Best practices for an effective Dashboard for business / MIS (Management Info System)

Most organizations today are seeking new technologies to enhance operational capacity

and reduce costs of operations. One of the main challenges facing any type of

organization in the modern setup is enhancing efficiency in an environment of

increasing operational costs. One way of enhancing productivity in any organizational

setup is by leveraging the data generated and using it in decision making.

IntroductionIntroduction

A dashboard for business or an MIS (Management Info System) plays a similar role

to that of a heart in the body. This system ensures data collated from different parts of

your organization are processed and then presented in a manner that will help make the

right decisions.

The Role of a Dashboard/MIS

By integrating a dashboard in your organization, you will ensure all teams have the

necessary information when they need it. For instance, a supply manager knows the

inventory in the warehouse through the warehouse management system (WMS). At the

same time, the market department has information from the system showing which

products are flying off the shelves and which ones require a new marketing strategy.

Whether you are in the healthcare or automotive industry, you have to set in place

systems that will help you optimize the information you have in the organization. An

effective Management Info System helps in strategic planning, operational and

management control, scheduling control, goal setting, organization communication,

decision making and risk management among other areas. Today, dashboards are the de

facto face of business management applications and they are integral in business

intelligence (BI).

While dashboards and information management systems have become ubiquitous in

modern business, there are still challenges which most companies face in the

implementation of the systems. In some cases, dashboards are created on-the-fly and

with time they become loaded with meaningless information.

Dashboard/MIS Implementation Challenges

For every dashboard that is an integral tool in a business, there are thousands which

are just pretty interfaces full of graphics which will not help business teams. The early

days of dashboard integration into business involved fusing pretty graphics with the

right information displays. While this might sound like an ideal solution, there is still

more that needs to be done.

Modern web MIS and dashboard design now blends usability, utility and aesthetics to

provide a system that adds value to an organization. In order to achieve this, it is

important to observe the best practices for an effective dashboard. Below are some of

the guidelines that will help you achieve this:

1) If you don’t know the application, business case behind the app, there is no way you

are going to build a helpful dashboard or MIS platform. Your design must start with

these questions; who is your audience? What is the value of the dashboard to the target

audience? What type of dashboard is best suited for this audience? In essence, you have

to know the role of the users in the organization, their workflow, skill range, business

data expertise, and customization needs.

Design A Purpose-Filled Dashboard

Truth be told, most people are resistant to change and one way of encouraging your

staff to embrace a new dashboard or MIS is by involving them in the design. In fact, it

is recommended that every stakeholder in your business, from the supplier, vendor and

driver, to the inventory manager and accountant, should have a say in the design of your

dashboard. This creates a sense of ownership and they will not revert to their beloved

spreadsheets after you have launched the system.

2) Involve the Users

3)Use Iterative Design

If you want a dashboard that will be acceptable to the users, make sure it is developed

using an interactive design. One of the main concerns faced by dashboard designers is

the fact that clients always return after the project is complete claiming the dashboard

doesn’t fit their specifications. It is important to request the designer to follow iterative

design where a cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analyzing, refining, feedback and

finally the end product is used. The idea is to ensure users love the dashboard you

provide.

What you are going to include in a dashboard should be a key factor which even

surpasses the look. The format is important but the content matters even more. In terms

of form, consider the structure, design principles, and functionality. Factors that may

influence the dashboard form and content include timelines, aesthetic value, mobility,

collaboration, data details and density.

As a rule of thumb, when designing a dashboard, make sure you add performance

indicators, use basic designing principles, keep data fresh, include actionable

information and don’t overload.

4) Focus on Form and Content

A dashboard presents crucial information for better management decisions. At W2S

Solutions, we build complex web and mobile applications and build Dashboard that

helps SME’s and Entrepreneurs to promote their business. To make the dashboard

really useful, application has to be filled with quality datas and It’s high priority to

finish the whole system before getting into managing the datas.

Conclusion

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