A summary people read.
WHAT A DASHBOARD IS FOR
Showing current state at a glance.
WHAT IT IS NOT FOR
Detailed analysis Everything you measure
WHAT TO INCLUDE
Your five to eight key figures Each with a comparison A trend for the most important
WHAT TO PUT AT THE TOP
The most important figure.
People read the top and stop.
WHAT TO LEAVE OUT
Anything nobody acts on Charts that look impressive and say little
WHAT TO ADD BESIDE THE NUMBERS
A short note explaining movement.
That is what makes it useful rather than decorative.
HOW OFTEN TO UPDATE
Monthly, for most small businesses.
Weekly for leading indicators, where warranted.
WHAT TO CHECK
Whether anyone actually looks at it.
If not, it is wrong.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT
Ask what they would find useful, and build that instead.
WHAT TO AVOID
Building a dashboard before you have questions.
