THE KEY IDEA
Every indicator should answer a question, have an identifiable source and help you decide on an action.
A chart needs a question
A dashboard gathers information to review a process's status. Its value depends on the decisions it supports: what to restock, which proposal to follow up on or which request needs attention.
Before choosing colors and charts, write down who will use it and what decisions they need to make. A warehouse manager needs different information from someone preparing the monthly close. Mixing everything on one screen often makes both tasks harder.
There are different types of dashboards
| Dashboard type | Main question | Sample information |
|---|---|---|
| Operational | What needs attention today? | Low stock, pending tasks, overdue requests |
| Sales | How are opportunities progressing? | Stages, open proposals, next actions |
| Management finance | How are transactions distributed? | Recorded income and expenses, categories, budget |
| Management | Are we moving toward a goal? | Agreed indicators and period comparisons |
A management finance dashboard does not replace accounting or the business's obligations by itself. It should explain which operations it includes, where they come from and what period it represents.
Define the information before displaying it
Sales can mean orders created, payments received or completed deliveries. If each person interprets it differently, the same number can lead to mistaken conclusions.
For each indicator agree on its name, definition, unit, period and source. Add an update date when data is not obtained in real time. Missing information should appear as pending or unavailable; zero has a different meaning.
From indicator to action
A low-stock alert should let you identify the product and review its movements. A pending proposal should lead to the customer and the next follow-up. A summary screen is an entry point to a process, not decoration.
Include filters that make sense for the team. Month, owner, status or category may be enough to start. Being able to view a table and export data is also useful when details need review.
How to check that a dashboard is reliable
Take a small set of records and calculate the result independently. Check period boundaries, cancellations, duplicates and empty categories. If a number changes, it should be possible to explain why.
Then test the dashboard with the person making the decisions. Ask them to find a specific pending item without telling them where to click. That journey reveals clarity problems a beautiful screenshot cannot show.
At Altum you can explore Finance, Inventory and Customers as different examples. The service for dashboards and inventory helps define which fits your operations.
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