When to Use Dashboards

A dashboard is a quick way for users to view different types of information in one report. Unlike the query, it does not provide the flexibility for users to group data, sort data, filter data, and filter portfolios for a more in-depth data analysis at runtime. If you have Administrator privileges, you control these settings when you create dashboard parts. The interaction users have with a dashboard is limited to toggling between data and chart, and exporting the dashboard into PDF.

A dashboard is made up of various dashboard parts, and each part is built from a Portal query. An example of a dashboard part is one that is created from ACCESS DATAMART FUND VIEWS type query. This query type is designed to be used as a dashboard part for a Multiline, Time Series, or Vertical view. It is not designed to be run as a real time report for analysis. When you create a dashboard part, you can choose to display the data initially in data format, chart format, or both. When you select both, the dashboard part is an interactive part, and Portal users can toggle between data and chart when viewing the dashboard in Portal. When creating a dashboard part that includes charting, you can select different chart options such as pie, line, bar, column, bubble, stacked, label X and Y Axis, or a color palette for the chart.

If you decide you need to build a dashboard, you first have to create the dashboard parts after you create the queries. When creating dashboard parts, also consider if the dashboard parts can be used by all users, or whether you need different dashboard parts for different users. This impacts how you assign the part during the assignment process. Best practice is to assign at the business group level if your users cannot share the same dashboard part.

Once you create all the dashboard parts, you begin creating dashboards. When creating dashboard views, also consider if the dashboard views can be used by all users, or if you need different dashboard views for different users. This impacts how you assign the dashboard view during the assignment process. Best practice is to assign at the business group level if your users cannot share the same dashboard view.