Data visualization refers to the techniques used to communicate data or information by encoding it as visual objects (e.g., points, lines or bars) contained in graphics.
Collecting valuable data is the key to measuring your company’s performance and help management make decisions to meet business objectives – a long term goal. However just as collecting data is important, so is the data presentation.
We make use of various ways of data representation which are nothing but visual communication, effective and fast though. It becomes very important how you are going to represent the data collected.
Tables are generally used where users will look-up a specific measure of a variable, while charts of various types are used to show patterns or relationships in the data for one or more variables.
A primary goal of data visualization is to communicate information clearly and efficiently to users via the statistical graphics, plots, information graphics, tables, and charts selected. Effective visualization helps users in analyzing and reasoning about data and evidence. It makes complex data more accessible, understandable and usable.
Are you going to use a report or a dashboard?
While reports and dashboards are both capable of turning collected data into useful information, they drastically differ in function and usability.
Data needs to make sense. Organizing your data in a way that is both comprehensible and accessible is what required a great degree of caution.
What are differences between Reports and Dashboard?
Reports are a popular way of summarizing data. Providing information based on detailed data generated from a specific search, reports tend to be detailed and complex in nature. And while they may include some visual components—such as graphs or charts—they are typically text-heavy and designed to be displayed as a document or printed for distribution.
A dashboard is an easy to read, often single page, real-time user interface, showing a graphical presentation of the current status and historical trends of an organization’s key performance indicators (KPIs) to enable instantaneous and informed decisions to be made at a glance.
Dashboards, on the other hand, are much more interactive in the way data is presented. Relying on visual indicators to display an array of information—which often include condensed reports—dashboards allow online user participation to create a simple, easily accessible interface that can be accessed by virtually anyone anywhere.
Dashboards display only the most vital information gathered from a given data set. And while they may not be as detailed as reports, dashboards can provide quick answers to those big questions from just one glance.
In real-world terms, "dashboard" is another name for "progress report" or "report." Often, the "dashboard" is displayed on a web page that is linked to a database which allows the report to be constantly updated.
Benefits of Using Dashboards
Digital dashboards allow managers to monitor the contribution of the various departments in their organization. To gauge exactly how well an organization is performing overall, digital dashboards allow you to capture and report specific data points from each department within the organization, thus providing a "snapshot" of performance.
- Visual presentation of performance measures
- Ability to identify and correct negative trends
- Measure inefficiencies/inefficiencies
- Ability to generate detailed reports showing new trends
- Ability to make more informed decisions based on collected business intelligence
- Align strategies and organizational goals
- Saves time compared to running multiple reports
- Gain total visibility of all systems instantly
- Quick identification of data outliers and correlations
Where to begin?
Create simple dashboards tailored to fit the goals within your organization, use proper visual design and layouts, as well as functional tools that allow viewers to interact with nearly every feature on the page.
The goal is to bring your company performance to life on a single screen.
Challenges with Data Representation
Most information dashboards that are used in business today fall far short of their potential mostly due to their poor visual design. To serve their purpose and fulfill their potential, dashboards must display a dense array of information in a small amount of space in a manner that communicates clearly and immediately.
But even with the introduction of progressive technologies like dashboards, reporting still plays an important role in delivering useful information. Knowing who your audience is and what kind of information you’re looking for helps you determine when to use a report and when to use a dashboard so you can successfully measure your company performance and drive your business forward.
Is your company using the proper visual design and layouts to effectively deliver data?
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