How To Request A New Data Field for A St. Thomas System or Database

Data is a essential element to our work at the University and new data is being collected all the time! This article will lay out the process to requesting one new data field or updating a current data field so the information can be collected, stored, and utilized in our St. Thomas technology ecosystem. 

What is Considered a New Field

A new field is any new data item to be stored in our Data Ecosystem.

• Brand new field in Salesforce
• New Picklist Value in Salesforce
• New field in ODS
• New Field in a Shared Banner Table
• New code in a Shared Banner Table
• New Attribute Code in Banner
• New UST Defined Field in Banner

Does this Type of Field Already Exist?

Search for your field name in our University Data Catalog - The Data Cookbook - to see if it already exists.

• How to Look Up a Data Definition
• How to Look up Data System Fields

If it doesn't, then continue to Instructions below.

Instructions

1. Open the Data Service Request form in Tommie Tech Services to start the process.
2. Select "I would like to make a request"
3. Enter a Short Description of Request such as: "New Food Insecurity Data Field to Store" 
4. Select "Data Integration - New Data Field or List" option 

5. Select "New Data Field" 
6. Add the Name of the Field you wish to create
   • Try to make it direct as depending on the system the field is stored in the name may need to be adjusted.
7. Provide a Data Definition
   • This should be the purpose of the new or updated field (the why) and how it should be understood by the University Community.
   • This definition will be entered into the Data Cookbook for transparency.

8. Share if the data in this Data Field Can be Blank or Missing - a Yes or No option. 
9. Enter the Type of Data this field utilizes: text, number, percent, comment, etc.
10. Enter the Data Source: Where is this data coming from? 
    • Enter a St. Thomas tool/system name, an external vendor, a survey, 
    • If unknown, simply enter unknown
11. Enter the System or Tool you want to add the new Data Field or update the current Data Field in:
    • Banner/Murphy, ODS, Salesforce, Other: list name
12. Add any other notes or comments you think we should know
13. Submit the form 
14. The request is then routed to our Data Empowerment team queue where the field will be reviewed with the following considerations:
    1. Confirm this new field or update does not already exists in desired system.
    2. Confirm the storage location of the field requested in desired system.
    3. Are there any mandated units that required this data field - IPEDS, OHE, HLC, etc. ?
    4. Confirm all sources of this data, specifically if data from another source is already integrated and the data could be competing.
    5. Does the data point fall into any of our ethics, risk, or data policies?
    6. What impact does this change have in our data and business ecosystem?
    7. Does this data change align with our business strategy?
    8. Other questions may be considered depending on the request.

15. The Data Empowerment Team will take into account all of the researched factors in #14 and make a recommendation of action to the Data Owner and Data Steward of this new field.
    • If the requester is the Data Owner, then any other recommendations from the Data Empowerment team will be communicated.
    • If the requester is the Data Steward, the Data Owner will still be notified of the recommendations in addition to the Data Steward.
16. The Data Owner and/or Data Steward will approve, deny, or make other adjustments to Data Field.
17. The Data Owner and/or Data Steward will determine who has access to this. 
18. The Data Empowerment team will add the information into the Data Cookbook.
19. The Data Empowerment team will update the Initial Tommie Tech Services Request with Data Cookbook link and feedback from Data Owner.
20. Depending on the Data System the next steps will happen:
    1. New Field in Salesforce: Ticket is re-assigned to CRM team to add new field. 
       1. Add new Field Name, Field Type, and Data Cookbook link in the Description
       2. Update Ticket with API Name
       3. Re-Assign ticket to Jitterbit Team to add to ODSP. 
       4. Jitterbit Team add field to ODS table
       5. Jitterbit Team close the Ticket. 
    2. New Field in Banner/Murphy: Ticket is re-assigned to Enterprise Resource Planning (Banner) team
       1. Banner team adds new field
       2. Ticket is closed
    3. New Code in Banner/Murphy : Ticket is re-assigned to Student Data & Registrar (SDR) team
       1. SDR team adds new field
       2. Ticket is closed.

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• How to Look Up a Data Definition