Dashboards don’t seem all that impressive at first. Decision makers are used to relying on a quick and easy rundown of performance metrics to guide what they do, so what makes dashboards any different?
For one, they update themselves instead of requiring an accountant or IT person on the back end to change the numbers as new data becomes available. Dashboards also update in real-time so that decision makers always have the latest figures to reference. Compared to past forms of performance tracking, dashboards involve a lot less input while delivering a much greater output.
That’s apparent in the speed and simplicity of dashboards. But it’s better exemplified by the amazing insights that dashboards supply and the significant impact they have on organizations. The humble dashboard looks unassuming at first…but there’s gold inside if you know where to look.
How dashboards drive decision making
More than just a performance tracker or reference tool, the best dashboards are thoughtfully designed to streamline decision making, improve objective analysis, and uncover the “right” choice much more often than before.
That happens first by allowing users to customize their dashboard to see the metrics most relevant to their objectives. The numbers that need to be top of mind stay top of mind. The ability to incorporate charts, graphs, and other visualizations presents the data in the most insightful and informative format possible. And by collecting all that information in one condensed location that can be digested at a glance, dashboards intuitively incorporate strong data into every decision making process. Whatever someone wants or needs to know is available now, not later.
Again, having good information on hand doesn’t seem like such a revolutionary capability. But imagine if confusion, errors, and uncertainty were removed from the decision making process and replaced with clarity, confidence, and (most importantly) intended outcomes. It would transform an organization’s fortunes and rewrite what’s possible. Dashboards turn data into gold by turning multiple options into one obvious choice. What could be a bigger asset in business?
Sage Intacct: A new standard for dashboards
Like other financial management platforms, Sage Intacct offers dashboard tools, but they stand out in a few important ways.
They are easy to create, change, and customize. Users need no technical expertise to build and update their own dashboards – a process that takes just minutes. The refreshing user-friendliness of the tool helps get more people onboard with using dashboards while enhancing what they can do with them. Likewise, those dashboards are easy to access at will and reference in an instant – there’s no obstacle to using them. Finally, Sage Intacct’s dimensional accounting capabilities take performance reporting to the next level by letting users easily slice and dice financial data to see new things. The dashboards are both more accessible than the alternatives and more advanced too.
See for yourself. Schedule a demo with Dean Dorton.
Philip Massey
Software Services Director
pmassey@ddaftech.com • 919.796.5408