Scorecards versus dashboards
The definition of a scorecard and a dashboard is now clear, but how do they look? Where do we start? When should we use a scorecard or a dashboard? There is no perfect answer to these questions; however, the rest of this chapter offers a practical guide to define the best option for your business needs.
A scorecard typically looks like the following screenshot:
A scorecard displays progress towards specific goals and performance measurements over time. It also validates the measures in order to take actions for corrections, that is, it outlines high-level grouping of data, such as region, year, and quarter using licensing and consulting revenue as a metric, along with the threshold to highlight spotlights.
A dashboard looks like the following screenshot:
This indicates the status of the analyzed data at a specific point in time. The best way to start designing is by identifying your specific business need.
The following table typifies the more common types of scorecards...
