A couple years ago we released our first version of GainSeeker Enterprise Dashboard and raised the bar for SPC Software. At the time, I was excited about the cool new technology, and how customers could summarize key performance indicators in these snazzy dials and bar gages. Being a Data Head, I had fun building dashboards, and seeing data in new formats. The options for organizing and displaying information were unlimited, and somehow putting data out there with red and green limits on it seemed to make it so much more accessible.
Then I began watching what kind of data customers put out there. I was surprised when they shot right past the obvious quality indicators and started displaying OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), production, and financial data. I was really impressed with their creativity, and how they adapted our tools to meet their needs.
More recently, Ive been thinking about how our customers are actually using dashboards in their business. These ideas were there all along, but werent immediately obvious to me. I guess the door opened for me when people started attaching names to the ideas. Its funny how when you name something, abstract concepts can take on tangible shape out of an indistinct blend of ingredients, much like a precipitate in a chemical reaction.
So far Ive identified three or four ways clients are using dashboards:
- Scoreboards
- Meeting Room Dashboards
- Stakeholder Dashboards
- Mobile Dashboards
Ill write more about these in the coming days, but for now I wanted to see what kind of images they stir up for you.
What do you think? Do each of these sound different? Do you have any other ways you might use a dashboard? Use the ShareThis button below to mark this page, leave a comment, schedule a conversation, or call 800-958-2709.
