![\"Project](\"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Project-Tracking-and-Business-Intelligence-Dashboards-Header.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
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This blog post was written by a Zenkit partner<\/a>. If you have an app that you think would make a great integration with Zenkit, get in touch with our partnerships team.<\/em><\/p>\n A dashboard is a business intelligence tool (BI) that allows you to connect, aggregate, and visualize your data. One of the most valuable properties of a dashboard is its ability to build indicators based on how you want to aggregate your data. You can dig deep into your data and turn it into actionable insights, whether it\u2019s for your project team or for your stakeholders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The best dashboards use data visualization indicators that keep users engaged, informs them quickly, and provide the metrics they’re seeking.<\/span><\/p>\n Data visualization graphics and indicators offer ways to present data in picture, graphic, or infographic form. Transforming raw data into easy-to-understand graphical representations helps you see patterns in your data you wouldn\u2019t otherwise see. They help you connect the dots from one metric to the next so you can make more-informed, more accurate, and more effective business decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, data visualization isn\u2019t a new concept. It has been around since someone sketched the first pie chart in the 1800s. If you consider the maps that have helped us navigate the world, data visualization has been around for a very long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But with the invention of the computer and the development of its profound ability to crunch large volumes of data, data visualization has become absolutely essential to make complex data easier to grasp, its trends more accessible, and its insights more valuable. From pie charts and bar charts to gauges, graphs, and pivot tables, visuals can deliver the bottom line of the data instantaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are the principles behind building the most effective dashboards:<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s simply no point in spending time creating a dashboard if no one uses it. It\u2019s critical to the success of your dashboard project to start with a conversation with your audience to set clear goals and define requirements:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The human brain is a wonder, but it has its limits, especially when it comes to processing data. We can only process four information chunks at the same time, according to the data visualization expert,<\/span> Stephen Few<\/span><\/a>. For that reason, too many indicators on the same dashboard will sabotage the very purpose of the dashboard\u2014to get a clear understanding of project status, for example, or to monitor productivity. Bottom line: Limit the number of indicators to 10 or fewer per dashboard to maximize your results.<\/span><\/p>\n It is sometimes very valuable to add text to your dashboards\u2014beyond the legends below the charts\u2014to make things crystal clear for your users. Text can improve everyone\u2019s understanding of your dashboard, for example:<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you want to track your project status and team productivity in a single dashboard, you’d need to import data from a project management tool such as Zenkit and data from your<\/span> time tracking tool<\/span><\/a> to your BI tool.<\/span><\/p>\n\r\n
\nWhy Dashboards?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nPictures Tell the Story Best<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nBest Practices to Get Started with Dashboards<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Know your audience<\/h4>\n
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2. Don\u2019t overdo the KPIs<\/h4>\n
3. Explain the indicators<\/h4>\n
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\nProject Management and Productivity Tracking<\/strong><\/h2>\n