Topic 3: Developing Dashboard

in this week, i have learnt the differences between a scorecard and a dashboard:

Here are some steps mention in the link (http://www.enterprise-dashboard.com/2009/05/18/8-step-approach-to-developing-clinical-dashboards/) when creating a dashboard:

Here are the 8 steps:

1. Meet with users to determine data needs
2. Design the presentation layer
3. Design the semantic layer
4. Design the physical layer
5. Develop and test all 3 layers
6. Perform QA
7. Conduct a Pilot
8. Begin general rollout

however, as compared to the lecture slides, the steps are different:

1.Start small, with winnable systems
2.The business manager, not IT, should own the dashboard
3.Select metrics using a scientific management method
4.Limit dashboards to the “critical few” Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
5.Get results quickly
6.Dashboards are just part of the culture

Here are some guidelines for effective dashboard design:

1.Group information visually by decision criteria
2.Display analysed information, not raw data
3.Automate business rules to identify problems and makedecisions through alerts
4.Show context, judgements and comments – create a inked text box
5.Give access to source data – manager may want to see the actual data to identify nuances


Here’s a screenshot of the Oracle dashboard showing a small navigational popup for a data value (see the data table at the bottom of the screen).


Besides dashboard, i have also learned business process mapping (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process_mapping). Process mapping is a tool that is used to understand, analyse and document processes and activities in an organisation and assist in identifying opportunities for improvement.

Typical reasons for conducting process mapping are:
1.To improve a process, you must understand the process
2.Complexity of processes and lack of understandingconstrains management’s attempts to improve processes
3.Analytical skills and process mapping skills allow us tounderstand and communicate processes to management, staff and users
4.Identifies efficiency issues and where systems can support these

one process mapping is the Cross-functional Swim lane Flowchart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swim_lane)
The swim lane flowchart differs from other flowcharts in that processes and decisions are grouped visually by placing them in lanes. Parallel lines divide the chart into lanes, with one lane for each person, group or sub process. Lanes are labelled to show how the chart is organized.

this is an example of how an swim lane process map looks like:


through swim lane model, any individuals can have an overview how each transaction or process is done from the start to the end, and who or which department is involved during the process. hence, it will be a good model for trainee or for project purposes to understand the business processes.