UW–Madison’s data platform and ATP warehouses
Brad Sanders, DAPIR’s Director of Enterprise Data Management, discussed the future state of UW–Madison’s data platform and covered ATP transitions. Brad’s PowerPoint is available.
The data platform vision
DAPIR is reenvisioning and expanding UW–Madison’s data platform. The platform’s practical goals intend to significantly improve your experience by providing a single connection to search for and query data from many systems. A wider variety of data sources will also be available, providing you with access to the data you need when you need it.
More clear data access is also planned. Historically, permissions had the potential to be inconsistent. You might have access to a data set in one system or application, but not another. UW-Madison is moving towards unified data access so that your access matches across systems and is updated as access changes are approved.
A soft launch of services and tools in the data platform is occurring shortly. As we get closer to full implementation, additional communication will happen, including webpages, presentations, and information sharing with this group.
ATP warehouse transitions
ATP will consolidate human resources (HR), finance, budget, and research administration (RA) data in a single warehouse, Redshift, that goes live with the implementation of Workday in July 2025. Redshift is part of the Enterprise Analytics Platform (EAP), which is meant to improve access to operational data along with Workday Reports.
Previously, data from each area had a transactional system, with operational reports, a data warehouse that included direct access, and a reporting layer. The intention is to eliminate your need for multiple connections and storing data on your local machine or data stores.
Redshift will have:
- Static copies of SFMRT and EPM warehouses.
- Static copies of legacy budget views, previously stored in InfoAccess.
- New models for HR, finance, budget, and RA.
- Combined histories of new models and legacy data for longitudinal reporting.
Data privacy
Claire Dalle Molle, Assistant Director of Data Privacy & Transparency, in the Office of Compliance, joined us to enhance our understanding of data privacy, share her cross-campus collaboration, and answer questions. Claire’s PowerPoint is available for download and review.
What is data privacy?
In general, data privacy refers to the individuals’ ability to understand and control how information about them is collected, used, or shared.
- It is not a single process or approach; it’s a set of principles typically applied in a risk-based framework.
- Risk is often calculated for the individual, though there are also institutional risks.
- It is a part of data protection, along with data security.
At UW–Madison, we prioritize best practices, even when no laws mandate them. This includes not collecting information we do not need, striving to keep information accurate, controlling access, providing it when necessary, and adhering to data retention requirements. Claire also participates in the vendor and tool management risk review process to ensure that new tools align with UW–Madison’s privacy policy and values.
Learn more with these resources
Badger Data Network PowerPoint.
Data Privacy Week. In 2026, it runs from January 24 to 28.
Universities of Wisconsin’s privacy policy, which UW–Madison is required to follow.