Your guide to understanding the concepts around building an effective data dashboard that will keep you informed and your company moving forward.

1. WHY DASHBOARDS FAIL

2. PROBLEM
!
!
!
Data is not effectively communicated across your
organisation.
Why Dashboards Fail

3. SOLUTION
!
!
!
A dashboard.
Why Dashboards Fail

4. Why Dashboards Fail
OH DEAR…
!
!
It’s not quite that simple.
(Hang tight, we’re about to tell you why.)

5. Why Dashboards Fail
LAST YEAR WE ASKED 368 STARTUPS THE
FOLLOWING QUESTION:
!
“Do you have any processes in place to make sure that data is
understood and acted upon?”

6. *The report was based on a global survey of 368 startups carried out by Geckoboard and Econsultancy.
58% SAID
‘NO’
Why Dashboards Fail

7. Why Dashboards Fail
QUESTION:
Why are you gathering and analysing data if you’re not
going to act on it?

8. Why Dashboards Fail
ANSWER:
!
!
…

9. Why Dashboards Fail
OK, LET’S FIX THIS.

10. Why Dashboards Fail
YES:
A dashboard can help you communicate your data effectively.
!
NO:
A dashboard cannot help you communicate your data
effectively if you don’t know how to build it.

11. Why Dashboards Fail
SIMPLE, RIGHT?
!
!
!
So why is it so difficult to achieve this?
“Thumbs Up" by Sarah Reid is licensed under CC BY 2.0

12. Why Dashboards Fail
BECAUSE WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT
IT IS A JOURNEY.

13. Why Dashboards Fail
IT’S NOT A WEEKEND GETAWAY.
IT’S A TRICKY JOURNEY.

14. HAVING A DASHBOARD
WILL NOT MAKE YOU
DATA-DRIVEN.
Why Dashboards Fail

15. HAVING A USEFUL
DASHBOARD WILL.
Why Dashboards Fail

16. YOU WITH US? COOL.
LET’S HAVE SOME FUN.
Why Dashboards Fail

17. Why Dashboards Fail
FIRST THINGS FIRST:
What’s a useful dashboard?

18. A useful dashboard is designed to help you understand the
data that’s important to you.
!
AT A GLANCE.

19. Why Dashboards Fail
DASHBOARDS ARE NOT AN APPROPRIATE
VENUE FOR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
!
!
!
!
(Leave the glitter at home.)

20. USEFUL DASHBOARDS HELP YOUR BRAIN
ASSIMILATE DATA EASILY.
!
THEY HAVE A PURPOSE.
!
THEY HAVE AN AUDIENCE.
Why Dashboards Fail

21. Why Dashboards Fail
• Understand what’s happening in your business at
any given time
• Make informed decisions
• React quickly to changes
• Get your team on the same page
A USEFUL DASHBOARD CAN HELP YOU:

22. Why Dashboards Fail
USEFUL DASHBOARDS
WILL HELP YOU ACT
ON YOUR DATA.

23. BUILDING A USEFUL DASHBOARD
Why Dashboards Fail
Getting your head around what makes a good dashboard takes
time.
!
Normally, there are 5 different stages.
!
Let’s see what they look like.

24. STAGE 1: CURIOSITY
Why Dashboards Fail
YOU HAVE:
Identified the need for being data-
driven.
!
YOU HAVE NOT:
Identified what it is you need to do in
order to become data-driven.

25. STAGE 2: PLAY
Why Dashboards Fail
YOU HAVE:
Built your first dashboard and
you’re tracking and analysing data.
!
YOU HAVE NOT:
Identified the right tools and
processes for your business.

26. STAGE 3: CLUTTER
Why Dashboards Fail
YOU HAVE:
Shared your dashboard with your
colleagues and added the data they
requested.
!
YOU HAVE NOT:
Identified the metrics that are the
most important to your business
goals.

27. STAGE 4: CLEAN UP
Why Dashboards Fail
YOU HAVE:
Looked at your business goals and
decided on the metrics that align
with those goals.
!
YOU HAVE NOT:
Identified the ownership of each
metric or realised when and how
to act on them.

28. STAGE 5: FOCUS
Why Dashboards Fail
YOU HAVE:
A complete understanding of how
data is driving the business and
how data can help you achieve your
goals.
!
YOU ARE:
Data-driven.

29. Why Dashboards Fail
They are evolving creatures that should change as your
priorities change and your business grows.
KEEP IN MIND:
DASHBOARDS ARE NEVER STATIC.

30. Why Dashboards Fail
I’M BUSY.
CAN I MAKE THE JOURNEY SHORTER?

31. Why Dashboards Fail
OH YOU CHEEKY CHAP.
OKAY. WE’LL GIVE YOU SOME SHORTCUTS.

32. 1. IDENTIFY WHICH STAGE YOU’RE IN AT THE MOMENT
Why Dashboards Fail
CURIOSITY? PLAY CLUTTER CLEAN UP FOCUS

33. Why Dashboards Fail
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT METRICS
ASK YOURSELF:
‘Are the metrics I’m measuring changing my behaviour or the
behaviour of people in my organisation?’
!
If the value of the metrics that you’re currently monitoring suddenly
changed dramatically, how would that change your actions?
!
If the answer is that it wouldn’t, it’s very likely that you’re not tracking
actionable metrics.

34. Why Dashboards Fail
3. GET YOUR TEAM INVOLVED
Make building your dashboard a collaborative process.
!
Ask your team what data they need to see on a dashboard to
help them with their work.

35. Why Dashboards Fail
4. PUT YOUR DASHBOARD AT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION
Place your dashboard(s) on the wall and make it an integral part of
your company culture.
!
Consider running meetings or reviews next to your dashboard to spark
data-driven conversations and trigger informed questions.

36. Why Dashboards Fail
A FINAL WORD
Dashboards fail because we don’t know what
data to display on them or how to act on it.

37. Why Dashboards Fail
DOWNLOAD:
Data Dashboards: Best Practices
!
Your guide to understanding the
concepts around building an
effective data dashboard that will
keep you informed and your
company moving forward.
GET THE FULL SCOPE

38. Why Dashboards Fail
@geckoboard
GOT QUESTIONS? TWEET US.

39. THANKS FOR CLICKING THROUGH TO THE END
You’re great!