Tuesday 19 July 2011

Dashboards Making Business Decision Quick and Easy

Businesses face a unique challenge in today's world

Decision-makers in today's business world face challenges placed upon  them because of advancements in technology and globalization. Executives  must now sift through data presented in different formats, stored in  different places, and created by multiple people. Managers often work  with staff dispersed not only in multiple offices, but often across the  country and the world. Smart business decisions are based on "all the  facts" but pulling those pieces together is a daunting task.

How do dashboards help decision makers overcome those challenges?

dashboardsToday's smart business leaders look to business dashboards to help them  meet those challenges. Why? Because dashboard solutions pull the data  together into one at-your-fingertips place. And they enable users, no  matter where they are or what their technical know-how, to contribute to  and use the data.

A well-planned dashboard is easy to use. It clarifies the relationship  between data for better decision making. It allows decision makers to  spot opportunities and trends which enables many positive outcomes such  as cost reduction and optimal use of resources. Since dashboards quickly  sort through data, they help promote informed and responsive decisions.  The user can see results and understand what drives the numbers.

The benefit of a dashboard is it draws together the data AND the people.  Companies that use a dashboard to allow automatic access to corporate  data (accounting, inventory, customers, etc.) and with this gathered  data they can automatically produce and distribute reports to people in  the organization.

Some reporting tools deliver automated reports to users on a pre-defined  schedule. Users can set whatever schedule they choose, ie. daily,  weekly, monthly, or on an as-needed basis. People in the organization  can customize reports by inputting parameters like date ranges.

Excel dashboard software is an example of a business solution that  allows everyone in an organization to get the most out of business  resources they already understand. Excel is a tool that most business  people are accustomed to using on a day- to-day basis. They know how to  use the basic features, already have it on their computer, and can  easily share files between one another. One of the challenges of Excel  is manually creating visually complex dashboards. Reporting tools enable  everyone on staff to use automated Excel dashboards.

Executive dashboards lead to informed decision-making and collaboration

In summary, dashboards enable decision-makers to look at the whole  picture. They enhance a company's ability to share and update data  across boundaries of time and space. This data is then available in one  consolidated place in a familiar format like Excel that makes access  simple, useful, and universal.

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