When you need a quick update before a meeting it should be a simple task to find all the information you need. However, that’s when you realise that it’s not the simple task it should be and that the information is spread across different spreadsheets, a few emails and maybe even a system only a few people know how to use.
By the time you’ve pulled everything together, you’ve spent longer finding the information than discussing what to do next. Unfortunately, this is a familiar situation for many people.
That’s where digital dashboards can help. They bring the relevant information into a clear, accessible view, making it easier to understand what’s happening and what needs attention.
A digital dashboard presents key information visually, making it easier to read and understand. It uses different display methods such as charts, figures, progress indicators and task lists depending on the information and your preferences.
For example, an invoice dashboard might show how many invoices are awaiting approval, which are approaching their due date and where processing has slowed down.
A customer onboarding dashboard could show which forms have been returned, which agreements need signing and what still needs a follow-up.
When you’re managing a busy workload, checking progress can become another task on an already full to do list.
You might need to email a colleague, open several records or update a spreadsheet before you can answer a simple question.
A dashboard brings the status of your work together all in one place, thus making it quicker and easier to see what’s happening in one go. When connected to your systems and set up to update automatically, it can also save you time gathering and compiling the same information by hand.
That gives you more time to resolve queries, support customers and keep work moving.
It can be easy to assume that a process is moving along as expected until someone notices a growing queue of unfinished tasks.
Making that queue visible helps you investigate sooner. Perhaps an approval is waiting for someone who is away, a document is missing information or work needs reallocating.
For example, seeing several invoices waiting at the same approval stage gives you a useful starting point for understanding where the delay is, why it’s happening and deciding what to do.
Digital dashboards can be configured for each person’s role, so they see the information most relevant to their role.
A manager might need an overview of workload and performance, while someone processing documents needs a clear list of individual outstanding actions.
Keeping each dashboard focused makes it easier to use. A few relevant measures, with clear labels and an obvious next step, will often be more helpful than a screen full of figures.
It should also be clear when the information was last updated. Some dashboards refresh frequently; others update on a schedule. Knowing the difference helps people interpret what they’re seeing.
Before choosing what to display, think about the questions you ask most often, some examples may be:
Those questions help define your dashboard.
Reliable source data and appropriate access permissions matter too, particularly where customer, employee or financial information is involved.
At Docuflow, we take time to understand your existing document processes and where you need better visibility. We can then explore suitable ways to make information easier to access and everyday work easier to manage.
If you’re spending too much time chasing updates, we’d be happy to talk through where a digital dashboard could help contact Docuflow to start the conversation.
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