Describes how to use a business dashboard in the decision making process.
Keywords:
dashboard, business dashboard, performance dashboard, dashboard excel
Article Body:
When you think of a dashboard what comes to mind? For most people, the first picture that comes to mind is the dashboard in your car. The dashboard extends from just under the inside portion of your windshield and includes all the dials, knobs, buttons, and instruments that essentially run the automobile. In essence, the dashboard of a car serves as the control center. Via the dashboard you can change the radio, turn up the volume, defrost the windows, heat up the car, cool down the car, or even insert a CD to listen to. More advanced and luxurious cars have dashboards that give the driver a glimpse of the conditions in and around the car – such as the temperature outside, the speed of the car, the time, and the song currently playing on the stereo system etc. Simply put, dashboards are great at offering a quick glance into ones current condition, providing a simple yet powerful visual representation of information.
Business Dashboard to the Rescue
Business executives often are pressed for time, and in need of a Dashboard to their company’s current status. Fortunately, a business dashboard does exist. Like the dashboard of a car, a business dashboard offers a look into wellbeing of a company. A business dashboard will often consist of information representing the vitals of a company. Vitals like sales and inventory data, as well as profitability information. Business dashboards are often quite flexible allowing for customized inputs of information and charts to display the information that is most vital to your company.
When an executive takes advantage of a business dashboard, he literally has all the information from the whole company at his finger tips. Business dashboards allow the user to manipulate complex data input sets and view and interpret the data in simple, yet powerful visual representations. For an executive that lacks ample time to make complex business decisions based on the data provided to him a business dashboard proves priceless.
Performance Dashboard Keeps You Ahead of the Game
Many top executives think of this type of dashboard as a performance dashboard. After all, when all is said and done, the dashboard is essentially measuring and displaying the performance of the company. All great executives understand the importance of maintaining a grasp of the current performance status of the company, and a performance dashboard allows these executives to maintain their edge over other corporations.
As mentioned before, a dashboard can be very flexible. Business and performance dashboards are capable of displaying information or inputs that are contained in Excel file format. A dashboard lacking dashboard excel functionality will prove to be a useless tool. In the business world, much of our information is housed by Excel so when you are looking for a performance dashboard solution, be sure to look for a dashboard that advertises dashboard excel compatibility.
Don’t get caught lagging behind the competition. Make sure you have the best tools and instruments so that your company can make informed decisions and maintain or even exceed the pace set by the competition. Remember, when looking for a performance dashboard solution, if you want to make use of that huge database of Excel worksheets you have on your servers you will need a business dashboard solution that provides dashboard excel compatibility.
