| A KPI dashboard, or key performance indicator, is a | | | | each hospital within a region, provide information on |
| software application that can track a corporation or | | | | which facility gets the most trauma cases or show the |
| industry's performance. It tracks and provides the most | | | | frequency in which specific diseases are diagnosed. |
| current information on various aspects of | | | | For organizations with several domestic or global |
| performance, such as recent sales and performance | | | | locations, such an application can show which are the |
| statistics of competing organizations. | | | | highest performing in terms of revenue, compare levels |
| Every business that competes in a particular industry | | | | of productivity, or indicate which locations are most |
| should have access to one of these applications. Many | | | | cost effective. Various features of such applications |
| corporate statistics can be accessed quickly, but a | | | | include the ability to generate graphs, bar charts, pie |
| review of the current industry performance can take | | | | charts and many other visual aids used in data |
| days. | | | | analysis. |
| One benefit of the KPI dashboard is that sales figures | | | | Applications also typically include various types of data |
| from one quarter to another can be easily compared. | | | | that can be chosen for analysis or comparison. Filters |
| This helps the organization make decisions about sales | | | | are also used to look at specific events or ranges of |
| strategies as well as about the performance of | | | | events. This can include dates, selection of specific |
| employees. It can also show how well an organization | | | | product sales within an organization, or for more |
| measures up to its competitors. | | | | refined data that is highly dependent upon certain |
| There are numerous decisions made within an | | | | factors. |
| organization that should be done with the most | | | | While there are many software companies that offer |
| accurate information possible. A suitable software | | | | such applications, they can also be created in |
| application can help provide much of the information | | | | Microsoft Excel. It can be used to show percentiles or |
| needed. | | | | various distributions of different performance |
| In the airline industry, such an application can track the | | | | measures. For those who are unfamiliar with the |
| financial performance of many different carriers, as | | | | advanced functions of the Microsoft application, there |
| well as additional statistics like the frequency in which | | | | are many books and some instructional videos |
| various types of aircraft are flown or the number of | | | | available online to help with the process. For those |
| seats sold on each flight within a specific time period. In | | | | who wish to have something they believe is more user |
| the health care industry, an application can track how | | | | friendly, there are many software products that can |
| many patients come through the emergency room in | | | | be tailored for the specific corporation or industry. |