Audit and architecture review
Assessed the legacy environment and identified what needed to change for a durable GA4 setup.
Higher Education · Analytics Modernization
TMU used the migration window to rebuild the analytics foundation properly.
TMU needed more than a platform switch. The organization used the migration moment to improve analytics architecture, stakeholder alignment, and long-term reporting maturity.
Context
Toronto Metropolitan University was navigating a major analytics transition at a time when reporting expectations, stakeholder needs, and platform complexity were all increasing.
A dedicated internal analytics team existed, but the environment involved multiple departments and stakeholder groups that relied on the data in different ways.
The organization needed more than a migration. It needed a modern analytics foundation that could support reporting, governance, and deeper analysis across teams.
The problem
The challenge was not just that Universal Analytics was going away. The deeper problem was that the old setup no longer matched the organization’s needs.
Different departments needed dependable reporting. The internal analytics team needed a cleaner architecture. And the migration had to be handled in a way that didn't simply replicate old issues inside a new platform.
Without a stronger design, the organization risked ending up with a GA4 implementation that was technically complete but strategically weak.
The real task was analytics modernization, not just platform migration.
What was actually broken
The organization needed a cleaner analytics operating model across migration, implementation, and downstream analysis.
- Legacy analytics structure was not ideal for GA4
- Multiple stakeholders needed aligned reporting expectations
- Migration required architectural decisions, not just tag translation
- BigQuery enablement had to be part of the long-term design
- Implementation needed to support both governance and usability
In other words, this was not just a tool switch. It was a system redesign.
The approach
We worked alongside the internal analytics team to modernize the measurement foundation from audit through implementation.
GA4 migration strategy
Designed a migration approach that reflected organizational reporting needs instead of simply copying the previous structure.
Measurement design
Defined event architecture, reporting logic, and implementation priorities in collaboration with the analytics team.
BigQuery enablement
Extended the analytics stack beyond GA4 so deeper analysis and future reporting maturity were supported from the start.
Stakeholder alignment
Helped bridge the needs of the analytics team and broader organizational stakeholders.
Implementation support
Carried the work from strategy through execution rather than stopping at recommendations.
Outcome
The result was a more modern, better-governed analytics foundation that supported both immediate migration needs and longer-term maturity.
Instead of treating GA4 as a forced platform change, the organization used the moment to improve architecture, enable BigQuery-based analysis, and align teams around a stronger measurement model.
The outcome was not just successful migration. It was a more usable and more future-ready analytics system.