Socializing Dashboards - How to Go Beyond Clicks and Analytics

© 2014 by iDashboards iDashboards.com Socializing Dashboards – How to Go Beyond Clicks and Analytics An iDashboards Whitepaper “The technology couldn’t be any easier to use and implementation was quick and simple. Now, being able to drill down into a variety of KPIs, we can easily identify what has raised alerts so that we can take immediate action.” –John Charles Herzberg, Manager of e-commerce, Navy Federal Credit Union © 2014 by iDashboards iDashboards.com Engaging a Wider Audience With the widespread adoption of business intelligence (BI), it’s no secret that dashboards help convey potentially complex information. An effective dashboard will display only the data that is relevant to its viewers. By leveraging user roles and permissions, administrators are able to ensure that the appropriate viewers see the right information. This practice is especially valuable when it comes to safeguarding sensitive or confidential data – but how do we communicate data that isn’t so sensitive in nature? Leveraging large dashboard displays in the office or on the shop floor provide a powerful tool to engage a wider audience, sparking motivation and increasing productivity. By making dashboards available in common areas, user adoption and awareness drastically increase, initiating the type of data driven conversation tightly linked with performance. Adding a social element to your data engages a wider audience while enabling a new channel for communication, creating an enhanced sense of understanding and importance. Using Dashboards as a Motivation Tool Promoting awareness and transparency by displaying company metrics can motivate employees and drive performance. Displaying dashboards in common areas is an effective way to communicate goals and performance with employees. This type of visibility inspires employees to efficiently accomplish goals and creates a healthy sense of competition amongst colleagues. At Christian Financial Credit Union (CFCU), awareness and motivation are very important. In one particular instance, CFCU utilized dashboards to help employees tally account openings during their “Save to Win” campaign. Employees were able to receive immediate recognition when they made a sale and view how close they were to reaching their sales goal. CFCU credits the use of dashboards for the increased participation and motivation seen through employees to drive even more sales. Due to the campaign’s success, CFCU continues to use dashboards on a daily basis to motivate their employees. Dashboards for Accountability Accountability means targeting specifics, monitoring the work being done and utilizing and displaying the information. Behavioral Health Professionals, Inc. (BHPI) experienced an increase in accountability by implementing dashboards. After Michigan Governor Rick Snyder encouraged a state- wide dashboard initiative, BHPI realized that by monitoring departmental metrics, they would gain better visibility and greater knowledge into their organization. By tracking key performance metrics in each department, BHPI is able to hold employees more accountable and keep performance up to their standards. Benefits of Transparency Dashboards Across industries and the nation, institutions are increasing transparency to make their goals more visible. In order to achieve this, organizations have been turning to dashboards to promote transparency, taking advantage of both the internal and external benefits. Internal When metrics and goals are displayed internally, employees can better monitor performance, work together and hold each other accountable. For example, St. Joseph Mercy Health System utilizes LCD screens in common areas to display internal dashboards to the front line staff, providing real-time insight into metrics such as patient placement, capacity, volumes to budget and patient satisfaction. External Dashboards allow organizations to display their metrics and initiatives at a public level, providing stakeholders with greater insight. At Lancaster (TX) Independent School District (ISD), one of their main goals is to obtain external transparency. Since implementing public-facing dashboards, Lancaster ISD is able to display metrics on academics, child nutrition, finance, human resources and maintenance on their website, providing state and district stakeholders an at-a-glance view of their data. 2. © 2014 by iDashboards iDashboards.com Using Dashboards for Compliance Dashboards are a tool many organizations use to ensure compliance requirements are met. The Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Advisory Board needed to meet strict compliance requirements and by implementing public dashboards, they achieved just that. With a compliance dashboard available for public consumption on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s website, anyone can view informa- tion and metrics on law enforcement, courts, sentencing, jails, victims, probation and parole. Where to “Socialize” Dashboards There are many ways to socialize your dashboards - and subsequently your data and message: Intranet Site Organizations use many different applications to host intranet sites such as SharePoint or Joomla. Most intranet applica- tions allow administrators to include content from other sites or applications, typically via iFrames. Since employees are already accustomed to viewing their company intranet site, placing dashboards here is a dependable way to attract more attention. Intranet sites usually provide a user permis- sion structure, making data sensitive dashboards available only to the right audience. Website With traffic from prospects, customers, partners and the general public, a company website can be a highly effective medium to communicate important metrics. Displaying select data in a dashboard conveys the message in rich charts and graphs, which are not only visually impressive but also provide at-a- glance insight into the data. Lobby The highest traffic area of nearly every office is the lobby. Install- ing a large LCD screen in this area and cycling through dash- boards will catch the attention of both visitors and employees. With the versatility of a dashboard, data of almost any type can be displayed – company news, goals, mission statements, entertainment, etc. Operations Floor No matter the type of organization, there is typically a concen- tration of desks, cubes, offices or other work spaces. Hanging a large LCD screen that displays group metrics and goals can attract attention and bolster motivation. Mobile Mobile devices allow people to be connected at all times. Building and publishing dashboards for consumption on mobile devices allows users to view your data at their convenience, increasing user adoption and subsequently communication. What Next? The display of dashboards in common areas such as a call center or manufacturing shop floor, allows organizations to communicate and engage with a wider audience, and with in- creased communication comes increased performance. Lever- age your dashboard solution to improve awareness, promote accountability and enhance transparency. Effective dashboard design takes audience, demographic and communication all into consideration, displaying the most rele- vant information using charts, graphs and other features so the data will be understood by all users. As a next step, build something. Build something that enhances public awareness, builds your culture or highlights success - it will increase productivity and build morale. Visit iDashboards.com for more information and to check out the Planning Your Dashboard Project Whitepaper for a step-by-step breakdown on the dashboard building process. 3.