Where Academia meets Operational Excellence
Welcome to our site! Our Continuous Improvement & Data Analytics (CIDA) teams work collaboratively with University partners to enhance the University's operational excellence through data-driven insights and process optimization. We provide process improvement-focused consulting services, partnering with departments to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and implement best practices. We also focus on data enhancement, transforming raw institutional data into actionable intelligence that informs strategic decision-making across all levels of the organization.
We empower University stakeholders to leverage data effectively, optimize operations, and drive sustainable improvements that align with our institution's strategic goals. To learn more about our team and to see our full list of service offerings (at no additional cost) for University partners, please see our Service Offerings page.
CIDA is delighted to announce three exciting additions to our internal consulting team: Rebecca Lyn Cooper, Shalaka Gaidhani, and Krutarth Dave. As our team continues to grow and evolve, welcoming talented professionals like Rebecca, Shalaka, and Krutarth strengthens our capacity to support our University in fresh and meaningful ways. Please join us in welcoming them […]
In partnership with the several key University stakeholders, our classroom scheduling initiative focused on building shared understanding to create meaningful solutions to university challenges. From the outset, this was a highly collaborative effort - bringing together academic leadership, schedulers, and operational teams to shape both the questions and the approach. We began with a set of initial hypotheses and explored them through […]
The CIDA team is delighted to announce the promotion of three exceptional team members to the position of Lead Consultant. Please join us in celebrating Alex Barton, Spencer Hilton, and Emily Perrotti, as they step into these important new roles. Meet Our New Lead Consultants Alex Barton Alex's analytical rigor and collaborative approach have made […]
We’re excited to announce that CIDA's 2025 Year in Review is now available to BU Staff and Faculty on our website! This year’s review highlights our continued growth and the expansion of our services into new areas — most notably deeper partnerships with Academic departments across the University. Inside, you’ll find outcomes from recent engagements, […]
In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving higher-education landscape, effective project management has become more crucial than ever to actualize a strategic vision. It serves as the backbone of successful projects, ensuring that units can achieve their strategic goals on time and within budget to the highest quality possible. But what exactly makes project management so vital? […]
CIDA is delighted to announce two exciting additions to our internal consulting team: Jacob Blumenthal and Allison Reilly (they/them). As our team continues to grow and evolve, welcoming talented professionals like Jacob and Allison strengthens our capacity to support our University in fresh and meaningful ways. Please join us in welcoming them both! Jacob Blumenthal […]
Boston University is a member of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), a national peer network of nearly 100 higher education institutions committed to advancing change, innovation, and continuous improvement across academic and administrative functions. Why NCCI Matters to BU As part of BU’s institutional membership, every faculty and staff member have access to a wide […]
Recent operational reviews have highlighted that building strategic capacity is important for improving the efficiency and resilience of any organization, particularly in situations where hiring additional staff is not feasible. Budget constraints or other factors often necessitate making the most of existing resources. In these scenarios, focusing on increasing the capacity of current teams becomes […]