Stephen Few is an expert in
"visual business intelligence" whose clients include leading technology
companies such as Cisco Systems, Scientific Atlanta, and Siemens. On his web
site, the California-based consultant worries that "we are overwhelmed by
information, not because there is too much, but because we don't know how to
tame it".
As businesses increase their ability to "collect and warehouse" this information,
"our ability to make sense and communicate it remains inert", Few explains. One solution is to create a dashboard – "a visual display of the most
important information needed to achieve one or more objectives; consolidated
and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance."
What is a Data Dashboard?
Dashboards are a way to
communicate the information resulting from data analysis. That is to say,
dashboards are a form of business intelligence. According to the Gartner Group,
a consultancy which describes itself as "the world's leading information technology
research and advisory company", business intelligence is as "an interactive
process for exploring and analyzing structured, domain-specific
information...to discern business trends or patterns thereby deriving insights
and drawing conclusions." Specifically then, dashboards can be used to aid
in the reporting of business intelligence and subsequent analysis.
Dashboard
Characteristics
Dashboards
have small, concise and clear display mechanisms. They help information
designers to transform data into useful information, and have visual
capabilities. Dashboards are also customized to the needs and requirements of
users. They are used for monitoring information at a glance, and display the
information needed to achieve specific objectives. Finally, dashboard
Dashboards can help users to understand
what's happening and, more importantly, to alert them to problems that require
their immediate attention. By definition, such a broad and high-level overview should
provide instant information about the state of a process, department, or other
entity. As a communication medium then, dashboard success depends on proper design.
This design requires a display that speaks clearly and immediately to users, as
well as to their specific needs and requirements.
Types of Dashboards
There
many types of data dashboards and many different ways to classify them. Some
are structured by role, applications, or layers. Others are classified by data
type or update frequency. This blog entry will focus upon dashboard
classification by role and application. In turn, role and application can be
divided into three subsections each.
Dashboard Roles
Dashboards
serve three roles: strategic, analytical and operational. Strategic dashboards
are designed mainly for executive-level audiences. They have simple display
mechanisms. Analytical dashboards serve to support data analysis. They feature
more complicated display media than strategic dashboards. Analytical dashboards
also provide a richer context, including history and comparisons. As their name
suggests, operational dashboards are designed to help users monitor operations.
Operational dashboards use simple display media to identify exceptions that require
immediate attention.
Dashboard Applications
There
are three applications for dashboards: management, analysis, and monitoring.
The management application helps an organization to improve alignment,
collaboration, and coordination among its strategic goals. The analysis
application also lets users identify and examine exception conditions. Finally,
the monitoring application allows users to understand information at a glance.
Given these applications for data dashboards, their uses can range from C-level
executives down to entry-level line workers.
Other Dashboard Features
Regardless
of type, all dashboards contain both quantitative and non-quantitative data. In
addition, they can be updated on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or even
real-time basis (if required). Dashboard displays are either static or
interactive through the use of drill-down filters. Finally, dashboard display
mechanisms are graphical, text, or a combination of both.
Editor's Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Click here for Part 2.
Resources:
http://www.perceptualedge.com/about.php
http://www.gartner.com/it/about_gartner.jsp
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