A data dashboard is not the following:ĭata Visualization: Simply put, a data visualization is an optical representation of data, and it can take many forms (graphs, charts, models, infographic, etc.). You may better understand data dashboards by contrasting them with other tools. They often surface live (or real-time) data and provide continuous, up-to-the-minute information. Operational: Operational dashboards are designed to give you insight into processes and other underlying functions of your business. Analytical dashboards typically include background information, context, and data analysis. They are typically static dashboards that are updated periodically (weekly, monthly, etc.) as the organization prepares to review and plan for the next block of time.Īnalytical: These detailed dashboards allow you to drill down into the data. Strategic: Strategic dashboards are meant to help managers discover opportunities, create forecasts, drive strategy, and focus on high-level performance data. Informational: The most straightforward type, informational dashboards exist to surface objective, unbiased information about your project or business.
A variety of software solutions also make it easy to build and customize a data dashboard, and integrate it with your existing systems (we’ll take a look at dashboard software later on).ĭata dashboards fall under four main classifications: Early business dashboards employed spreadsheets and databases to perform relatively low-level data analysis, and they eventually evolved into the complex and much more visually appealing dashboards we know today.
The tool gets its name from automobile dashboards, which relay critical, high-level information about the car’s underlying system. When used effectively, data dashboards enable you to make smart, data-driven business decisions quickly. Dashboards can serve different purposes for different organizations, based on the use case. As the name suggests, data dashboards focus on highlighting data - rather than qualitative information - to provide insight and transparency into your initiatives. No-code required.Ī data dashboard is a visual tool that allows you to surface key performance indicators (KPIs) and other important metrics to view vital information at a glance.