What are the characteristics of an efficient Dashboard?

It’s no secret that making good decisions requires accurate evaluation of varied information about an institution. That’s why having an effective dashboard is crucial!

After all, it’s through a well-organized workspace with clear and objective data that all of a company’s processes can be more effectively visualized.

Therefore, understanding the main characteristics that contribute to making a truly functional panel is essential!

Continue reading this post to the end and discover how to create an optimized dashboard.

What is a Dashboard?

Also called an information panel or management panel, the dashboard is a graphical interface that visually displays metrics and performance indicators.

Compass – Example of a dashboard developed by Cluster

In summary, the tool is used by companies that wish to analyze data more precisely and organizedly. Through this visualization, it’s possible to outline strategies, generate reports, and optimize management in general.

To better understand, think of a screen that brings together different information about the corporation. All of these indicators are displayed through tables, graphs, and representations that facilitate interpretation.

With a clear and concise visual interface, the dashboard allows for a quick analysis of the most relevant metrics of a business, system, or activity in one place.

Therefore, it’s recommended that the panel avoids scroll bars and is presented on a single screen. This simplifies comparisons and goal tracking, allowing information to be assimilated faster.

What are the objectives of a Dashboard?

In an increasingly competitive market, the need to thoroughly understand all the numbers and processes of a business only increases.

In this sense, we can say that the main objective of the dashboard is to facilitate understanding about everything that happens in a business. However, the usefulness of the tool goes far beyond that!

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Data analysis

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest expertise of the dashboard is centralizing relevant information and presenting it objectively. With that, analyzing data becomes a much simpler task because everything can be interpreted intuitively.

Optimization of decision-making

As previously mentioned, the panels bring important data about the functioning of an institution. Thus, by properly evaluating all displayed material, managers can develop action plans with greater chances of success.

After all, based on concrete and well-analyzed data, it’s possible to make informed business decisions.

Real-time monitoring

Another function performed very well by the dashboard is monitoring information. That is, the panel shows all data on a single screen, where everything is updated in real-time.

In other words, metrics, indicators, and all relevant points for the proper functioning of the business can be viewed accurately, without the risk of divergences or delays.

Information organization

It’s also worth noting that one of the main objectives of the dashboard is to organize data. That is, to transform a large volume of shapeless information into something comprehensible, synthetic, and that makes sense to the reader. For example, the panel can display all metrics organized by sector, period, and relevance.

Everything is presented strategically, allowing evaluations to be performed more quickly and accurately.

BMG Bank – Example of a dashboard developed by Cluster

How many types of Dashboard are there?

The design of a dashboard can vary widely depending on its objective, context, and target audience. However, it’s possible to describe some broad categories of dashboards based on their main characteristics and uses:

1. Strategic Dashboards

Strategic dashboards are used by executives and managers to monitor the performance of the organization as a whole and make long-term decisions.

They usually include key performance indicators (KPIs) and data visualizations that help identify trends and growth opportunities.

2. Tactical Dashboards

Tactical dashboards are used by project managers and teams to monitor the performance of specific processes and activities.

They are usually more detailed than strategic dashboards and include data visualizations that help identify problems and opportunities for improvement, with the aim of achieving medium-term goals.

3. Operational Dashboards

Operational dashboards are used by support and operations teams to monitor the health and performance of systems and applications.

They usually include charts and tables that show technical metrics, such as uptime, latency, resource utilization, and system errors, which help operational teams quickly identify problems and take corrective action.

4. Financial Dashboards

These dashboards are used by finance teams to monitor the financial performance of the organization and identify opportunities for savings or growth.

They usually include charts and tables that show financial metrics, such as revenue, net profit, gross margin, and cash flow.

How to create an efficient Dashboard?

After understanding a little more about the functions of a dashboard, it’s important to know some characteristics that should be considered when creating one of these panels.

Otherwise, a large disordered amount of data can end up overwhelming the user and being ineffective. Follow the care that should be taken when creating a dashboard to ensure its efficiency:

• Define clear objectives: Before starting to design the dashboard, it’s important to clearly define the objectives it must achieve. This includes identifying user needs and business problems that need to be solved.
• Choose the right metrics: Metrics are the data that will be displayed on the dashboard. It’s important to select the metrics that are relevant to the defined objectives and that help users understand the business performance.
• Select appropriate data visualizations: Data visualizations, such as charts, tables, and other types of representations, should be chosen based on the nature of the data and what is intended to be conveyed to users. It’s important to choose visualizations that are clear and easily understandable.
• Design an intuitive and easy-to-use interface: The dashboard interface should be designed to make it easy to use and understand. It’s important to consider font readability, color contrast, and element layout to make the interface attractive and intuitive.
• Use few colors: Opt for a cleaner format to emphasize content, avoid confusion, and impair analysis. Colors should be used judiciously and always to better communicate the data.
• Pay attention to visual effects: Following the same logic, avoid exaggerating the use of 3D items and transparencies, for example, as this can distract the user and take focus away from what should be evaluated.
• Beware of information overload: Don’t add too many metrics to the panel because the excess of data makes it lose a sense of priority. So, include only what is really relevant.

Why does the Dashboard help in integrating sectors?

If you have made it this far, you must have understood that the dashboard is a tool capable of performing countless functions and promoting significant gains, right?

By adopting the use of the information panel, the manager can have a broad view of all sectors of the organization, following in greater detail everything that is happening in real-time.

In addition, when we create a dashboard properly, all data is centralized and summarized more objectively and clearly.

Therefore, it becomes simpler to make analyses regarding a multitude of subjects, such as service, delinquency, production, orders, billing, deadlines, inventory, conversions, proposals, contacts, collections, and much more!

Qlik Sense – Accurate and Intuitive Dashboard

If even with all our guidance you still have some apprehension about creating your dashboard, the “golden tip” is: use Qlik Sense!

By opting for a technological and highly intuitive data management system like this one, all important information about the company can be presented quickly, practically, and exclusively.

There’s no mistake!

The program has a dynamic layout, different possibilities for displaying data, graphs, tables, reports, and all the resources necessary for the precise analysis of metrics and indicators.

Thus, developing a good action plan and making correct decisions is much easier!

The best part is that you don’t need to understand programming or master super advanced technologies to extract the most innovative features provided by the tool.

Want to know more about the subject?

Then Cluster helps you on this journey, showing exactly how Qlik Sense works and optimizing your processes!