Digital dashboards are dynamic Graphical User Interface (GUI) tools that are utilized in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and other information systems that depict a company’s performance metrics in real-time. Digital dashboards enable managers to view disparate data without having to open up and view multiple applications in different windows or on different screens. Budget allocation balances, sales trends, departmental employee performance, and other metrics are often displayed on digital dashboards.
Digital dashboards can be implemented out-of-the-box or customized to fit a manager’s purposes and desires. Microsoft® Dynamics CRM, Salesforce, and other cloud-based solutions that utilize digital dashboards to assist managers in achieving the goals of increased sales, improved customer service, and efficient business processes.
For this exercise, hypothetically, you are a recent ERAU graduate and the newly-hired assistant to the VP of Sales at a large-scale wholesale aviation parts business. You have been tasked to create a document depicting a mock-up of a proposed digital dashboard that the executive will utilize in her day-to-day tasks. Once she approves the design, your data will be given as a graphical concept to an IT consulting firm that has been retained to implement a Microsoft Dynamics CRM® solution at the company. The plan is to have the consulting firm utilize your data to customize the out-of-the-box information system solution to include a tailored digital dashboard for the executive.
The following are the dashboard requirements:
Submit the digital dashboard mock-up in a Microsoft Word® document.
Provide a total of SIX charts in the digital dashboard mock-up.
Do NOT utilize charts that have no X and Y axes such as “Pie” charts, “Sunburst” charts, etc.
Present ALL SIX charts on ONE page.
Submit the page in Landscape orientation.
Present SIX different chart types.
Create Axis Titles on all charts and present specific terms relating to the chart data in the axis titles.
Replace the default chart title and numerical data with a new title and new numerical data.
Steps to Create a Digital Dashboard
To create the mock-up of the dashboard, you will need the Microsoft Word® and Microsoft Excel® applications.
You will utilize one of the two following methods to create your digital dashboard mock-up, depending on the version of Microsoft Word® that you have:
Local Version of Microsoft Word® Method (NOTE: A ‘local’ version is one where the software is installed directly on the system. This method will NOT work with the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word® that is included in Microsoft Office 365®)
Open a Microsoft Word® document and select Landscape in the Orientation selection of the Layout tab on the toolbar.
Select a chart type from the Chart selection area in the Insert tab on the Microsoft Word® toolbar.
Select OK and a Microsoft Excel® worksheet labeled Chart in Microsoft Word automatically opens with cells containing default numerical data.
Replace the default numerical data by inserting new numerical data using any combination of four digits.
Select the Plus (+) icon and then select Axis Titles.
Create X and Y Axes Titles to reflect your specific data types.
Repeat the process to create a TOTAL of SIX charts.
Arrange the SIX charts in an orderly fashion in a similar fashion to the dashboard example above.
Cloud-Based Version of Microsoft Word® Method (NOTE: This method will work with the cloud-based version of Microsoft Word® that is included in Microsoft Office 365®)
Open a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet.
Create each of the SIX charts one-at-a-time on a separate worksheet tab in the spreadsheet.
Enter the data into the cells that you intend to present in the chart.
Select a chart type from the Chart selection area in the Insert tab on the Microsoft Excel® toolbar.
Select the Plus (+) icon and select Axis Titles.
Create X and Y Axis Titles to reflect your specific data types.
Left-click process anywhere outside of the chart to finish the chart.
Open a Microsoft Word® document and select Landscape in the Orientation selection of the Layout tab on the toolbar.
Copy and paste each of the SIX charts, one at a time, into the Microsoft Word® document.
Arrange the SIX charts in an orderly fashion, similar to the dashboard image in the Overview section.
