Microsoft Dynamics GP and Dashboards: Time for a Reality Check

As impactful as Microsoft Dynamics GP is, it is crucial to have other elements in place to extend its benefits even further. One way to do this is through the use of dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs). And there is a lot more to effective dashboards than just graphs, tables, and bright colors.

It’s important to remember that dashboards are intended to communicate critical business information, just not entertain or wow us. Executives and managers need to see the health of the organization at a quick glance so they can make quick business decisions. But what makes a good dashboard, and how much does design matter when it comes to viewing these KPIs?

Communicate the Important Stuff

A dashboard should be designed to quickly provide critical information for the intended audience, whether that is a mid-level manager, CFO, or Executive Director. Whereas a Client Success Manager may need instant status updates on what’s happening in the call center, the CEO may prefer a weekly update on the metrics that he/she identifies as critical to the organization’s success. Many dashboards are lacking these basic elements and do not deliver what the organization’s leaders need.

Poor Design Undermines Good Dashboards

Many organizations fall into the trap of trying to have one or two dashboards display all the information and metrics they are looking for. This will often require additional tabs or scrolling in order to see all the information in the dashboard, which is counterproductive when a dashboard should provide that information at a quick glance. Using too many bright colors in a dashboard can be confusing and distracting and take away from the simplicity of the data being displayed.

These are just a few of the common mistakes we see when organizations using Microsoft Dynamics GP try to get too fancy with their dashboard design. We have found that the best dashboards are the ones that are kept simple and quickly deliver exactly what the audience wants. BroadPoint, one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics partners in the mid-Atlantic, has helped many organizations design dashboard and other key performance indicators. Contact us for more information.

by BroadPoint Technologies