No matter what area of business you work in, there’s no doubt that a dashboard can help you to achieve better results and make faster decisions. If you want your dashboard to be an asset for your business, in this post we’ll show you how to build it from scratch with tools like Microsoft Power BI and Google Looker Studio.
A dashboard is a display of information in a visual format, usually used for much more than one person to view at once. When done well, dashboards can show critical information quickly and clearly so that you can easily answer questions about your business as it unfolds.
Your dashboard is the window into your business. It gives you the big picture and allows for quick action on what’s most important to you.
A dashboard is important for you because it visually represents all the critical information you need to see, giving you a real-time view of your organization's performance. A good dashboard can help to improve productivity, increase revenues and reduce costs.
If you have identified a need for dashboards, start with this guide to walk you through the process of building it in 5 steps. The goal is not just to deliver the right data or create eye-catching visuals but also to influence behavior and inspire action.
Before getting into dashboard building, it is important to define your audience and how you can provide them what they are looking for. Customizing your dashboard based on the user type will make it more personal and more effective for you. A sales person, for example, will want precise data about his or her territory with several drill-downs and the ability to cut and slice across multiple dimensions. An executive, on the other hand, may prefer to examine only the most critical Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in order to identify current requirements and pain areas.
Consider which platform will host your dashboard. A significant amount of usage happens via mobile devices and tablets. Consider who your consumers are and what their preferences are.
Creating a great dashboard starts with having a clear understanding what you want to achieve with it. Do you want to use it to track your company's KPIs? Drive strategic decision-making? Or monitor customer behavior? Once you know what your dashboard's purpose is, you can begin to gather the data and visualizations you need to make it happen. There are a few things keep in mind as you gather your ideas for your dashboard. First, consider how you want to present your data. Do you want to use charts, graphs, or maps? Second, think about how you want to organize your data. Do you want to group it by region, by time periods, or by product? And finally, don't forget to include any filters or interactivity that will make your dashboard more user-friendly.
After you collected your ideas, it is time to find the right dashboard builder tool. There are many different tools available for building dashboards. When choosing a dashboard tool, there are several factors you should consider, such as cost, features, ease of use, and support. One of the most significant criteria for choosing the finest dashboard software is its report delivery features. It is not enough to just construct dashboards and infographics and notify your staff about them. Take into consideration that most of them will not log into your dashboard software to view your dashboards. On the other hand, it is also important to make your dashboard accessible for most devices.
It's time to construct the visual representation in line with your approved wireframe once you have the underlying data table available. The data table to connect to and the charts you need to develop are both available at this point, giving you everything you need to begin the project.
If your business has established style manuals, maintain them at all costs. Make sure the things you create fit to the branding guidelines. If there are no established guidelines, create one for your team so that you can define its identity. Consider your dashboards' major and secondary colors as well as the typeface, icons, and logo you would employ. It helps with branding and usability when additional goods are introduced to your team's arsenal. Users would be more tolerant of new items if they were more accustomed to the layout and colors.
Most of the dashboards have to be updated frequently, make sure the entire process is automated.
Before sharing the dashboard with your users and stakeholders, it is essential to do the required quality checks after the development is complete.
During data testing, ensure that every statistic displayed on your dashboard is correct and matches the figures in your database. You may use your database to run queries to validate these figures. If you utilized features such as hierarchy, actions, filters, navigation buttons, and so on, you must test these features before pushing the reports to the server.
You now have everything you need to launch your product, and it's time to let potential users know about it. Following the launch, you must ensure that the dashboard does not come to a stop.
A dashboard-building tool with an intuitive interface enables you to access priceless data in a matter of minutes without having to write a single line of code. Over time, having this sort of access to up-to-date and pertinent business insights will enable everyone in your organization to use data in their decision-making, boosting output and fostering corporate expansion. Here are some suggestions for powerful dashboard tools:
Microsoft Power BI is a set of software services, applications, and connections that work together to transform different data sources into logical, visually engaging, and interactive insights. Your data might be in the form of an Excel spreadsheet or a combination of hybrid cloud-based and on-premises data warehouses. Power BI makes it simple to connect to your data sources, visualize and find what's essential, and share it with everyone or whatever you choose. Learn about Power BI here.
Google Looker Studio is a free dashboard creation tool that allows you to create visually appealing, customizable, interactive, and responsive dashboards. Panels may be built from templates, the most diversified graphs, maps, and tables can be used, your brand identity can be applied, and other resources can be used — all in a user-friendly manner so that anybody can make and understand the reports.
With ClickUp, you can take your project management and operational efficiency to the next level. It's a complete dashboard tool that makes your workflow smooth and easy, and it helps your team work better together. It is different because it offers many features in one place. You can manage tasks, share documents, set goals, and chat with your team. With many tools and services integrated into ClickUp, you can easily access and use your data. Insights and analytics help you make informed decisions. Learn more about how ClickUp can improve your project management.
Read our blog post to explore this amazing tool.
For marketers, CEOs, analysts, and other decision-makers, Databox is a cloud-based business analytics platform that offers a single interface for viewing numerous key performance indicators (KPIs) and producing reports. It offers mobile apps for iOS and Android smartphones and is appropriate for small to large enterprises.
Tableau assists individuals in transforming data into useful insights. Simple access to data in any format, located anywhere. Ad hoc assessments should be carried out quickly to uncover untapped prospects. Interactive dashboards with cutting-edge visual analytics may be created using drag and drop. Make an effect on your business by sharing your efforts with everyone. The usage of Tableau to see and comprehend data is widespread, from large multinational corporations to early-stage startups and small companies.
Whether you need to visualize supply chain metrics or present comprehensive financial data to the appropriate stakeholders we have guided you through the steps on how to develop a dashboard from a concept into a business-boosting reality.
You'll be able to construct dashboards that help you obtain more thorough access to your most vital data and increase internal communications and efforts by adhering to these crucial dashboard design principles and aspects and drawing inspiration from our useful examples. Gaining assistance from cutting-edge online BI solutions would guarantee a significant increase in productivity, all shown in stunning dashboards and enabling even non-technical individuals to manage massive amounts of data.
To help you make the best decision for your business, we've compiled a list of the top dashboard tools available. Each of these tools has its benefits and drawbacks, so be sure to read through our descriptions carefully. And if you still can't decide which tool is right for you, feel free to contact us for more information.
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