What if the numbers you’re looking at are only showing you half the story? In the hit series Stranger Things, an entire dark universe exists just beneath the surface of everyday life—invisible to most, but very real and very consequential. Universities face their own version of this phenomenon: a hidden economy operating beneath standard financial […]
READ MOREThe Silent Crisis in Higher Education Finances For most Australian universities, margins have become the silent challenge—slowly eroding year after year, often invisible until the impact becomes undeniable. Teaching margins, once healthy buffers that funded innovation and strategic priorities, are now squeezed thin or negative across many disciplines. Understanding why this happens—and more importantly, what […]
READ MOREArtificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how universities manage data, plan resources, and make financial decisions. But as AI adoption accelerates, so too does the need for strong governance, transparency, and trust. In a recent Pilbara Group webinar, industry leaders from Intelligen, Snowflake, and Pilbara Group came together to explore what responsible, governed AI looks like […]
READ MOREThe recent EDUCAUSE report — “2026 EDUCAUSE Top 10: Making Connections” — identifies ten pressing technology, data and organisational issues for higher education institutions around the world. (EDUCAUSE Review) While many of these issues focus on technology and data, a clear theme is emerging: institutions must build connections — across people, functions, data systems, and […]
READ MOREIn a time when every university is being asked to do more with less, sector benchmarking has never been more important. Yet, benchmarking isn’t just about lining up numbers — it’s about asking the right questions to turn data into action. At Pilbara Group, we’ve spent years helping universities build Activity-Based Cost models that connect […]
READ MOREFollowing on from our post on ‘why’ institutions should be delving into Academic Program Financial Management, and the previous tips on data requirements, project staffing, and model business rules and assumptions, this week’s tip looks at managing expectations relating to timelines. Tip 4 – Timeline (time to build, time to update) Let’s be honest – […]
READ MOREFollowing on from our post on ‘why’ institutions should be delving into Academic Program Financial Management, and the previous tips on data requirements and project staffing, this week’s tip provides advice on Model Business Rules and Assumptions. Tip 3 – Model Business Rules and Assumptions (a list of some of most essential ones) Firstly, the […]
READ MOREFollowing on from our post on ‘why’ institutions should be delving into Academic Program Financial Management, and last week’s post on data requirements, this week’s tip provides advice on the level of project support needed to support these models. Tip 2 – Project Staffing (who is needed and why) These types of models often require […]
READ MOREFollowing on from last week’s blog post on ‘why’ institutions should be delving into Academic Program Financial Management, this post provides advice on the types of data needed to support these models. Tip 1 – Data Data extracts are required from multiple siloed systems. These include Financial Management, HR/Payroll, Student Management Systems, Timetabling and sometimes […]
READ MOREWhy Understanding the Cost of Teaching Matters More Than Ever Australian universities operate in an environment of constrained public funding, growing demand for diverse delivery modes, and pressure to maintain educational quality. Understanding the cost of teaching is crucial for academic leaders navigating these pressures to ensure sustainable and mission-aligned resource allocation. Collaborative research by […]
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