Creating ’Beginner’ Dashboards
Gartner says that most organizations should be doing better with data and analytics, given the potential benefit. We agree…and the irony is that most managers like the concept of dashboards. However, reality sets in when Business Intelligence projects are launched, but the resulting dashboards fail to deliver the promised value. I want to talk about dashboard basics and how to use ‘beginner’ dashboards to teach yourself how to succeed with dashboards.
Dashboard Roadblocks

Dashboards, the output from Business Intelligence projects, have been around for 30 years, and when well-designed can deliver real value. Unfortunately, BI projects can be daunting, and may not gain approval in many medium and smaller sized organizations due to cost and complexity.
Another major roadblock is that dashboard platforms have traditionally limited design options to data-analyst approved styles. The current “best practice” for clear data display is a grid of four charts, two across and two down.
Design
This analyst-style design approach tends towards “too much information”. Many potential users have trouble articulating what they want to see so they go with what the analyst or vendor suggests. This can lead to a feeling that dashboards are very complicated.
A graphic designer or marketing designer would be horrified by this non-pretty approach that has no appeal to human emotions. A good dashboard should “pop”. It should be easy to understand and should immediately tell the viewer whether there is anything to be worried about.
Beginner Dashboards
We describe this as one that is easy to build without a major BI project. We include simple dashboards in many of our client projects. Our design meetings ask the question “What do you need to see?” When that question is answered, we then ask “Why”?
Trying to answer the “why” often changes the “what”. It’s an iterative process but once we reach consensus, we then mock up a few display styles for review.
Designing and using a variety of simple dashboards for various topic areas helps develop an inherent understanding of what approach works best for your organization.
For example, on a business continuity project, a BCP dashboard, used when the BCP is activated, may show a simple graphic representation of each division.
The colour of each division will show if the CEO or VPs need to worry about the BCP process in that division. If a division shows as red or amber, the division name is clicked to go to a second level to see subgroups within that division.
Start Small
Start small, start often, and share internally. Try the TMC approach and iterate though the two questions: “What”? And “Why”?
Demonstrating small successes can spread the desire for others to develop useful dashboards.
This article was published in the
February 2020
edition of The TMC Advisor
- ISSN 2369-663X Volume:7 Issue:1
©2020 TMC Consulting