| Basic BI Reporting | | | | Ideally Joe would have liked to consider attendance |
| In my previous articles I hinted at the breadth and value | | | | and time keeping, but this data is not recorded. Instead, |
| that BI reporting can deliver and how this can | | | | Joe measures performance on different types of |
| revolutionise your business. Even businesses with | | | | mechanical work, measuring speed, accuracy and |
| existing BI can benefit from a BI overhaul if some time | | | | experience in five different areas. |
| has passed since the initial implementation or there has | | | | The dashboard takes more work than the previous |
| been a significant change in the trading climate (e.g. a | | | | reports Joe has used as it effectively displays five |
| recession). | | | | reports in one set of results. Joe also requests the |
| Joe's Garage has flourished, despite the tough climate, | | | | option to view the results over different time periods |
| and is the most successful garage in his part of the | | | | so he can understand a fuller picture. |
| city. Joe has used BI to aid his decision making and has | | | | Implementing Dashboards |
| reaped the rewards. He has worked closely with a BI | | | | Commonly, dashboards are required to display two |
| consultant and together they have developed a | | | | existing reports together as one report because a |
| comprehensive suite of reports that Joe now | | | | manager has found that they are regularly viewing the |
| considers as useful as any tool he uses to fix cars. | | | | two reports in tandem. This is a very good starting |
| BI reports are designed to answer a specific question | | | | point for the introduction of dashboards to an |
| and work very well in providing quantifiable results e.g. | | | | organisation. The same software that is used for |
| last month's highest selling product. This leads to a | | | | report writing is perfect for creating a dashboard. The |
| whole suite of reports designed and built to give | | | | temptation to copy / paste report results into a |
| constant feedback to the management. However, | | | | spreadsheet to create dashboard should be avoided - |
| there are some more complex questions which are | | | | this is not only time consuming to do on a regular basis, |
| not easy to provide a cut and dried answer to, and | | | | but also results can be amended to produce |
| often the answer can vary according to the prevailing | | | | erroneous overall outcomes. |
| priorities and circumstances. | | | | Other specialist software for dashboard creation does |
| What a Dashboard Is and Does | | | | exist and can produce some nicely formatted results, |
| A dashboard is a collection of reports displayed | | | | but in general, it is nothing that BI reporting software |
| together in one main report, where the only logic linking | | | | cannot do. Careful consideration should always be |
| the resulting information is its relevance to the overall | | | | given to the amount of information to be displayed and |
| business strategy. Although the data can all come | | | | how. |
| from the same database, more often it is from a | | | | Reporting software usually offers about twenty |
| number of sources, or is at least from disparate | | | | different chart types, but the most effective |
| streams of data within the same database. | | | | dashboards limit to using only one or two types of |
| Even where the reports interrogate only one | | | | chart. Using too many formats can compromise the |
| database, data can be reported in very different | | | | ability to make clear and direct comparisons between |
| ways, and the results returned in a variety of formats. | | | | results. Also, it is important to avoid the temptation to |
| As numerous columns of data can be tedious to read | | | | display a mix of charts which show real numbers and |
| and interpret, dashboards tend to be based on | | | | charts which show percentages in the same |
| summarised information and display results as charts | | | | dashboard - this can be really confusing! |
| and graphs. This high level view of the pertinent | | | | I would also recommend displaying the charts in |
| aspects of a business issue is an invaluable tool in the | | | | different sizes, with the most important chart being the |
| interpretation and communication of up-to-the-minute | | | | biggest and displayed centrally. A lot of BI |
| results, and an important aid to strong decision making. | | | | consultancies will dissuade clients from implementing |
| Joe's nearest rival garage is struggling to make a profit, | | | | dashboards. The main reason for this is the extra |
| and Joe is confident that with his BI enhanced business | | | | work required to create the interface to display the |
| savvy he could turn the failing garage around. | | | | results of five or six reports as one user-friendly |
| However, in order to do this, Joe would need to | | | | solution, on top of the work involved in building the |
| dedicate all his time to the new garage and so he | | | | basic reports themselves. However, the value added in |
| must first promote one of his two current employees | | | | aiding more complex business decisions, or for |
| to Head Mechanic. | | | | illustrating a complete picture swiftly and effectively, |
| Previously Joe would have chosen John, who has | | | | make them more than worth the investment. |
| been a fully fledged car mechanic for ten years, rather | | | | Advanced Dashboards |
| than the newly qualified Steve who was an apprentice | | | | A dashboard is designed to answer one specific |
| until a few months ago, but who has been working at | | | | business question, and with this in mind, displaying 5-6 |
| the garage since leaving school. Joe knows there is a | | | | sets of results is often not ideal. These separate |
| lot to consider when comparing the two employees | | | | answers do provide guidance for decision making, but |
| and is not sure that the full picture can be captured in a | | | | sometimes a single, quantifiable answer would be far |
| BI report. | | | | more beneficial. Summarising the results from each of |
| Dashboard Uses | | | | the dashboard charts into one main chart can clarify |
| Dashboards come into their element when trying to | | | | decision making. |
| evaluate disparate data to reached an informed | | | | The beauty of this approach is that weighting can be |
| decision. The premise often begins as a simple | | | | applied to certain areas depending on their importance |
| question, such as - Which of our three regional offices | | | | and / or some information can be deliberately ignored. |
| is the most profitable? A report showing the monthly | | | | All this makes dashboards one of the most versatile |
| sales figures would seem to be enough at a quick | | | | tools available. |
| glance. | | | | Joe is surprised to find that Steve and John are nearly |
| But what if Office A sold more than Office B and C, | | | | equal over all, though each has their own strengths |
| but has double the staff? What if Office B is in | | | | and weaknesses. In particular, Joe notices that Steve |
| company owned premises while A and C pay rent? | | | | is good at tyre changes and weak at servicing, |
| Those with any accountancy experience will recognise | | | | whereas John is strong at services and weak at tyres. |
| the above as components on a company balance | | | | This emerging specialisation gives Joe a new idea. |
| sheet. And in this case, the dashboard would be | | | | Joe purchases the failing garage. He is delighted to find |
| designed to display each of these components, | | | | they have a similar database to his own, though |
| showing the results of each separate item of interest | | | | obviously it has never been used in the canny way he |
| in such a way that the overall performance of each | | | | has discovered. Joe then measures the performance |
| office is easy to compare. Further consideration needs | | | | of the three staff in the new garage alongside Steve |
| to be given to surrounding factors, such as the time | | | | and John's. |
| period reported on. The question of which Office is the | | | | With this information Joe is able to match each |
| most profitable is now independent of seasonal trends | | | | employee to the work he is most proficient at. This |
| or temporary fluctuations in each Office's market | | | | increases the speed of work carried out, generates a |
| share. | | | | good reputation and the staff are happier in their work. |
| After chatting with the BI consultant who carried out | | | | With his workforce assigned to their own specialist |
| the earlier work, Joe is sure that he needs a | | | | roles, Joe has more free time to generate more sales |
| Dashboard report to bring together the performance | | | | and custom for both garages. |
| attributes he wants to consider for both employees. | | | | |