Some considerations when looking at dashboards

The following is a list of some considerations related to dashboard evaluations. It provides an initial set of considerations.

Dashboard Purpose

By starting with the business pain, decision makers can limit their dashboard choice to one that meets their specific business requirements.  For example, some companies require operational dashboards to help them manage their call centers, whereas other businesses use dashboards to make sure that overall performance is on track and to flag potential discrepancies in set metrics.

Current IT/BI Environment

What currently exists in-house may affect the organization’s dashboard choice.  Some dashboards integrate easily with many data sources, while others base their platforms on Microsoft integration.  This means that some solutions may not be available to organizations depending upon their current IT environment.  In addition, companies with a mature BI infrastructure may want to continue to expand their current platform because it falls within their comfort zone and current framework, as opposed to evaluating the best alternatives.

Data Sources

Aside from technical environments that may become inhibitors …
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