A role dashboard should begin with the decisions its audience owns. Map each decision to the measure, scope and supporting detail required, then select the reporting views that help the person act.
An executive, controller and engineer can share the same operating record while needing different summaries. A dashboard becomes useful when its audience knows why each view is present.
Write the decision before choosing the widget
For a CEO, the decision may concern a material portfolio exception. A CFO may need to accept a financial explanation. A COO may need to prioritize a field question. An engineer may need to investigate work against an AFE expectation.
Name the next action the view could trigger. A measure without a decision or investigation path is a candidate for removal from the primary review.
Define the evidence path
Specify the property population, period, unit and basis. Identify the source view that explains the summary. Confirm whether the widget is a snapshot and how freshness is displayed.
Do not give a small card a larger claim than its source supports. An AFE utilization widget shows an AFE comparison; it does not establish a complete portfolio financial position.
Keep the roles connected
Use shared reference points for the same material question. The CEO can see the concise explanation while finance reviews the category and engineering checks the work detail.
In a fictional overrun review, the dashboard can show 119% budget utilization while the supporting AFE report identifies the categories behind it. The next action still depends on the work scope and accepted actual cost definition.
Test the dashboard with its intended user
Ask the user to identify the question, explain the scope and follow the relevant detail. If the view requires a lengthy verbal translation every time, improve the definition or the presentation.
Upstream+ supports configurable dashboards and saved data sources. Evaluate the dashboard as part of the complete operating review, including the responsibility for maintaining its scope and freshness.
The right dashboard is the one that makes the next decision and its evidence easier to find.
Research and references
These sources offer background for the review question. The worked examples and review methods above are Upstream’s practical guidance.
- A review of dashboards in performance management: Implications for design and researchYigitbasioglu & Velcu · International Journal of Accounting Information Systems · 2012 · Peer-reviewed literature review
Research perspective on dashboard design and drill-down.
- Contemporary performance measurement systems: A review of their consequences and a framework for researchManagement Accounting Research · 2012 · Peer-reviewed literature review
Research perspective on performance measurement and its consequences.
Common questions
Should every role receive the same widgets?
No. Use shared reporting definitions with summaries suited to each role’s decisions.
What should accompany a dashboard snapshot?
Its source, period, property scope, basis and refresh context, with a route into the relevant detail.
Put the question to work
Explore the connected workflow for leadership or bring your well data question to a working session.