Dashboards: adoption and use (part 4/4)
In this final part (of our four-part series on dashboarding), we describe what resources can be used for successful adoption. So that you create an accessible dashboard that is used for the purpose for which it was developed.
You can use a variety of resources to do this. Which one you deploy depends on the target audience, frequency of use, complexity and distance between the client and user. We give some examples to inspire you. You are the best judge of which resources fit your situation.
Findability of your dashboard
A good dashboard is developed in close cooperation with stakeholders, with a clear purpose and answers one or more business questions. On the date the dashboard is launched, its contents should not be a surprise to stakeholders.
By choosing business questions as the starting point in the dashboard, you help users easily find the information they need. This will encourage adoption of the dashboard. This applies not only to the findability of a specific dashboard, but also across multiple dashboards. Navigate your users to the right dashboard based on their question, department or function. For example, through a SharePoint page, Intranet or a separate dashboard, to optimize the findability of dashboards.
Documentation of your dashboard
It’s not the most fun work and it can be time-consuming, but documentation is extremely important for dashboard adoption. Record the definitions used so that users know how to interpret the figures. Do this in a logical and accessible place (e.g. Confluence) related to the dashboard.
Don’t forget the technical documentation. So that when changes (to the data or definitions) occur, it is easy to retrieve which source the information came from and which edits were made. In practice, there is often too little attention to this, which has a negative impact on the maintenance and continuity of a dashboard. At a later stage, it takes much more time to figure out how the content of a dashboard was created from the source data, so invest in that from the beginning.
Responsibility for management and content
When introducing a dashboard, it should be clear who is responsible for its management and content. That way, end users know that this is being monitored and who they can turn to with questions. The administrator must ensure that the dashboard is available, that the data is updated periodically, and that only authorized users have access to the dashboard.
In addition, there should be someone who can answer questions about the content of the dashboard. And who can possibly prepare a list of development points. Continue to collect feedback even after a dashboard is launched and monitor its use. This will help you make adjustments as needed, phase out dated dashboards and identify needs for developing new ones.
Launch your dashboard
Once the dashboard is developed, it is placed in an easily findable location via clear navigation, the documentation is ready and responsibilities for management and content are clear, it is high time to proudly display your dashboard to potential users.
Depending on the size of your target audience, you can think of a demo session, launch party, roadshow or marketing campaign. The point is not to let this moment go unnoticed. Partly because as a developer it is nice to celebrate success, but also because a good launch contributes enormously to the eventual adoption of the dashboard.
Training for users
After you launch the dashboard, it’s good to get users comfortable with using it. A training course is perfect for this, but a short instructional video or animation can also help. This should highlight:
- How to access the dashboard;
- what you use it for;
- when you use it;
- How to use it.
Both training and video can easily be repurposed for explanation to new users.
Ambassadors of your dashboard
The success of a dashboard depends on its users. Therefore, it is important to have people who know how to use the dashboard and share their experiences with the organization. If this cannot be hung on one person, you can encourage this by making the dashboard part of a weekly meeting. Or with a strategic dashboard once a quarter, where someone presents the key findings from the dashboard.
As mentioned, there are many means to ensure successful adoption of your dashboard. Every situation requires different choices in this. At least with article, we hope to have inspired you to pay enough attention to this “last” part of a successful dashboard.
Previous articles in this series on dashboards
Dashboards: the route to success (part 1/4) >
Dashboards: data model and design choices (part 2/4) >
Dashboards: visualization and usability (part 3/4) >
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