When Strategy Takes a Back Seat to Spreadsheets

At too many colleges and universities, senior leaders are still spending hours each week building spreadsheets. Enrolment funnels, retention reports, financial aid summaries—their nights are spent reconciling cells when they should be shaping strategy. 

You probably know the reports I’m talking about. They’re painstakingly curated by a talented senior colleague - someone who rose through the ranks from Admissions, Records, Financial Aid, or Institutional Research. Their data skills set them apart, and those skills helped propel them into senior leadership.

The problem? No one else could take over the reports. So, they kept producing them. 

But is that really the best use of their time? 

An Associate Vice President or Registrar is expected to influence strategy, make critical decisions, oversee teams, and step in when crises arise. Nowhere in the job description does it say “manage the weekly spreadsheet.” Yet someone has to, and too often it falls back on them. 

If your senior leaders are still putting together enrolment funnel spreadsheets, the issue isn’t their commitment. It’s that the institution hasn’t equipped them with the right tools or support. 

Why Technology Matters 

This is where investing in technology solutions can change the game. At Plaid Analytics, we build systems that automate data flows, test quality, and update dashboards so leaders can focus on insights—not formatting. 

I can already hear the hesitation: “It’s 2025. Budgets are tight. We can’t afford another failed data warehouse project.” 

And you’re right to be cautious. Data initiatives fail for predictable reasons: unclear goals, weak governance, legacy systems, data silos, poor change management, underestimation of integration complexity, and lack of resources. 

But many succeed—and they share common traits: strong executive sponsorship, clear scope, robust governance, skilled teams, and an incremental approach. Start small. Build iteratively. Grow as needs grow. 

What Starting Small Looks Like 

We’ve seen this model work across North America: 

• Northern Lights College: Automated their enrolment funnel dashboards—creating their first data warehouse. It began with applicants and students, but it’s designed to grow as the college’s needs grow. 
• Río Hondo College: Started with enrolment management, student tracking, and financial aid. Built to scale, the system continues to expand years later. 
• University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine: Needed a resident forecasting system. To build it, we created a foundational daily-updating data model that now supports operational planning across the faculty. 

Different starting points. Same principle: start where it matters most, and grow over time. 

Freeing Up Leaders to Lead 

Wouldn’t it be better if your AVP didn’t have to stay up late slinging spreadsheets before tomorrow’s meeting? 

That’s the opportunity. Equip your leaders with tools that let them focus on strategy, not cell formulas. 

Expertise You Can Count On 

Plaid Analytics helps colleges and universities turn complex student data into actionable insights that drive strategic enrolment management and institutional success. With over 60 years of collective experience, we combine best practices, practical tools, staff training, and visionary approaches to deliver results. Trusted across North America, we are leaders in higher education data strategy and innovation. 

Equip your institution with the clarity and support higher education leaders need to advance enrolment management and achieve their goals.