Data Is Your New Currency: Insights from Higher Education

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of working in management consulting. Today, I help lead a data analytics and AI practice focused on empowering our clients with meaningful insights. One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey is connecting directly with customers at conferences like NACUBO, where conversations on the expo floor often reveal the real, urgent challenges institutions face. 

 I recently spent several hours at the Avaap booth at NACUBO 2025, and one theme rang out loud and clear from nearly every visitor: 

“We need to access, automate, and analyze our data better—because data is strategic gold.” 

Whether speaking with large R1 institutions or small community colleges, the story was consistent. Institutions across higher ed are looking to align their data capabilities with their strategic plans and long-term vision.  Leaders from finance, institutional research, IT, advancement, campus safety, and facilities all echoed the same challenge: making better use of their existing data to inform decisions, predict outcomes, and support mission-driven performance.

It’s Not Just About Tools—It’s About Trust and Transformation 

 At Avaap, we believe in helping our customers do more than just modernize. We help them build or right-size a data framework—one that captures and governs data securely, empowers users with tools and training, and fosters a culture of ideation and insight. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. And frankly, no single product will get you there alone. 

What’s needed is a harmonious blend of people, process, and technology —a tailored roadmap that reflects where your institution is today and where you want to go. 

The Real Currency 

At the end of the day, data is the new institutional currency—and higher education leaders know it. The ones we spoke with at NACUBO aren’t just chasing dashboards; they’re looking to fundamentally improve how their universities and colleges operate, plan, and serve their students and communities. 

That’s what excites me about the work we’re doing at Avaap. We’re here to be your partner in that journey—whether you're building from the ground up or taking your analytics to the next level. 

Because my “booth truth” is this: every institution deserves the ability to turn data into decisions that drive real impact. 

Nehul Vyas is vice president of Avaap’s Data, Analytics, & AI practice and has more than 20 years of consulting experience. Nehul’s leadership and experiences span the full data lifecycle from strategy, solutioning and data quality, management and governance, through driving mindful enablement and adoption strategies that positively impact an organization’s entire data value chain and user-base.