Top 10 Practices For Business Intelligence Dashboards

Companies around the globe are using business intelligence dashboards more frequently. You can avoid the pitfalls if you already use one, or plan to.

These are the 10 best business intelligence practices that you can use to design a dashboard. Then choose the information you want to display.

Top 10 Practices For Business Intelligence Dashboards

1. Identify your reporting needs

Business intelligence dashboards allow you to quickly gather statistics and convert them into reports. Before you start to tackle this task, make sure that you know what information should be included and which departments will see it.

The accounting department may require significantly different metrics than the customer service team. First, get confirmation of the details and intended audience. You can save time by not having to do extra work or include irrelevant information.

You can’t afford to use the right analytics and reporting services, as reporting requirements are extremely important. This is why Power BI Consulting has become so popular.

2. Select a dashboard to meet your needs

There are many types of BI dashboards available on the market.

• Strategic: This summarizes key information about your organization’s health and current situation, while also highlighting potential expansion opportunities.
• Analytical: Dashboards that display data variables over a time period and help you spot trends.
• Operational: These dashboards are for you if your focus is on key performance indicators or real-time operational changes.
• Tactical: Mid-level managers use these dashboards most often. They provide deep dives into the company’s processes and show weekly trends.
  Before you invest in a solution, find examples of business intelligence dashboards based on the categories above. This will increase your satisfaction with your investment.

Also read: 6 Business Intelligence Tools that Analyze Your Software Ecosystem

3. Design your dashboard to minimize distractions

Avoiding unnecessary information is one of the best dashboard design tips. Follow the five-second rule to make your dashboards accessible to everyone. Make sure that the content of the dashboard is clear so that everyone can easily find the information they are looking for.

Examine the information carefully and make sure that every graphic or text snippet serves its purpose. Take it out if it doesn’t. Too much data in your dashboard can make it harder for people to concentrate on the most important parts of their work.

4. Pay attention to relevant numbers

Graphic helpers that highlight statistics may be appreciated by some viewers. One example of one of the Power BI dashboard best practices Microsoft suggests for its product is to use a card visualization to highlight numerical figures.

You might consider using other BI products that don’t have this feature. You might use bright colors or increase the size of your figures relative to the text.

5. Restrict dashboard access to authorized parties

You must also take the necessary security precautions when working with a BI dashboard. Some content management systems permit you to limit administrative access to those with the appropriate credentials. The same could be done with your BI interface.

You might consider setting role-based privileges that are based on whether someone needs editing privileges or just access to the content. You can modify or remove access depending on whether an individual is promoted or leaves the company.

Encourage everyone to practice good password hygiene. This includes using a different password each time and not sharing credentials.

6. Manage your data according to the inverted pyramid model

News professionals are familiar with the inverted pyramid approach. This involves placing the most important information at the beginning of an article and giving it the most space. The details that are less important appear at the end of the article and may be contained in a single paragraph.

By letting the inverted pyramid model determine how data is presented, you can follow dashboard design best practices. You can highlight the most important details in the largest sections or panes.

7. Choose the right type of chart

Charts are great for helping executives understand data and make decisions. The best chart types will be suited to your needs, and the type of data you are presenting.

Line charts are great for showing trends over time. Pie charts show how individual categories relate to an overall value. To help users compare the differences, you might use a vertical bar chart. Remember that not all charts are the same.

8. Make sure to include the most important information on a single screen

You’ve probably spent some time looking at business intelligence dashboards. It may be obvious that all of the important details are instantly available and don’t require you to swipe between multiple screens. It is best to allow people to view the most important material on one screen. This increases clarity and helps you stay focused on your main points.

Consider how many people who view the content might have packed their schedules and might be eager to find the information they are looking for quickly and without any delay. We have already discussed how to cut down unnecessary information to avoid distractions. This is a similar point. However, it is an important tip. It encourages you to think about what data to show first and remember your audience’s needs.

Also read: Top 10 KPI Tracking Dashboards

9. Consider optimizing your dashboard for mobile users

Web designers understand how important it is for content to be designed for mobile phones. This is especially true since many people use their smartphones more than computers. You can modify your dashboard to be accessible on smartphones using Power BI.

This involves changing the content in the dashboard’s upper-right corner from Web View to Phone View. This option will only be visible to the dashboard’s owner. Phone View allows you to adjust the layout so it looks different for phone users and computer users. This includes rearranging tiles, changing their sizes, or changing their shapes.

You should check if the product you are using is mobile-friendly.

10. Display data in the right context

When designing your chart, consider how factors such as the relative size or color of the content on the BI dashboard might influence people’s conclusions. Not all of these conclusions are necessarily correct. To help people understand the data and avoid misunderstandings, ensure that labels and source citations are used.

There have been at least a few dashboards you’ve seen that look great at first but then didn’t provide enough context. You probably left with questions and doubts. Referring to the charts and statistics on the dashboard can help viewers feel more confident as they digest the material.

Conclusion — Tips to guide your efforts

These best business intelligence practices will allow you to get the most from any dashboard that you buy or use. It’s important to spend enough time training your employees and yourself on how to use the tool. Every BI available on the market comes with different layouts and features. You will be able to achieve the results you desire the more you know them.