Data is pervasive and attainable, if and only if, you have the right enabling infrastructure to support your efforts. The biggest challenges are that the dashboard design metrics may take a lot of data to support; come from disparate and fragmented sources; comprise incomplete, inaccurate, redundant or simply unavailable data; or be organized in a way that makes that data inaccessible. The list goes on.
Not to mention that most technology solutions these days have their own built-in modules for data capture, tracking and reporting functionality – from content management systems to marketing automation systems; from ad servers to analytic applications and reporting tools. Additionally, many technologies can only track on an aggregate level with no way of tracking at the individual level – again, more connecting of the dots or inferring performance. So, how to you reconcile tracking across systems?
Once you define your ideal state KPI dashboard, use it as level-set checkpoint to determine what data is needed to support your metrics and help you determine how you capture and manage the required data.
- Are these the right KPIs, views and dimensions?
- What data is needed to support these metrics? Are they available? Where does the data reside?
- How do you capture, track and report on the data?
- How do you manage, access, use, enhance and evolve the data?
- What enabling technologies are needed to support the capture, tracking and reporting of the data?
- What tracking mechanisms are in place (technologies, processes, tags, ID, testing, etc.)?
Key Takeaway: Armed with this information, you can develop an action plan for KPI dashboard development. The key is to develop a planning roadmap that is realistic from a budget, data, resource and technology standpoint as well as provide tangible and measurable value, aligned with business goals, and buy-in across the organization.
You can read the KPI Dashboard Overview, Parts I and II here.
