Glossary
What is management dashboard?
A management dashboard is an overview of the most important KPIs for the board or management team. Each figure is shown with a comparison against a target, last year or the previous period.
Management dashboard explained
A management dashboard answers one question at a glance: are we on track? That is why it shows few figures, each with context, such as a target, last year or a trend. From that overview you can drill down into details, but the first page must be readable without explanation.
The biggest pitfall is a dashboard the management team does not trust. If the figure does not match what finance reports, or nobody knows when the data was last updated, the dashboard is soon ignored.
So start with the questions management really asks, not with the data that happens to be available. A sketch or prototype of the dashboard before building helps you find out early what is missing or unnecessary.
Example
Acme Groothandel's management dashboard shows this month's revenue, gross margin, order intake and on-time delivery on the first page, each next to its target and the same month last year. One click shows the same figures per branch or per product group.
Management dashboard in ENABLE
In ENABLE a management dashboard sits in the portal as an embedded Power BI report, with a "Last refreshed" status, full screen and a mobile view. Access profiles decide who sees it; with the Dashboard Builder (pilot), users can also build dashboards themselves.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should a management dashboard include?
The most important KPIs for the organisation's goals, each compared with a target, last year or the previous period. Keep it to a limited number of figures and make details available through drill-down.
What is the difference between a management dashboard and a report?
A dashboard shows the state of affairs at a glance; a report goes deeper into details and analysis. A management dashboard is usually the starting point, with reports for depth.
How often should a management dashboard be updated?
It depends on how often management makes decisions. Daily refreshes are common; what matters most is that it is clear when the figures were last updated.
Further reading
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard development: our 5-step approachHow Data Analytics builds a Power BI dashboard: sketch first, then build.Read more
- PlatformDashboard builder: build your own dashboards (pilot)Build your own dashboards on approved data, with AI that proposes charts. In pilot.Read more
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