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How can a dashboard software enhance a BI solution?
We’ve just implemented a BI solution, and I’ve been hearing quite a bit about dashboard software that can tie into the BI. Is it useful to use a dashboard software, or do you find that they’re a waste of money. Why don’t they come as a package with BI if they’re so important?
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3 Answers
Some BI software products have dashboarding capabilities built-in, some don't. Whinch solution you implemented?
Dashboards for business users represent powerful means of communications nowdays when companies build large amounts of data. Those visually compressed representations of only the most important data are used for tracking current business operations, mainly compared to some goal.
When made and used in correct way, dashboards can help in orienting organization or team by focusing everyone’s attention on common goal while at the same time, keeping performance in sight. Dashboards intended for upper management can be compared to car dashboard; in both cases there is a group of various graphical images which provide us with figures and whose aim is to inform quickly and unambiguously. Observer’s attention is solely focused to important information.
So, my reccomendation is - definitelly, use them!
Hi Martin,
Dashboard is a great thing but……
Be careful with using it. Colleagues whose performance you measure/follow trough dashboard are going to find a way to improve the measured parameters which in most cases leads to neglecting a not measured ones. This definitely brings to re -engineering of the business process.
This is a great thing about dashboards but also their curse.
To avoid this, a crucial step is a good design of a dashboard and here is one of the reasons why some companies does not involve them in the package, the other one is that they like to charge additionally if you by it.
In case a dashboard is included in software package in most cases it comes with some quick setup, which does not fit to your business (it is usually based on the parameters you follow in BI). Whatever goes wrong because the dashboard you have a full right to question the software producer because after all you were following their recommendation in setup. For a software producer this is a good way to lose reputation or and in court, so the experienced usually try to separate the BI from dashboard or suggest you to use consultant to setup a dashboard.
In case you have experience or a good consultant I strongly recommend you to use a dashboard. It is a good way to clarify to everyone what is important (what we measure), what are the expectations (values, traffic lights etc.) and an amazing way to cut a lot of discussions on meeting short (no need to re discuss what are the goals).
Regards, Daniel
Ideally, your organization conducted a Business Intelligence Information Access Strategy, which addressed the means of disseminating data to information consumers. The analysis should have evaluated the wide range of BI capabilities and examined use cases for providing dashboards, alerters, ad hoc queries, structured queries, parameterized reports, standard reports, OLAP analysis, exception-based reporting, data mining, and predictive modeling.
So, what is the use case for dashboards in your organization? Who needs them, why do they need them, and what will they do with the information that is provided by the dashboards? If you cannot answer these questions, then dashboards are probably a waste of money for your organization. The other individuals who responded to your question provided a good description of dashboards and their benefits.
Your second question about why dashboards are not included as a package of BI lie with the software vendors. Most software vendors provide a menu of BI capabilities that customers can choose from so that each customer can tailor the purchase price to their needs. Therefore, choosing one or two capabilities is less expensive than selecting the entire menu.
Please remember that the value of Business Intelligence is dependent upon individuals using the technology for the betterment of the organization. If they don’t use it, there is no value.
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