In today’s data-rich business landscape, making informed decisions is critical to achieving success. However, with vast amounts of data to sift through, it can be challenging to identify the information that matters most. That’s where a digital dashboard comes in.

A digital dashboard is a data visualization tool that provides real-time, at-a-glance insights into key performance indicators (KPIs) and other relevant metrics. It enables decision-makers to quickly spot trends, identify opportunities and risks, and take action based on data-driven insights.

This article will give a detailed overview of the definition, benefits, examples, and best practices of digital dashboards and will also recommend suitable BI software for you to create effective digital dashboards. Feel free to take full advantage of this guide!

Digital Dashboard Example (Created by FineReport)
Digital Dashboard Example (Created by FineReport)


What is Digital Dashboard?

A digital dashboard is one of the forms of applying business intelligence in reality. In general, a digital dashboard integrates all key performance indicators and data into the dashboard of the same business area, so as to visually display the current status and historical trends of the company, and further assist the company’s decision-making.

Digital dashboard also realizes the tracking of data and indicators for monitoring the operating conditions of the enterprises. At the same time, in the pattern of interactivity and data visualization, the digital dashboard can realize its own in-depth exploration and analysis of data.

a picture showing the workshop application of FineReport’s digital dashboard
Workshop application of FineReport’s digital dashboard

Benefits of Digital Dashboard

What are the benefits of using a Digital Dashboard in business? There are several key points that are worth mentioning:

  • Assist Decision-making: Digital dashboard is the centralized processing and display of data. The goal of data is to assist decision-making and clarify business goals. Digital dashboards enable users to easily analyze and gain insights into important metrics and insights, thereby facilitating faster data-driven decisions in all key aspects of the business.
  • Rally Key Stakeholders: Digital dashboards are effective tools for supporting your case with decision-makers across your organization. The clear visualizations that digital dashboards provide can help businesses present more convincing arguments and points to land executive approval.
  • Benchmarking: Digital dashboards feature dynamic visual KPIs that provide real-time information and help businesses define key benchmarks that align with their objectives.
  • Time-saving: Digital dashboard brings together scattered and redundant data, changing the traditional way of viewing data and therefore saving a lot of time.
  • Facilitate Communication: Digital dashboard has the characteristics of sharing and interactivity, encouraging cross-departmental communication while breaking down communication barriers. It can effectively solve the problem of organizational silos that will stifle productivity and hinder innovation.
  • Accessibility: Digital dashboards offer intuitive data visualization features that make it easy for anyone to understand and use. This allows employees at all levels of the organization to access data and insights that can help them improve their work.


Examples of Digital Dashboards

In the following section, I will provide an overview of frequently used Digital Dashboard categories and offer some examples.

Our team created these templates using FineReport and included them within the designer. You can obtain FineReport for free if you are interested in using these data dashboard templates.

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1. Corporate Digital Dashboard

This classification encompasses most data dashboard tools employed by businesses.

Corporate Data Dashboards possess the following four characteristics:

  • A wide variety of indicators and visualizations
  • Customizable and user-friendly display
  • Time-saving and reliable data
  • Integrated system architecture
Business Digital dashboard example
Business Digital Dashboard(made by FineReport)

2. Marketing Digital Dashboard

The second type is the Marketing Digital Dashboard. This dashboard serves as a business intelligence tool that provides a concise and comprehensive view of all relevant data related to a company’s marketing efforts. Its purpose is to enable users to access marketing performance data immediately and continuously.

Below are the key characteristics:

  • A thorough understanding of marketing performance
  • Regular and prompt adjustments to marketing strategies.
marketing Digital data dashboard
Marketing Digital Dashboard (made by FineReport)

3. KPI Digital Dashboard

The third type is the KPI Digital Dashboard. KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are measurable metrics used to evaluate a company’s performance. High-level KPIs assess overall business performance, while low-level KPIs focus on departmental processes, such as HR or marketing. The KPI Data Dashboard employs interactive charts and data visualizations to showcase all KPIs, allowing for deeper analysis and informed decision-making.

The KPI Data Dashboard has two main characteristics:

  • Assess your business operations and objectives
  • Analyze the data behind the KPIs and identify actionable insights.
Financial KPI Digital Dashboard (made by FineReport)
Financial Dashboard (made by FineReport)

4. Project Digital Dashboard

The fourth category is the Project Digital Dashboard. This dashboard, also known as a project management digital dashboard, keeps track of projects and provides real-time monitoring of important metrics, much like a car dashboard provides feedback to the driver.

The two primary attributes of the Project Digital Dashboard are:

  • Follow project progress through real-time data updates
  • Supervise your team’s performance with key metrics.
Project Management Digital Dashboard (made by FineReport)
Project Management Digital Dashboard (made by FineReport)

You can check out more digital dashboard demos by logging in to our FineReport Demo Platfrom.

Best Practices of Digital Dashboards

To ensure that you create effective digital dashboards, it’s important to follow these best practices:Familiarize yourself with your data Take the time to fully understand all of the data available to you, identify the most important information to report on, and determine how the data can inform your decisions.

1. Empower your team

Identify the top goals of your key stakeholders and use this knowledge to create dashboards that enable them to take the most impactful actions.

2. Keep your visuals simple

Although digital dashboards are powerful tools, too many complex visualizations can hinder quick insights. Experiment with different designs until you find a dashboard that presents information in a clear and simple manner. You can also draw inspiration from the top ten modern data visualization examples.

3. Encourage exploration

Allow users to freely explore all connections within the data, rather than limiting them to linear exploration. This way, users can discover the whole story for themselves.

4. Provide relevant data to each user

Guide users to better, faster insights by giving them access to the data that’s most relevant to their individual roles.

5. Integrate dashboards into decision-making processes

Allow users to explore their data wherever they make decisions, whether it’s through apps, business processes, portals, or websites.

How to Choose a Suitable Digital Dashboard Software?

Now that we are very familiar with the concept of a Digital Dashboard, how to choose the most perfect Digital Dashboard Software to create effective Digital Dashboards to monitor KPIs and visualize data? When searching for the right dashboard tool, consider the following essential features:

  • Complete Interactivity: Take advantage of powerful analytics integrated within the dashboard to investigate and assess your data.
  • Integration of All Data Sources: Combine and analyze data from various departments of your organization effortlessly.
  • Automated Alerts and Reporting: Configure your dashboard to share data with important stakeholders regularly and notify you of KPI fluctuations.
  • Designed for Mobile: Access your dashboard from any device with ease, and enjoy the full range of interactive and touch-enabled features. You can jump to the Mobile BI page to check out more information about how FineReport support mobile BI.
  • Streamlined Data Preparation: By connecting your digital dashboard to a cutting-edge data analytics platform, you can save time preparing data and focus on optimizing your team’s performance.

Best Digital Dashboard Software

There are various digital dashboard software existing in the market, including FineReport, Power BI, Tableau, Zoho Analytics, and QlikView. All these software are equipped with characteristics and features of the digital dashboard. However, among this wonderful digital dashboard software, I’d like to recommend FineReport.

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Introduction of FineReport

FineReport is the leading business intelligence software in China, which was honorable awarded as Gartner 2021 Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Software.

Strengths of FineReport’s Digital Dashboard

  • Dynamic update: FineReport’s digital dashboard is based on the reporting of the enterprise. Companies can change the reported data according to real-time operating conditions, and then realize real-time updates of digital dashboards. What’s more, the PC terminal and the mobile terminal are interconnected, which is convenient for workshop management.
an interface of mobile terminal of FineReport
The mobile terminal of FineReport
  • Intuitive and clear interface: The interface design of FineReport’s digital dashboard is beautiful and simple. Through data visualization, FineReport’s digital dashboard interface converts boring numbers and data into a combination of charts and key numbers to help companies analyze and make decisions. The beautiful and simple interfaces of digital dashboard help keep employees motivated.
  • Pricing: FineReport is price-friendly in general. FineReport offers two pricing options –the free version and the commercial version. The free version is open to all without the time and function limits. Compared with the free version, the commercial version provides more advanced services, and the price changes with your specialized demands. Overall, FineReport is a cost-effective product in the industry.
  • Comprehensive and various templates: FineReport includes comprehensive and various templates. You could choose proper templates according to your needs. The followings are classic templates of FineReport.
an interface of sales analysis dashboard made by FineReport
Sales analysis dashboard(by FineReport)

The sales analysis dashboard is one of the most frequent use dashboards. It is helpful for analyzing sales status and making future sales decisions.

an interface of dynamic cost dashboard made by FineReport
Dynamic cost dashboard(by FineReport)

A dynamic cost dashboard is used to solve the problem of lagging in making cost strategies. At the same time, cost-related data can help companies make decisions about resource allocation.

an interface of CFO dashboard by FineReport
CFO dashboard(by FineReport)

The CFO dashboard is an important basis for financial management. This dashboard is mainly for financial officers to value and make financial strategies.



If you want to consult more, you could make an appointment with FineReport for resorting to guiding templates.

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FineReport Digital Dashboard Case Display

The above classic templates do not mean that the digital dashboard is only for enterprises, but also for government departments, universities, and other entities.

Zhejiang University, one of the top universities in China, resorts to FineReport for its management during the epidemic. Zhejiang University uses FineReport to truly achieve flexible configuration and authority control. Through the large-screen display, the relevant departments of the school can quickly detect the dynamic situations and fully grasp the situation of teachers and students checking in. What’s more, the school can also timely grasp the health status of teachers and students, and exert a key data support role for the leadership to make decisions.

Health check-in dashboard of Zhejiang University(by FineReport)
Health check-in dashboard of Zhejiang University(by FineReport)

In addition, a digital dashboard could also be used for daily campus management. Through monitoring key indicators, such as equipment online rate, the university could find and solve problems in a timely manner through the large screen, which greatly improves the quality of service and the experience of teachers and students.

an interface of dynamic monitoring dashboard of Zhejiang University(by FineReport)
Dynamic monitoring dashboard of Zhejiang University(by FineReport)

“FineReport provides data application services for teachers and students, large visualization screens for management and business related personnel, and statistical report services for role decentralization. The data provides great help for campus management during the epidemic.”

——Zhejiang University


Conclusion 

Digital dashboards fully understand and play the value of data, helping companies to prosper in today’s digital world. As the representative of digital dashboard software, FineReport is worthy of your favor. Why not try FineReport now to aid your business?

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Feel free to make an appointment for a live demo with our product experts. We will be more clear about your needs and see how FineReport can help you and your organization transform data into value.

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