Overview
Project Dashboards: Business Intelligence and Data Visualization to Manage Projects and Programs
Combining the fields of Project Management, Data Visualization and Business Intelligence, we work with our clients to provide custom designed Excel Dashboard solutions offering rich analysis and actionable insight for delivering projects on time and within budget.
Click Here for Example Dashboard
Project Management
Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. Projects have discrete budgets, schedules and scopes that require a specialized set of skills and methodology to:
- Identify and analyze risks
- Plan, allocate and manage resources
- Control costs and maximize savings
- Control schedules and minimize time delays
- Maximize return on investment
The following are several components of Project Management that form the foundation of our Project Dashboards:
- Cost & Schedule Control
- Progress & Performance Measurement
- Earned Value Management
- Productivity Measurement
- Risk Management
- Forecasting
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE)
Earned Value Management Institute (EVMI)
Construction Industry Institute (CII)
International Cost Engineering Council
The Project Management Hut
MindTools
Business Intelligence
Wikipedia defines Business Intelligence (BI) as "...computer-based techniques used in spotting, digging-out, and analyzing business data, such as sales revenue by products or departments or associated costs and incomes. BI technologies provide historical, current, and predictive views of business operations." Common functions of Business Intelligence technologies include the following:
- dashboard reporting
- analytics
- data mining
- business performance management
- benchmarking
- tracking performance metrics
- predictive analytics
Resources and links related to the growing field Business Intelligence which you may find useful:
The Data Warehousing Institute
The Dashboard Spy
Juice Analytics
BusinessIntelligence.com
Balanced Scorecard Institute
The Performance Measure Specialist
Data Visualization
"A picture is worth a thousand words..." The human brain can process a picture much faster than a group of words or a table of numbers. Data Visualization is the field of study dedicated to the effective visual representation of data. The goal is to communicate data analysis clearly and effectively through graphical means by balancing design and function.
Visual analysis is most effective when form and functionality go hand in hand providing insights into large and complex data sets by concisely communicating its key-aspects in an intuitive way. The right presentation, using the best practices of data visualization, makes organizing and understanding information intuitive and simple while otherwise complex features, trends and patterns become clear.
Resources and links related to the field of Data Visualization which you may find useful:
Perceptual Edge, Stephen Few
Edward Tufte
Excel for Reporting & Analysis
Resources and links related to Excel which you may find useful:
ExcelCharts.com - Jorge Camoes
Pointy Haired Dilbert (PHD)
Daily Dose of Excel
Peltier Technical Services
The Spreadsheet Page
Excel Is Fun - YouTube Videos
