Creating a Dashboard

• Dashboards are a way of grouping different reports together on one screen and displaying the results as tables, charts or other combinations to give a quick overview of various data to aid decision-making.

• As such, prior to creating a dashboard, it is necessary to create all the reports required for the desired dashboard.

• A single report can be used in multiple components but to display different data:

  • For example you could have a report showing All Bookings for a particular period, with one component displaying the breakdown of course type as a chart, and another component showing the breakdown of nationality of the students attending. Both can look at the same report.

• A dashboard comprises of a number of widgets which are one of the following:

  • Chart or Table (linked to a report)

  • Text

  • Images

• There are some system limits to be aware of:

  • A maximum of 25 widgets can be used, of which a maximum of 20 can be components (linked to a report)

  • There can be a maximum of 3 filters, each containing a maximum of 50 values

  • A dashboard cannot be refreshed more than once a minute.

Creating a Dashboard

• Go to the Dashboards tab, and select New Dashboard.

• Enter a short but descriptive name, together with a fuller description of the purpose of the dashboard.

• Choose the folder to save the dashboard in.

  • Typically save the dashboard in your Private folder, accessible only by you, until it is ready to be shared with other users.

Adding Widgets

• Click on the Add Widget button and select the type of widget you wish to add.

• The dashboard has a background grid on which the widgets sit.

• Select the widget and use the handles to resize, and drag around the dashboard to place where required.

• Save when done.

• Use the pencil icon to edit, or the X to remove.

Charts and Tables

• To add a chart or table, it is necessary to select a background report to pull the data from.

• Select a report from your Recent list, or select All Reports and use the search box to find the report you would like to use.

• In the following dialogue box, configure the component to your requirements, options as follows:

  • Chart or table Type

  • X and Y Axis

  • Controls around how the values are managed and displayed

  • Sorting

  • Titles and header/footer text

  • Colour theme

• The options available may vary depending on the content of the base report.

• It’s best to experiment with the options to adjust to your requirements, or check the configuration of an existing dashboard to understand how it has been constructed.

Further Dashboard Considerations

• Sharing - if you would like a colleague to view your dashboard, ensure it is saved in a public folder that the user has permissions to access, then simply send the URL of the dashboard.

  • Dashboards can also be configured to appear as tabs on the navigation bar, and/or as the Home Screen for users.

• The Dashboards System is very powerful - this article covers just the basics, but if you require instruction on how to create more complex reports, please contact your System Administrator.