to E-Billing with FormFusion
Here’s a scenario that might sound familiar: There’s a medium-sized university that, in order to...
With FormFusion, You Can Stop Dreading 1098-T Season
Although all students in the U.S. with qualified educational expenses receive an annual 1098-T,...
Did You Know You Can Build an “App” in Argos? Here’s How
If you've been using Evisions' Argos Enterprise Reporting Solution, you already know what a...
Leveraging Banner APIs To Streamline Your Reporting Environment
Everyone loves a good shortcut to save time and make things more efficient, and when it comes to a...
Harness the Power of Built-in Banner Functions
Let’s get a virtual show of hands…how many of you have mastered the art of manually gathering a...
Four Reasons You Should Take Naming Conventions More Seriously
So…let’s say you’ve developed a really cool, really complicated DataBlock. It has 5 forms, 15...
6 Common Misconceptions About Data Management in Higher Education
Managing your institutional data effectively is no mean feat. Dozens of factors come into play,...