Dashboards and reports
Quick answer
Build reports people act on: report types, dashboards, sharing, interactive filters and scheduled delivery.
Key takeaways
- Choose report type by the question, not by taste
- Interactive filters beat duplicating reports per group
- Share with roles and groups, never individuals
- Schedule delivery for people who will not log in
Report types
Pick the type by the question. Bar and column for comparison across categories, line for trend over time, pivot for two dimensions, list for detail people will export, single score for a target. Pie charts with nine slices help nobody.
Dashboards
Dashboards hold reports plus interactive filters that apply to every widget at once. Share by role or group rather than by individual, and set a default dashboard for a role so new joiners land somewhere useful.
Making them used
A dashboard that nobody opens is a maintenance liability.
- Put the decision the dashboard supports in its description
- Limit to eight widgets, split the rest into a second tab
- Schedule a PDF to the manager who asked, most people want the number, not the tool
- Review quarterly and delete what nobody opens
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Check your understanding
What applies one filter to every widget on a dashboard?
- A. A saved filter
- B. An interactive filter
- C. A report source
- D. A user preference
Show answer
B. An interactive filter
Interactive filters drive all compatible widgets at once.
Which report type suits a comparison of counts by category?
- A. Line
- B. Bar
- C. Single score
- D. Calendar
Show answer
B. Bar
Bar and column charts compare discrete categories.