In this session, we’ll discuss how to best arm executives with actionable insights, the best practices for choosing the right visualization, and how to best extract the data story the executives are looking for.

1. SEPTEMBER 18TH - 19TH, 2018 | HILTON NORTH RALEIGH/MIDTOWN HOTEL | RALEIGH, NC
Do You Have Actionable
BI Dashboards or Artsy BI Charts?

2. Abstract
The most important reports your company uses to find
the most valuable insights for the organization are those
reviewed regularly by the executive team. But what are
they seeing? Do they have clean, easy-to-process,
actionable dashboards that contain the most relevant
KPIs? Or do their dashboards resemble something more
like pretty charts haphazardly bundled together? In this
session, we’ll discuss how to best arm executives with
actionable insights, the best practices for choosing the
right visualization, and how to best extract the data
story the executives are looking for. And, of course, we’ll
talk about how to do it!

3. Agenda
• Introductions
• Good vs Better
• Dashboard: Definition
• Characteristics of a Good Dashboard
• Design Principles & Best Practices
• Methodology: 7 P’s of Dashboarding
• Recap
• Questions

4. Fill Out
Evaluation Form
Fill out the session evaluation
form for a chance to win an
exclusive pair of Datavail’s
NewBalance running shoes!

5. Presenter
Bill Anderson, Senior Manager
• Almost a decade of technology implementation and team
management experience
• Primarily focused on Oracle Business Analytics and Data
Warehousing
• Proven ability to integrate disparate heterogeneous data sources
using a number of Oracle analytical reporting platforms
• Led multiple projects developing moderate to complex solutions
• Course instructor for Datavail’s training courses.
• Competition BBQ Pitmaster

6. Our Range of Data Services
Health Checks &
Assessments
Upgrades Data Migration
OBIEE & Hyperion
Consulting
Development, Tuning,
Automation
Data Warehouse Build
& Optimize
DevOps (Deploy & Automate)
24x7 In-Office Coverage
Monitoring & Incident
Response w/ SLAs
Service Requests
(Patch, Modify, etc.)
Multi-factor Monitoring
Proactive Services
(Health, Tune)
Structured Service Review
Project Services
Operational Managed Services
Data Development Services

8. Good Visualization …?

9. Better Visualization

10. Exhibit B

11. Exhibit Better

12. Creating dashboards
requires much more than
knowing right type of
visualization to use

13. Good Dashboard …?

14. Better Dashboard

15. Dashboard: Definition
The most important
defining
characteristic of a
dashboard, when
compared to other
means of presenting
information, is that
it is used for
monitoring.
Rich Data, Poor Data:
Designing Dashboards to
Inform, Stephen Few, 2006
A dashboard is a visual display of the most important
information needed to achieve one or more objectives,
consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the
information can be monitored at a glance.
Dashboard Confusion, Stephen Few, 2004
A performance dashboard is a multi-layered application built
on a business intelligence and data integration infrastructure
that enables organizations to measure, monitor, and manage
business performance more effectively.
Performance Dashboards, W.Eckerson, 2006

16. Dashboard: Types
Assist executives and
staff in charting their
progress toward
achieving strategic
objectives
Strategic
Help managers and
analysts track and
analyze departmental
activities, process, and
projects
Analytic
Enable frontline
workers and
supervisors to track
core operational
processes
Operational

17. Characteristics of a good Dashboard
Makes the complex
simple
Tells a clear story
Expresses the
meaning of the data
Reveals details as
necessary

18. Design Principles & Best Practices

19. Purpose and Objective
Who is your audience?
What do you need your audience to know?
How do you make a point?

20. Purpose and Objective
• Who: The budget committee that can
approve funding for continuation of the
summer learning program
• What: The summer learning program on
science was a success; please approve
budget of $X to continue
• How: Illustrate success with data
collected through the survey conducted
before and after the pilot program
• Who: VP of product, the primary
decision maker in establishing our
product’s price.
• What: Understand how competitor’s
pricing has changed over time and
recommend a price range
• How: Show average retail price over
time for Products A,B,C,D and E

21. The Seven Second Rule
An executive dashboard
should be able to answer
the most frequently asked
business questions at a
glance.

22. The Inverted Pyramid Layout

23. Choose an Appropriate Visual Display
Relationship
Connection
between two or
more variables.
Comparison
Compare two or
more variables
side by side
Composition
Breaking data into
separate
components
Distribution
Range and
grouping of values

24. Choose an Appropriate Visual Display

25. Minimalism: Less is More
• Each dashboard should contain no
more than 5-9 visualizations.
• Elements such as color, placement,
and font size should be functional
tools, not cosmetic touches.
• Avoid clutter and visual noise that
distracts and detracts from the
dashboard’s intended purpose.

26. Methodology: 7 P’s of Dashboarding
Project Kick-Off Planning Prototype Produce
PolishProductionizeProceed

27. Methodology: 7 P’s of Dashboarding
Project Kick-Off
Our team of technical and functional experts come on-site to meet with executive sponsor, the
BI/Analytics team (may include DW/ETL and Data Steward) to kick off the project, set
expectations, and agree upon short, mid, and long term goals.
Planning
Series of meetings and workshops with the stakeholders to understand and assess the current
state of the organization, current or historical strategies, technology stack, current BI and
reporting process.
Prototype
Mock up and design a quick dashboard prototype based on signed
off documentation from step 2, while following the design
principle and best practices mentioned above.

28. Methodology: 7 P’s of Dashboarding
Produce
Based on the signed off DPD, our technical experts develop the dashboard on customer's choice
of BI tool.
Polish
Once a working dashboard is in the hands of the intended audience, its time to gather feedback,
capture more requirements and polish and improve the product.
Productionize
Consider and implement Security, Concurrency, Logging requirements (if any) and productionize
the dashboard.
Proceed
With next set of dashboards for different audience/subject
area/business unit. Repeat the process from step 2.

29. Recap
• Good vs Better
• Dashboard: Definition
• Characteristics of a Good
Dashboard
• Design Principles & Best Practices
• Methodology: 7 P’s of
Dashboarding

30. Questions

31. Bill Anderson
Senior Manager – BI/DW
bill.anderson@datavail.com

32. Fill Out
Evaluation Form
Fill out the session evaluation
form for a chance to win an
exclusive pair of Datavail’s
NewBalance running shoes!

33. Appendix

34. Appendix
Appendix