4/25/12

Click to edit Master subtitle style

Dashboard

4/25/12

A that organizes information so that it is easy to read and interpret up-to-date status information on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) information visually through graphics charts, gauges, maps, tables is simply presented, easy to monitor, and indicates where action needs to be taken.

Provides Presents

Information

4/25/12

4/25/12

continuous Historically,

monitoring of performance

the idea of digital dashboards follows the work in the 1970s with the study of decision support systems. In the late 1990s with the surge of the web, digital dashboards began appearing. can be implemented in the areas of Sales, deliveries, shipments, Productivity, Order fulfillment performance, Backlogs, Customer orders.

It

4/25/12

Dashboard

software works by linking a small graphics display program to a small database, which is kept updated either by manual entry or by import from the companys business systems. the user clicks on the dashboard, the software accesses the database, recalculates the dial positions and refreshes the display.

When

4/25/12

All

dashboards are similar, consisting of two main elements: manager. A small configuration program used to select the displays parameters

Display

such as captions, type of chart or graph, minimum/maximum values, data source, color codes and others.

Data

manager. A data entry utility the company

4/25/12

Performance controlling is one of the crucial aspects of company management. Today's business constrains managers to pay attention to every detail. In case of tiny companies, it still seems quite simple. Problems begin when there's a large or even worldwide company to manage - tens of departments, thousands of employees everything on one's shoulders. Having a large company that consists of numerous departments, we need to make all of them cooperate to increase whole company's general efficiency and performance. If we think of a worldwide company, each department might be thousands miles from another. It's impossible to manage them, visiting each department personally as it would take a lot of time during which all data becomes out-of-date. Occurred a need to concentrate whole management at one place. And here comes the role of business intelligence dashboards in business management.

4/25/12

The efforts of numerous groups of specialists have resulted in making business intelligence dashboards as functional as possible which includes: The first and the most important of all dashboards' features is a good cooperation with data originated from diverse and numerous sources. We need to remember that data across departments of a company might be kept in diverse systems, therefore there occurs a need for having a tool able to read all of them. Today's dashboards intercept and store data from multiple sources, so that there shouldn't occur any problem even within the largest enterprises. Pure data usually tells nothing about the real situation of a company. We might count the number of sold products but it will tell us nothing about its relation with production. Thereupon, more or less complicated calculations have been automated and users dont't need to care anymore about how to perform calculations as they're prepared automatically. The only thing left is to decide which data we want to consider and in relation to which. It must be remembered that even the best dashboard still is solely a tool, a tool that supports manager, not replaces him. Dashboards present data but making conclusions still is humans' job, after all. Beside the tendency to replace humans with computers, we have to remember that there are also plenty of immeasurable factors that have enormous influence on business. And predicting them is only a matter of human, never a computer.

4/25/12

It is said that time is money. And it's true, especially in a case of data flow across business organizations. We should do our best to ensure our data to be the most timely as possible. Seems simple, but never truly is - data flow process strictly must last a while. Whatever we do, it's never going to reach the zero level, although people pay efforts to minimizing it. Thereupon, current dashboards have to be as transparent as possible - this, followed with maximal simplifying the algorithms, might result in shortening data operating time. We have to realize that business is incessantly evolving, factors are changing, numbers are growing and diminishing... And - after all - all these changes have to be considered in dashboard's readings. Better is the dashboard that can do it faster. Due to that, quick data processing is probably the most needed feature of modern dashboards.

4/25/12

In the traditional approach, the dashboard's aim is to picture company's situation and signalize what's wrong if needed, however modern dashboards enable a deeper dive into company's data. Seeing what's happening in company as a whole can give a big picture of the enterprise. It's easy as it requires only a few clicks - it is also a feature of the newest generation of dashboards. Everything what is needed is easily-accessible also, therefore we could quickly change the point of view from general to detailed.

4/25/12

One of the most popular mass-deployment platforms for dashboards is an enterprise portal. Also known as an enterprise information portal (EIP) or corporate portal, an enterprise portal is a framework for integrating information, people, and processes across organizational boundaries. When dashboards that support portals are deployed, the resulting solution provides several benefits to an organization:

Users have a single location to access their dashboards as well as documents, presentations, and online discussions, along with other applications. Single sign-on is made possible (as opposed to maintaining multiple passwords and having to log in to multiple applications). Efficiency is increased as users can go to a single place to access a variety of related and unrelated information. A central point is established for an organization to deploy many or all of its BI applications.

4/25/12

Not all BI applications support portal deployments, but all web - based applications can be accessed through hyperlinks, and as such the links can be embedded in the most relevant areas of a dashboard portal page. This can aid users in providing access to information that has relevant context to a dashboard or a component on a dashboard. For example, a hyperlink to a detailed financial report could be placed next to a financial chart showing actual and budget figures for an entire Profit and Loss report.

4/25/12

Once an organization has developed strategies and tactics, it can use strategy maps and scorecards that help managers visualize and track their goals and tactics. Modern dashboards (often as part of deployments in portals) can then display or integrate with these tools. Well - planned and well - designed dashboards can effectively display key performance - related charts and indicators together with strategy maps and scorecards to help an organization focus their employees on the most important performance - related activities and drivers.

4/25/12

What do dashboards have to do with planning? The main role of a dashboard is to provide a means for managers to monitor, analyze, and sometimes annotate (e.g., explaining variances in an embedded scorecard), and there are several strong ties to planning and budgeting:

Displaying, analyzing, and comparing historical figures with budgets, forecasts and targets Focused dashboards for deep analysis of budgets and forecasts (For example, this can be particularly effective when dashboards are fully integrated with planning tools, and organizations utilize a continuous planning methodology. Managers can then analyze trends and variances in a dashboard, almost immediately revise a forecast, and then see it updated back in the dashboard in near real time.) Monitoring and sharing of strategies across business units Monitoring of resource allocation figures whereby business units can propose investments of discretionary funds in various programs and projects.

4/25/12

Although it is not typical to use major portions of a dashboard to display detailed reports (then it would be more like a report-board), it can be highly effective to embed links to reports within a dashboard. This provides managers with detailed views of information that can support analysis done in embedded scorecards and charts. These reports also offer a professional format for printing or e-mail distribution. In addition, most dashboards do not reflect real time that is, they are based on data that on a periodic basis is loaded from transactional databases into a data warehouse and into Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cubes. However, in some scenarios, usually in operational dashboards, managers need to see detailed real-time information in order to support the analysis they do using a dashboard, and then real-time reports that pull data directly from the source database can come in very handy if the data is only a click away from the dashboard.

4/25/12

Most modern dashboards offer a number of important analytical features. These are important to users to enable them to answer most questions right from the dashboard interface without having to log in to other software packages or modules to do further analysis. However, for a number of years, while vendors are working on developing the ultimate dashboard that can do sophisticated analysis right from within the same interface, most business intelligence companies will connect the user to a separate module for such tasks. A majority of the comprehensive business intelligence suites on the market today offer dashboards that are tightly (or lightly) integrated with powerful analytics modules that offer various functions such as heat maps, drill down, statistical analysis, data mining, predictive analysis, and the like. Together with business dashboards these specialized analytics tools further empower managers and analysts to support performance management initiatives.

4/25/12

Decision making aspect is vital for every company and doesn't actually requires explaining. Managers have to make decisions as on them depends company's performance and condition. The better decisions are, the better company is doing, therefore executives do their best to provide decisive persons with the best tools possible to support and facilitate their job. Due to that, modern dashboards allow their end-users to: Identify negative trends.

Efficient management must consist of twofold aspects activating and stimulating positive trends, and reducing an influence of negative ones. What's more, the second part seems even more important, if not just crucial. Nevertheless, before thinking about positives, managers should eliminate negative trends. And that's what dashboards are perfect for. Correct negative trends. Once the negative trends are recognized, localized, and analyzed, comes the time for correcting them. Thank to modern dashboards, eliminating negative trends is facilitated due to improved abilities for modifying concrete factors on trend's route.

4/25/12

Improve the efficiency of newly-made decisions. Even though improving the efficiency of deciding is the common goal for all business intelligence solutions, every tool treat the question in a different way. Dashboards, for instance, support decision making with better information, whilst better means more timely and more accurate. As a result, better-informed decisions are being made what influences on company's performance, obviously. Measure company's parameters. It is never easy to measure company's real performance or efficiency. Even if something looks good from the outside, in point of fact it might be many times worse, but the external symptoms still aren't visible. Deep analysis let managers react on company's inefficiencies before it's too late to change anything significantly. It's indispensable for minimizing presumptive losses and multiply demanded incomes.

4/25/12

Improve performed analysis thank to visualization abilities. Pure data often is not enough to identify and trace all the irregularities. What is not visible in spreadsheets of values, might come out thank to graphic visualization of analysis. Even though it may seem a bit strange or unprofessional, it truly works, what managers bear out commonly. Modern dashboards support therefore visual presenting of analysis concerning company's performance indicators. Determine the goals and strategy as a whole. In today's management, there's no place left for accidents or luck. Everything has to be perfect and especially perfectly thought-out. Thereupon, most attention managers pay to general strategy of the company, which is what all further decisions will be based on. Modern dashboards being somehow the first link between manager and company data have to facilitate not only inventing a new strategy, but also controlling and improving the current one, with a possibility for tracing the company's condition.

4/25/12

It might be thought that all company's efficiency and performance depend mostly on managers and the strategy they have created. In fact, we should take a look to another end of company's hierarchy chain, to concrete employees as they're the base for all company's tasks. Thereupon, dashboards which even a few years ago were reserved for executives only are provided to larger groups of employees, including the usual ones. With modern dashboards, they're allowed to: Increase their efficiency and productivity thank to automation

It's been proved that dashboards facilitate the work, what results in increased productivity and less time remains needed to spend on collateral tasks. In most cases, they're automated. Quickly learn maintenance While dashboards usually are intuitive, learning how to use them takes a few whiles only, therefore employees do not get another problem put on their shoulders.

4/25/12

Resign from static reports These days, static reports are thought to be a relic, more and more often replaced with interactive reports which provide deeper insight and clearer information. Modern dashboards support creating new-fashioned reports so that employees no longer have to struggle with sheets of tabular data which never is easily-understandable. New reports are not only a matter of comfort, but also a matter of time and effort which is also important in the case of company's performance. Save time due to reduced number of reports required Even though a few years ago separate reports were needed for each question, these days information about diverse aspects is being concentrated in one, what results in significant time reduction. Employees can therefore attach weight to their real goals, not the collateral aspects like multiple reports, for instance. Thank to dashboard, they might concentrate on what's truly important for the company.

4/25/12

Every manager has to struggle with question how to improve his employees' efficiency. There are plenty of methods, nonetheless all of them usually demand some kind of concession. But... Is it possible to influence on employees without giving them raises or shortening their workdays? In point of fact, it's possible with dashboards. What today's dashboards offer to their users to improve their motivation? Thank to dashboards, employees might: Concentrate on facts, not form.

For a few years, long time needed for preparing each report was one of the most irritating disadvantages of business intelligence. These days, thank to totallynew dashboards, users might concentrate on what's truly important - on facts, report's content, not its form. As preparing a clear and transparent report is a matter of a few clicks these days, their form has lost its former meaning. It also increases employees' motivation, as they no longer have to struggle with the collateral things which they're not employed for.

4/25/12

Trace new trends with detailed reports Modern dashboards allow their users to concentrate on newest, fresh trends which haven't already been investigated enough. Thereupon, easily-creatable detailed reports support analyzing and rating each of the new tendencies in the market or in company's performance, as well. Grow their interest. The longest time we need for something that bores us to death, nonetheless sometimes every company requires its employees to do things they do not actually like. For quite a lot of time, reporting was one of such things. These days - thank to freshened approach to dashboards - obsolete tabular reports have been replaced with innovative interactive dashboards. Even if it was only a matter of design, it makes employees more interested at what they do as they no longer have to struggle with spreadsheets of tabular data.

4/25/12

Easily understand strategy statements Even the most complex strategy might become easily-understandable if only it's presented in a transparent way. How important it is to let all employees know the goals and statements of company's strategy, realize all managers, therefore dashboards' transparency is one of the aspects that most of attention is paid to. Thank to modern solutions, sharing strategies and other crucial for the company data with all employees is significantly facilitated.

4/25/12

Today's dashboards still are being developed, nonetheless a few disadvantages still haven't been overpowered. Even though plenty of things have already got changed (what influences on the difference between former and today's dashboards), there still is quite a lot to demand and to improve. What interrupts in trouble-free dashboards use, is: Quite a poor performance.

It's one of the most meaningful aspects as it's commonly-known that time is money. While every operation requires more than a half of minute, accessing each data becomes a torture. Even though using a dashboard still is more efficient than operating on multiple reports, performance still requires significant improvements. Impeded access to resources. It's been told that dashboards win with other business intelligence solutions because they're enabling single log in to access all the resources and subject applications. Unfortunately, in some cases even today's dashboards require multiple logging what significantly slows down the work

4/25/12

Unintuitive technology. The technology used for dashboards - being brand-new and totally different from already known solutions - is difficult to understand at the beginning. There's a time needed to get used to it, even though - in some cases - it might be impossible for older people whose connection with business intelligence is longer. Cursoriness of user training Connected directly with the point above, not paying attention to details during the end-users' training causes plenty of troubles during employees' everyday work with dashboards. If this got improved, numerous other disadvantages would also disappear. Standard and unattractive design While considering human point of view on dashboards, their design cannot be omitted. Even though it had to be placed on the other end of scale than tabular reports, today's dashboards still might look thousand times better what certainly would help customers stay focused on their work. Up to know, design must be added to the list of aspects that require improving.

4/25/12

Difficulty with manual inputs of the data. When a user want to attach some supporting data to a dashboard, he usually is constrained to do it manually. No data refreshed automatically. The same as in the case of inputting supporting data - all changes must be provoked manually. Uselessness of multiple metrics. Dashboards' vendors haven't rather attached to much weight to a choice of metrics crucial for companies provided with dashboards. Thereupon, considered metrics often are not enough to answer question immediately, requiring to create a few reports instead. Surprisingly, it's something what dashboards had to let their users avoid. The unreasonable choice of metrics lengthens the time needed for making proper decisions, after all. No business rules and hierarchies for used metrics. With what was said above, the choice of metrics for dashboards still is surprising. Nonetheless, these which already are, remain devoid of any rule that regulates their proper aggregating or calculating. Thereupon, every employee uses the metrics in a way he wants, what

4/25/12

The

uses of modern dashboards are innumerable, nonetheless there still is a niche which dashboards could fulfill. Will it happen and - if yes when? Probably when all the disadvantages stated above get eliminated. Up to now, there are plenty of dashboards' benefits which are unattainable for most companies. Lack of precise and reliable training results in a need for discovering every dashboard's option personally what - in a consequence - results in lengthened time required