As a manager, it can often feel like you’re drowning in a sea of data. Are you also finding it challenging to present statistics and critical figures straightforwardly and get a quick snapshot of your business? This is precisely the problem a digital dashboard is designed to solve. But how exactly does a dashboard work? And what are all the benefits? We’ll guide you!
In our digital world, enormous amounts of data are generated daily, and the company must compile and follow up on them. Access to information creates almost endless possibilities – but also significant challenges. What good is this sea of information if it cannot be packaged in a way that makes it understandable, relevant, and manageable for the right audiences? The solution to this problem is called a dashboard.
Instant Snapshot in Seconds
A dashboard can be described as a compilation of critical metrics presented quickly and visually. With bar charts, graphs, pie charts, and gauges with green/yellow/red lights, the dashboard provides a clear overview of the business’ current status and allows comparisons with other departments. Just a few quick and simple clicks are all it takes – what was once a time-consuming procedure now takes only a few seconds.
Andreas Tapper, Product Manager at Flex Applications, has led the dashboard development, which is now being launched as part of the web-based HR system Flex HRM. Andreas explains the advantages associated with this digital instrument panel:
– Companies collect a lot of data in our systems, and there has been a lack of simplicity in extracting key figures from this data. This is especially true for company management, who historically may have needed someone else to produce these types of key figures for them.
How does the absenteeism rate develop over time? What is the staff turnover rate? With the dashboard, HR managers and company leadership can always access up-to-date information on the key metrics they have chosen to focus on.
Correct Information to the Right Person
A dashboard is built of several panels that visualize different types of data using various graphical elements – much like a car’s instrument panel. It is flexibly constructed and can be customized in terms of the interface and the data type displayed.
– The dashboard in Flex HRM is very flexible. You can choose how to combine your different panels and what graphics to use. Examples of data that can be extracted include the number of employees, staff turnover, employment types, absenteeism, and reasons for leaving. All this information is automatically retrieved from various parts of the system. It can also be imported via file or API if, for example, you want to bring in historical data from an external system, Andreas explains.
– Thanks to the ability to set up multiple dashboards in the system and link access to different target groups, you ensure that the correct information reaches the right person. This so-called role-based access ensures, for example, that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information.
– It’s good to spend some time setting up a good and well-thought-out basic structure. However, this is something you set up once. Once done, you don’t need to do anything more except let your dashboards deliver. The information is updated automatically in real-time, says Andreas.
How Is the Company Doing? The Dashboard Provides the Answer
While needs may naturally vary between different businesses regarding which data is particularly interesting to measure and follow up on, all employers have much to gain from keeping track of relevant key figures.
Take the company’s absenteeism rate as an example. It’s a critical metric that gives a good indication of how the company is doing. If employees are well, the workplace is well, simply put. Systematic work for good health and a functional work environment becomes significantly easier if concrete figures show the current situation, trends over time, patterns, and correlations.
What is the absenteeism rate right now? How do departments A and B differ? How has it developed over the years? The dashboard helps you quickly get this type of data, notice warning signs, and ensure the proper measures are taken.
No More Time-Consuming Reports
How does your company ensure that statistics and key figures are compiled and available to those needing them? Often, the process is both time-consuming and complicated. Data from several different sources must be compiled, and several reports must be produced. These, in turn, need to be emailed out or posted on a platform where the concerned parties can access them. In short, it’s often a process that requires many steps, much manual work, and many go-betweens. With a dashboard, this entire process is automated. The result is more straightforward, efficient, faster handling, and more accurate and reliable data.
10 Reasons Why a Dashboard Is the Perfect Tool for the HR Manager
As we have shown above, a dashboard solution can simplify the daily work of an HR manager in many ways. Here we summarize all the benefits:
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Ensures the correct information reaches the right people through role-based access.
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Packages essential data in a visually appealing and easily understandable way – with the possibility to customize views according to the user’s preferences.
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Helps you make fact-based – and thus more well-founded – decisions regarding personnel and operations.
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Saves time and energy – no more hassle with extracting files and reports.
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Fewer manual steps = more reliable data.
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Helps you work focused by clarifying the company’s/department’s goals.
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Provides the company with tools to work proactively with health, work environment, and employee satisfaction.
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“Traffic light function” quickly indicates status and alerts you to undesirable changes.
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Combines data from several different sources in a consolidated overview.
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It makes it easier to identify patterns and causal relationships, e.g., concerning absenteeism, staff turnover, and reasons for leaving.
The dashboard is part of Flex HRM, our complete web-based solution for personnel administration. Learn more about the dashboard and other ways to make HR and managers' lives easier here.
