Heidi Plus is the UK’s higher education data analytics and visualisation platform, designed to transform HESA data into actionable insights, and turns 10 years old today. To celebrate, we’re sharing how mastering Heidi Plus can optimise your insights with ten practical tips to help you unlock its full potential.
1. Start with pre-built dashboards
Heidi Plus offers a suite of pre-developed dashboards tailored to common sector challenges using some of the key data sources like Student, Staff, and Finance. These dashboards are a great starting point for new users because they provide immediate insights without requiring advanced development. It’s a good way to start out with Heidi Plus or practise with its features in preparation. You’ll find these in the “2. Dashboard centre” folder.
2. Use Benchmarking filters wisely
Benchmarking is one of Heidi Plus’s most useful features. You can compare your institution against mission groups, regional clusters, or create custom peer groups. When setting benchmarks, ensure you select relevant comparators—such as institutions with similar size or subject mix—to generate meaningful insights. Subjects can be compared by using the CAH hierarchy levels.
3. Leverage interactive visualisations
Heidi Plus runs on Tableau Server, enabling dynamic dashboards and interactive charts. Use the drag-and-drop functionality to customise views, apply filters, and drill down into specific data points. Interactive visualisations make it easier to communicate complex trends to stakeholders in an accessible way.
4. Combine multiple data sets
Don’t limit yourself to a single dataset. Heidi Plus allows you to blend data from students, staff, finance, estates, and graduate outcomes. Combining these datasets can reveal deeper insights, such as how staff ratios impact student satisfaction or how financial health correlates with research output. You’ll find a blog post about how to do just that here.
5. Save and share queries
If you’ve created a useful query or visualisation, save it for future use and share it with colleagues by publishing it in the “3. Shared workbooks” folder. Here you can create a range of dashboards and reports stakeholders can access themselves, and they will update automatically each time a data source is updated with new data. This ensures consistency in reporting and reduced duplication of effort.
6. Save Views of dashboards
Speaking of saving useful queries and visualisations, did you know that you can save a view of a dashboard with a set of filters applied, that you can then re-open with the same filters on? This allows you to save a dashboard view for different stakeholders with, for example, their CAH subject filter applied, or key demographic populations selected. You’ll find this functionality in the blue banner above a dashboard. Click the “View: original” button to find the option to save the existing view. Set up the dashboard for a particular stakeholder and save that new view. Be aware that each user will need to do this.
7. Make use of training resources
Jisc provides extensive training options, including live clinics, masterclasses, and an on-demand e-learning hub. These resources cover everything from creating your first visualisation to advanced analytics. Regularly check for updates and new features to keep your skills sharp.
8. Explore advanced calculations
For intermediate users, Heidi Plus offers functionality a range of functionality to create calculated fields, bespoke groups, sets, and parameters. Simply right-click on a field, hover over “Create” and you will see these options. These allow you to take your visualisation and analysis of the HESA data to the next level. If you’re ready to go beyond basic charts, consider taking the intermediate training in the Heidi Plus’ e-learning hub to master these techniques.
9. Prioritise data integrity
Heidi Plus uses quality-assured HESA data. However, always validate your outputs before sharing them. HESA’s open data pages are a great way to sense check your analysis. This works particularly well when looking at anomalous looking results from competitors or peers. However, don’t forget when looking at sector totals: a small number of providers don’t appear in Heidi Plus, so country and sector totals won’t match exactly.
10. Stay updated with new releases
Heidi Plus is updated regularly with new data and features. There’re a few ways to keep yourself up to date. Firstly, make sure the welcome banner – the black banner at the top of the “Home” page – is switched on. You’ll find that in the “My Account Settings” page under your initial icon in the top right. Scroll down to check the “Welcome banner” option. Secondly, we send out a quarterly newsletter and the occasional bulletin to keep you up to date with important updates. Don’t miss these in your inbox for lots of useful information and tips! Lastly, product manager Scotty Dixon will talk about updates on his LinkedIn profile. Follow him there to keep up to date.
Heidi Plus evolves regularly with new dashboards, filters, and visualisation options. Subscribe to Jisc updates or attend user clinics and webinars to stay informed. Keeping up with enhancements ensures you’re using it to its fullest potential.
Heidi Plus is more than a data tool—it’s an asset for higher education institutions to be able to deliver the education experience students deserve. Over the past ten years, Heidi Plus has helped endless institutions become more efficient and strategic by providing the essential data to drive organisational goals.