Dashboards for decisions and daily operations.

Decide what the screen is for

A dashboard should help someone make a decision or complete a task. An operations manager may need to find overdue work. A customer may need to see the status of a delivery. An administrator may need to review a record and correct it.

We start with those actions. That gives the interface a purpose and keeps a first release from becoming a wall of charts.

Define the numbers before drawing them

Two systems can use the same label for different things. An order may be counted when it is created, paid or delivered. A useful view needs an agreed definition, a source and a person responsible for checking it.

We identify filters, time zones, exclusions and refresh requirements. Where information arrives in batches, the interface should say when it was updated. We do not describe a periodic sync as real time.

Improve the existing reporting where it fits

An existing business-intelligence tool may already support the needed measures and views. The work could be report configuration, data preparation or embedding that report into a portal.

A custom interface is more useful when users need specific actions alongside the data, or when the workflow cannot be served adequately by existing tools. The choice should include licensing, access and maintenance costs.

Separate viewing from changing

Showing a report and allowing someone to update operational records are different responsibilities. We agree which roles can view, export, create, change or approve information.

For an admin interface, the scope should cover validation and the consequences of a change. High-impact actions may need confirmation, a record of the change or a way to recover.

The 21Goals case study includes an administration interface for operating a football prediction product. It is relevant to product administration, rather than evidence of a financial reporting deployment.

Validate and hand over

We reconcile representative results against the source, test role-specific access and check empty, loading and error states. The agreed acceptance checks should also cover stale information and failed refreshes.

Handover identifies the data sources, definitions, refresh schedule, administrators and support responsibilities. The price and delivery plan follow from those requirements.