A Dashboard Spy reader wrote me asking about a powerpoint template I created for the purpose of creating quick business dashboard mockups. I sent it to him, but thought to share it again with all the readers here.
Use this link to download the ppt file: Powerpoint Dashboard Mockup Template
It’s a pretty nice tool. Feel free to use it to mock up your next dashboard project.
Here’s a screenshot of it.
Yes, the Dashboard Spy theme song is back and stronger than ever. Take a look at the new video. A lot of Dashboard Spy readers are really jiving to the tune!
So, of course, now that I’ve railed against being easily seduced by infographics, I’ve gone hog wild and been browsing all sorts of infographics. I can’t stop. I’m hooked on the eye candy.
Here’s a look at some predicted internet trends in 2012.
Some interesting excerpts in case you can’t view the above infographic.
People, I’m going to speak a bit harshly in this post. You MUST watch out for crappy infographics and STOP worshipping them blindly. Just because something is being presented with graphics in a splashy way does NOT mean that it’s been thought out well or can be trusted.
What do I mean?
Because I’ve become an insider in the world of search engine optimization, I’m aware of certain SEO techniques to draw traffic with so-called infographics. Let me reveal a big secret, you can buy a bunch of infographics for a few bucks. Not only can you use the infographics in any way you wish, you can even claim authorship as you get PLR (private label rights to them).
So be careful out there!
Here’s a look at typical cheesy ads for such “infographics” for sale.
Oh boy, buyer beware.
Wake up, people!
So I figured nobody would be interested in SEO Dashboard KPIs. And, lol and behold, I get a notice about an extensive write up about SEO dashboards and the metrics they use. I kid you not. I was speaking to Tricia Aanderud about her new book (Building Business Intelligence Using SAS: Content Development Examples – review coming up soon), and she invited me to join her in a presentation. She suggested that I speak about SEO metrics for dashboards because she knows that I’m a nut about SEO (I specialize in high level SEO consulting for business intelligence companies). I told her “No way, no one would be interested in SEO dashboard metrics. Well, wait until you see the post I point you to today! Bottom line? Tricia was right – I was wrong!
Aaron Wall of seobook.com wrote a great post titled “Setting Up Actionable SEO Dashboards in the New Google Analytics” that everyone should check out. (Yes – Aaron, you are getting a great link from me for your hard work!)
Here’s a small clip from it:
One by one, Aaron goes on to describe 20 something widgets containing KPIs and metrics for various SEO measures. Wonderful stuff.
Great job.
Hubert Lee
The Dashboard Spy
Dashboard Spy reader Hrvoje Smolić is the CEO of Qualia (www.qualia.hr), a Croatian business intelligence company specializing in information dashboards.
He’s submitting this series of hotel dashboards for our study:
We start with the Executive Dashboard focusing on the revenue numbers.
Hrvoje explains:
This is an Executive hotel dashboard. Its intent is to give information about Revenues made on different aspects of hotel business – Rooms revenue, Food and beverage revenue, Meetings and events revenue and finally, other hotel revenue. For the chosen date, this dashboard will show month to date actual revenue, month to date budget revenue, month to date last year revenue as well as month to date forecasted revenue for all important entities, including total hotel revenue. For the graphical representation, we used bullet graphs in relative values actual revenue vs forecast revenue. On top of that, there are three metrics shown for the particular day chosen – Actual Revenue, Numbers of rooms occupied or Guests present on that day and Average Hour Rate (Revenue per room / Revenue per guest)
In this dashboard, the user can filter data on time dimension (by picking a month) and on Outlet. For Outlet chosen, it will show three important parts of hotel business. First, there is a monthly time series graph showing for each day in the month Number of guests, Daily revenue per guest and Pickup (number of guests that attend that particular outlet compared with total number of guests in hotel). Secondly, there is a detailed table for the selected day in the graph that the user can select interactively. It shows number of guests, average amount spent on food and average amount spent on beverages for breakfast, lunch, dinner and night. Finally, integration with a time management application is made. On the third component for each day the number of work hours logged by personnel is shown.
In this dashboard, the user can filter data on the time dimension (by picking a month). This dashboard presents how well Rooms are doing in the hotel. It will show three important parts of the room metrics. First, there is a Statistics month graph showing the number of guests present in the rooms and Number of Occupied rooms for each day in the month. Then there is Index number shown which is ratio of work hours by personnel on the chosen date and number of guests in rooms on that same date. Finally, integration with time management application is made again. On the third component for each day, the a number of personnel work hours is shown split by hotel departments.
Thanks Hrvoje
What are enterprise dashboards? Well, dashboards are simple-to-understand, visually-oriented depictions of the current state of the metrics and key performance indicators of most importance to your business. Of course, they borrow from the “cockpit” or “dashboard” metaphors that are so easy to “get”.
Here’s a screenshot of a typical dashboard:
Nice layout, right? Do you want a copy of the HTML for it? It will save your developers weeks of tweaking code. To get a free copy of the html template, just sign up for my newsletter. Use the form to the side of this post. There’s no cost and I’ll send you 2 other cool layouts as well.
Business dashboards have become the universal front-end of business intelligence. From the production line worker on the manufacturing plant floor, to the sales force in the field, and all the way up to the CEO and CFO in the boardroom, everyone gets their metrics served through a dashboard these days. All enterprise reporting software use the dashboard layout as the home page view of the data. The business intelligence dashboard is easy to embrace, popular to develop and here to stay.
A word about business dashboard software and technology:
Don’t get hung up on the technology. Things don’t have to be complicated. Using Microsoft Excel is an excellent way to start business dashboarding. You can certainly use it to prototype and you may find it good enough to stick with for a very long time.
Here are 2 great resources on using Excel Dashboards:
Excel Dashboards: Templates and Ebook on Creating Excel Dashboards
Are you new to the world of digital dashboards? Want to learn more about them?
Here’s how to start:
Key White Papers About BI and Dashboards
Gartner Magic Quadrant Report on Business Intelligence Platforms
Microstrategy’s Business Intelligence Platform for zone-based layout for scorecards and dashboards
More Business Intelligence White Papers (excellent way to research the business dashboard landscape)
Key Books on Enterprise Dashboards
I’ve been following the business dashboard space since the beginning. In addition to designing and building some of the first really major dashboard applications, I’ve had the pleasure of being the consolidator of dashboard project artifacts for many teams across many industries. Those with me at the beginning remember me having to swear secrecy in exchange for getting a “secret screenshot” of a hush-hush dashboard project (hence the moniker “Dashboard Spy”!). I’ve watched the development of the growing niche of dashboard books. Here are some of my very favorite:
First off, every once in a while, you should search Amazon for new books on the subject. Here’s a link that will bring up the latest books on enterprise dashboards:
Amazon Page of Dashboard Books (My favorite place to purchase books or anything else)
And here are some recommended books (be sure to browse inside the books with the “Look Inside” function):
Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data by Stephen Few (This is a great book on the principles of information visualization.)
Business Dashboards: A Visual Catalog for Design and Deployment by Nils Rasmussen (Really, really great book of examples)
Project Management Metrics, KPIs, and Dashboards: A Guide to Measuring and Monitoring Project Performance by Harold Kerzner (This is nirvana for project management dashboard geeks. I wrote a section in this book!)
Here are the latest books (both coincidentally on the SAS platform):
Building Business Intelligence Using SAS: Content Development Examples by Tricia Aanderud
SAS/GRAPH: Beyond the Basics by Robert Allison
Key Blogs to Follow
Here are a couple of launch points to learn more about business dashboards:
http://dashboardspy.com/experts
http://dashboardsbyexample.com
http://enterprisedashboards.com
Key Dashboard Software Vendors to Check Out
Calling all Dashboard Spy readers in Australia:
Chandoo, master excel dashboarder and guru, will be conducting a series of Advanced Excel Dashboard Masterclasses in Australia this coming May and June.
If you are close to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra or Perth, take this chance to brush up on your dashboard skills.
Info here:
Australian Excel Dashboard Master Classes by Chandoo
The two day masterclass is aimed at managers, analysts, reporting professionals, executives in sales, marketing, customer service or anyone who wants to learn about Excel Dashboards.
In this masterclass you will learn:
Day1: Our first dashboard in Excel
Day 2: Advanced dashboard skills
Not in Australia?
Be sure to check out Chandoo’s School for Excel and his modules on Excel Dashboards.
If you are interested in using Excel for Dashboards, click on this banner to learn more about Excel School for Dashboards:
