Digital Dashboard – a computer interface that organizes and presents information in a way that is easy to read and understand Wikipedia PageA digital dashboard is a type of executive information system (EIS), and is therefore used mostly by top-level management and executives to garner business intelligence. The dashboard allows these employees to have all the relevant information literally at their fingertips. By having an integrated interface, they can find the relevant information on their computer screen and then use it to make informed decisions. There are many different types of digital dashboards, each built specifically to serve different types of industries. Digital dashboards can be utilized in almost any profession and can be beneficial to any size of business - ranging from small car dealerships to major airlines. An extensive list and examples of digital dashboards can be found here. There are several advantages to implementing a digital dashboard for every-day use and decision making. One advantage is that, as these dashboards are becoming more popular, they are also becoming increasingly easier to use. Executives are able to find all important and applicable information without having to resort to using complex software or asking for outside assistance from an Information Technology (IT) department or even an expensive external consultant. Today, companies are compiling and utilizing more information than ever before which can lead to an overload of statistics and data. The experience of frustration, when given too much information, is lessened by the ability to compile the data in an easy-to-use interface. Another advantage of the digital dashboard is the speed and efficiency of delivering and receiving results. Before the dashboard, executives accessed to information by sorting through tons of information on paper or resorting to IT for help. This type of screening for figures was extremely time-consuming and cost the executives valuable time for dealing with other company issues. Nowadays, something that would have taken hours to compute and compile, can be done with just the click of a button. In addition, the ability of executives to get access to the information by themselves, allows the information to remain confidential. Instead of having multiple people compiling and sorting through the data and having access to the valuable information, the executive can be assured that they are the only ones that have access to the information. The ability to have fast and safe access to virtually any company information can not only save time, but also a lot of money. The digital dashboard allows the user to discover errors in a much more efficient manner. By streamlining data "crunching" for executives, a digital dashboard allows executives to streamline the workings of the company. In addition to finding errors or kinks in the interior system by utilizing the dashboard, an executive can find information about the external environment as well. This type of analyzing allows the company to gain a competitive advantage in its sector. Even though the digital dashboard compiles the data in a user-friendly way, it is only an information source and does not eliminate the importance of an executive who can utilize the data produced by the digital dashboard in an appropriate manner. The interface makes decision-making easier by making the information more accessible, but the actual decision making will still need to be made by the executive – the dashboard only serves as a guide to making the correct decisions. |
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