Dashboard Design: some basics Emidia Vagnoni
Concepts and Theory
Dashboard definition “A dashboard dashboard is a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on o n a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance”
Dashboard types I Strategic Dashboards Used by executives Quick overview on the health of the business, including major high-level measures Few information, simple display mechanisms, static snapshots • • •
Analytical Dashboards Used by analysts Support interaction with data, e.g. drill-down Complex data, sophisticated display mechanisms, static snapshots • • •
Operational Dashboards Used to monitor operations Support alerting for critical events, interaction with data Detailed data, simple and clear display mechanisms, real-time data • • •
Source: (Few 2006, p. 40-42)
Layers of information Summarized Graphical View r e p y o a T L
Purpose: Monitor key performance metrics Display: Graphical indicators, numbers, text Technology: Dashboards, scorecard, portals
Multidimensional View Purpose: Explore information from multiple dimensions e l r Display: Interactive charts and tables d e d Technology: OLAP, interactive reports i y a M L
Detailed Reporting View
m r Purpose: Examine details before taking action o t t e y Display: Table or report in separate window o a B L Technology: Operational reports, data warehouse queries Source: Eckerson (2006), p. 15
Dashboard types II Dashboard versus Portal •
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Portal = Focus on the integration of different contents under one user interface Dashboard = Focus on the compression of important facts and figures on one single screen
Dashboard versus Scorecard •
A scorecard is a specific dashboard including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), usually used on a strategic level
Evolution of Dashboards Business Dashboards Display: Simple Charts
Function: -Simple monitoring of some business areas
Second Generation
Display: -Advanced Charts -Gauges & Indicators -Tables
Function: -Advanced monitoring -Drill down to analyze -Monitor key metrics
Third Generation
Display: -Advanced Charts -Gauges & Indicators -Tables -Scorecards -Strategy Maps
Function: -Advanced monitoring -Drill down to analyze -Monitor key metrics -Monitor tactics -Monitor strategy
First Generation
5 . p , ) 9 0 0 2 ( n e h C / l a s n a B / n e s s u m s a R m o r f d e t p a d A
SAP Implementation
New Intelligence Platform of SAP
Name is changed to SAP Crystal Please check Dashboard sdn.sap.com for latest version Design SAP Crystal Dashboard Design (formerly Xcelsius) is the flagship product for dashboarding and visualization
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Rapid development of dashboards by drag and drop
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Replacing SAP Bex Web Application Designer
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Source: (SAP AG 2009)
Connectivity through XML and webservice connectors
Common BI Architecture SAP Crystal Dashboard Design
Source: Eckerson, W. (May 2006). Business intelligence 2006 only the beginning. What Works: Best Practices in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing , 21. –
Information Discovery and Delivery Crystal Reports Connect to virtually any data source, design and format interactive reports
SAP Crystal Dashboard Design (Xcelsius) Point and click data visualization tool to create interactive analytics and dashboards
Web Intelligence Self-service access to information and intuitive analysis
SAP Crystal Dashboard Design Overview •
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Building dashboards for different purposes and different hierarchical levels or functions, including dynamic charts and graphs, data presentations and visual what-if scenarios Data presentation is based on Adobe Flash, export to different applications including PowerPoint, Acrobat 9, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash, HTML, Business Objects Platform Dashboards use static data from Microsoft Excel spreadsheet models or live corporate data sources linked using various connectors Available connectors: Query as a Web Service (QaaWS), Web Service Connections, XML Data Connections, Excel XML Map, Live Office,…
Design time & Run time Design time Visualization
Run time Generate dashboard (.swf file with internal data model)
Optional: Dashboard (.swf file) deployed on corporate web server Web Server
Visualization
Design visualization Data binding Workspace Data connectivity
Business Logic
Spreadsheet model
Data Source XML
RDBMS
OLAP
Dashboard is opened on user‘s machine Client
Optional: Dashboard connects to data source Client to refresh data
Visual Components Chart components provide a range of different chart types like line, pie, bar, area, radar, and tree map chart
Container components group and display other components
Selector components are used to create a visualization with multiple options to select from
Single value components are used to add user interactivity to visualizations, these components are linked to a single cell in the spreadsheet Map components create visualizations with geographical representations that can display data by region Text components are used for placing labels and including text into a visualization
Creating Dashboards Three steps to create a new dashboard: •
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Create the spreadsheet model •
Import existing spreadsheet model or
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Create new spreadsheet model with Excel functionality
Build the visualization •
Select suitable components from the visualization library
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Data binding
Publish the dashboard •
Export to PPT, Word, Adobe, SWF, Business Objects …
Example of Spreadsheet
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx
Import Spreadsheet Model 1. Select Data -> Import…
2. Select existing Excel file …
3. Your business model is now available in the embedded spreadsheet
Select Visual Components 1. Select a pie chart from the component browser
2. Move the component using drag and drop onto the canvas
Properties and Data Binding 1. Double click on the component to open the properties panel 2. Edit title of the component: Use static values or dynamic values from spreadsheet model 3. Bind data from spreadsheet model to the component
Publish Dashboard 1. Save spreadsheet model and visualization as *.xlf file
2. Export as e.g. PDF 3. Launch Dashboard
Topics •
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Dashboard design
Designing spreadsheet models Basic components for visualization –
Charts components
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Single value components
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Text components
Alerts Selector components
Dashboard layout Case study: Global Sales Overview
Dashboard Design
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Dashboard design What type of dashboard should be designed? What are the relevant data and KPIs that should be visualized?
What are appropriate elements for visualization? How should user navigation look like? How is the dashboard supplied with data?
Dashboard Design •
Dashboard design principles I Reduce the non-data pixels, by eliminating unnecessary non-data pixels and deemphasizing the remaining non-data pixels –
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E.g. eliminate unnecessary third dimension of depth on charts E.g. eliminate unnecessary grid lines in bar graphs E.g. eliminate variations in color that don’t encode any meaning Source: (Few 2006, p. 103-110)
Dashboard design •
Dashboard design principles II Enhance data pixels by eliminating unnecessary data pixels and highlighting most important data pixels –
Remove data that is less relevant
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Condense data by summaries and exceptions
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Emphasize important data by visual attributes like color intensity, size, line width Emphasize important data by its position on the dashboard: top-left and center are sections with greatest emphasis Emphasized
Neither emphasized nor de-emphasized
Emphasized Neither emphasized nor de-emphasized
De-emphasized
Different degrees of visual emphasis. Source: (Few 2006, p. 114)
Topics •
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Dashboard design Designing spreadsheet models Basic components for visualization –
Charts components
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Single value components
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Text components
Alerts Selector components
Dashboard layout Case study: Global Sales Overview
Spreadsheet Models
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Using Excel functionality SAP Crystal Dashboard Design supports a variety of Excel functions (about 160) and formulas Mathematical, statistical functions Text-related functions Date/Time related functions Spreadsheet formulas Complete list of supported Excel functions available in SAP Crystal Dashboard Design Help But: not all Excel functionality is available in SAP Crystal Dashboard Design –
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Single Value Components Gauges •
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Gauges as input component represent a variable that can be modified to affect other components. By dragging the needle users can interact with the Gauge to change the value Gauges as output components represent a value that changes and moves the needle if underlying data changes
Alerts Alerts overview •
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Used to call the attention of the user to a specific item that has reached a pre-defined limit Limits are e.g. budgets or benchmarks, plan data, etc. Alerts can be defined for different components, including most charts and single-value components and some selector components Customization of different alert levels and colors possible
Configuration takes place on the Alerts tab of the Properties panel
Alerts Defining Alerts for a Gauge Activate Alerts on the Alerts tab in the Properties panel •
Define Alert method:
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as percent, if evaluated values are percentages • as value, if evaluated values are integers •
Define Alert levels and colors
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Select if high/middle/low levels are good
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Dashboard Layout Themes •
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Allow a global change of the appearance of components Each theme has a number of different components with a look and feel of that particular theme Themes can be combines with different Color Schemes
Example of a Dashboard
Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sap-crystal-solutions/dashboards-visualization/demos/index.epx
Other Dashboard Examples Daily executive report Summarizes the daily status of a hospitality company's key performance indicators across different locations Gives the executive an interactive view of the daily and monthly metrics •
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Standard income statement Highlights a new way of presenting typical income statements By selecting a region from a map, the viewer can see its P&L and net income trend over the last six quarters and compare it with the target values •
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Source: http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/sme/xcelsius/demos/index.epx
Display Media for Dashboards Medium
Description
Graphs
Visualize quantitative data, e.g. one single key measure or data series
Images
Useful if images provide additional information
Icons
Visualization of alerts or status (e.g. on/off)
Drawing objects
Arrange and connect different elements on the dashboards, e.g. to visualize processes or hierarchical relationships between elements
Text
Used for labels or to report single measures on the dashboard
Organizers Arrange related business information, e.g. as tables or geographically in maps Source: adapted from Few (2006), p. 124 ff
Example
1000.00 USD
What is Business Intelligence (BI)? IT-enabled business decision making based on simple to complex data analysis processes Database development and administration Data mining Performance Management (B.Scorecards.) Data queries and report writing Data analytics and simulations Benchmarking of business performance Dashboards Decision support systems
IT Technologies Supporting BI
Database systems and database integration Data warehousing, data stores and data marts Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems Query and report writing technologies Data mining and analytics tools Decision support systems Customer relation management software Product lifecycle and supply chain management systems
