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An Excel-based IT Dashboard for the CIO

Sorry for the late Dashboard Spy post today, but I ran into a little problem with a security guard while “researching” today’s dashboard post. Yes, my dear readers, The Dashboard Spy finally got caught by security!

No, it’s not as bad as you think. I did not get detained while stealing screenshots in some Fortune 5 company. My record in those particular “research” sessions is still clear (Ahh, just the thought of it makes me feel like visiting a corporate campus!).  Nevertheless, I was indeed caught today while snapping pictures of a dashboard with my camera phone. I’ll explain that after I introduce today’s dashboard screenshot and commentary.

Today we look at an IT dashboard for a Chief Information Officer. It’s an Excel-based dashboard, albeit an Excel dashboard on steroids (with MicroCharts and XLCubed providing the “juice”.)

Our Dashboard Spy over in Germany, Andreas Lipphardt of MicroCharts, maker of those great little sparkline and bullet graphs for Excel,  sent over this note and screenshot:

Excel CIO Dashboard

 Now, if you think this CIO Dashboard looks familiar, you are right. Thanks to Stephen Few, we saw it in his book, Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data.

Here’s a look at the Stephen Few version (along with the story of my problem with the security guard!):

Actually, let me show you Andreas’ explanation of what he did with this dashboard:

Dear Dashboard Spy,

Here is our latest Excel based dashboard, the CIO dashboard.

Stephen Few’s popular book “Information Dashboard Design” showcased this
dashboard to allow a Chief Information Officer to monitor the performance of
a company’s core information systems and activities. What we have done is
recreate the dashboard and make it live by using MicroCharts and XLCubed in
Excel and then publishing it to the XLCubed Web Edition so that it can be viewed by
individual users through a thin client web page.

http://www.xlcubed.com/en/Images/CIODashboard_Large.PNG

The design of the dashboard allows end users to view a large amount of
relevant information in a pleasing visual display and by linking it direct
to the data it has become a dashboard which displays the relevant up to date
data for the individual viewing it.

Now let’s take a look at the original that appeared in the Few book. Here’s where I get to explain what happened. I own several copies of the Information Dashboard Design book. I meant to bring along a copy with me today to reference, but I ran out of the house quickly this morning and forgot to bring it along.

However, I have the good fortune of working right next to a really big Barnes and Noble bookstore. I thought I’d just go over and take a peek. Now, instead of buying another copy (sorry Stephen, but as I mentioned, I already have a “Few”, because it’s great for giving to clients), I couldn’t help myself and whipped out my cell phone. The security guard saw me and started to hover. After I snapped a few pics, he came over and told me that I can’t take pictures of the books. BUSTED! He did not want to hear my “information wants to be free” rant, so I just left.

That security guard should sign on at some of the companies that our Dashboard Spies are running around in. After a thousand dashboard screenshots liberated from all kinds of companies, there is not a peep of trouble, but the first time I try to smuggle a dashboard of a bookstore, I get caught! Oh, well.

Here is the original CIO Dashboard from the Stephen Few book:

CIO Dashboard

Yes, it’s fuzzy, but the security guard was at my shoulder.

Here is a close-up of the paragraph under the dashboard (apologies for stealing your content, Steve!):

Stephen Few Comments

Tags: MicroCharts Dashboard, Excel Dashboards, XLCubed Dashboard, Stephen Few CIO Dashboard

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Last Modified: Thursday, October 18th, 2007 @ 15:25

This business intelligence dashboard blog entry was posted on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 3:20 pm and is filed under Dashboard Screenshots. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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