In information technology, the term dashboard refers to a graphical user interface (GUI) that organizes and presents information in a format that is easy to read and interpret. An executive dashboard is a computer interface that displays the information corporate officers need to effectively run an enterprise. To gain more insight into dashboards, WhatIs.com’s Alex Howard interviewed the CEO of iDashboards, Shadan Malik.

In this podcast, you will learn the answers to the following questions:

• What are the key features of a effective dashboard?
• What are the most commonly used – and useful – metrics you see displayed in dashboards?
• What do you feel are the key points that an executive or organization should consider prior to choosing any dashboard application?
• What is the process of implementing an executive dashboard?
• How should an organization choose its metrics?
• What technologies are typically used in the building of dashboards?
• What are the barriers to adoption?
• What needs aren’t met by current versions of executive dashboards?
• How do you create more utility than just a display? Are many executive dashboards just “flashboards?”
• How do you deal with transparency and different levels of access from the CEO, CIO on down to managers, associates, clients and customers?
• Can dashboards be fooled, spoofed or hacked by a third party?
• Implementing business intelligence (BI) tools is one of the top priorities for CIOs in 2007, with revenue growing up to 2.5 billion this year, according to Gartner. Why choose a dashboard instead of so-called “scorecard” technology?
• How is the demand for data from mobile workers changing? Is there a trend emerging for “ubiquitous BI” from smartphone-equipped workers?
• Many companies – 64% according to Ventana Research – choose to build their own dashboards rather than buy software. Why use a third party product?

 

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