Angela Douglas - CIS 2010 SummAngela Douglas - CIS 2010 Summer 2008er 2008

Information Visualization Information Visualization for Businessfor Business

Giving your boss the BIG picture.Giving your boss the BIG picture.

Business DashboardsBusiness Dashboards

Dashboards are web based reporting tools.Dashboards are web based reporting tools. Designed to be easy to read and provide quick Designed to be easy to read and provide quick

vital business information much like the vital business information much like the dashboard in your automobiledashboard in your automobile

Software is used to extract information from your Software is used to extract information from your company’s system from one or multiple company’s system from one or multiple applications and present it in report form as if it applications and present it in report form as if it all came from one sourceall came from one source

from the Dashboard of Sustainabilfrom the Dashboard of Sustainability softwareity software

How do dashboards work?How do dashboards work? Basic computer hardware Basic computer hardware

needs:needs: 1.Input data-entry device, this 1.Input data-entry device, this

allows the exec. To enter verify allows the exec. To enter verify and update data immediatelyand update data immediately

2. CPU –which controls the 2. CPU –which controls the other computer system other computer system componentscomponents

3. Data storage files . 3. Data storage files . Executives use this part to Executives use this part to save useful business save useful business information & also search information & also search historical information easily.historical information easily.

Basic software needs:Basic software needs: 1. Text base software. 1. Text base software. 2. Database. Heterogeneous 2. Database. Heterogeneous

databases residing on a range databases residing on a range of vendor-specific and open of vendor-specific and open computer platforms help computer platforms help executives access both executives access both internal and external data.internal and external data.

3.Graphic base. This helps 3.Graphic base. This helps turn volumes of text and turn volumes of text and statistics into visual statistics into visual information. information.

4. Model base. Contain routine 4. Model base. Contain routine and special statistical, financial and special statistical, financial and other quantitative analysis and other quantitative analysis

What’s on your Digital Dashboard ?What’s on your Digital Dashboard ?

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How was data previously gathered How was data previously gathered and analyzed? and analyzed?

Prior to the start of the “Information Age”, Prior to the start of the “Information Age”, businesses collected data from non-automated businesses collected data from non-automated sources. There was a lack of computing sources. There was a lack of computing resources necessary to properly analyze the resources necessary to properly analyze the data, and as a result, business decisions were data, and as a result, business decisions were made off of intuition.made off of intuition.

As businesses automated systems the amount As businesses automated systems the amount of data increased but collection remained of data increased but collection remained difficult, due to the inability of information to be difficult, due to the inability of information to be moved between or within systems. moved between or within systems.

History of Digital DashboardsHistory of Digital Dashboards The idea and foundation of digital dashboards has been around since the The idea and foundation of digital dashboards has been around since the

late 1970’s , with the academic field of decision support systems aka DSS. late 1970’s , with the academic field of decision support systems aka DSS. DSS introduced that computer systems could be used to aid the process of DSS introduced that computer systems could be used to aid the process of decision making. DSS allowed the end user to analyze multiple pieces of decision making. DSS allowed the end user to analyze multiple pieces of data for future planning and decision modeling. data for future planning and decision modeling.

The concept of DSS derived from two main areas of research: the The concept of DSS derived from two main areas of research: the theoretical studies of organizational decision making done at the Carnegie theoretical studies of organizational decision making done at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the technical work on interactive computer Institute of Technology and the technical work on interactive computer systems done by MIT.systems done by MIT.

Early efforts came up short. The technology proved to be too costly. Each Early efforts came up short. The technology proved to be too costly. Each dashboard had to be customized for the client. dashboard had to be customized for the client.

Dashboards of the 80’s & 90’sDashboards of the 80’s & 90’s In the 1980’s EIS (Executive Information System) was introduced. It’s In the 1980’s EIS (Executive Information System) was introduced. It’s

purpose was intended to facilitate and support the information and decision purpose was intended to facilitate and support the information and decision making needs of Sr. exec.’s by providing easy access to both internal and making needs of Sr. exec.’s by providing easy access to both internal and external information. It’s emphasis was on graphical displays and easy to external information. It’s emphasis was on graphical displays and easy to use user interfaces. use user interfaces.

Not until the late 1990’s as the internet linked up computers that companies Not until the late 1990’s as the internet linked up computers that companies began building the dashboards of today. Data warehousing and online began building the dashboards of today. Data warehousing and online analytical processing began to broadening the realm of DSS. With the turn analytical processing began to broadening the realm of DSS. With the turn of the millennium, new web-based applications were introduced. of the millennium, new web-based applications were introduced.

Dashboards of the PresentDashboards of the Present EIS looses popularity to Business Intelligence; whose purpose is to provide EIS looses popularity to Business Intelligence; whose purpose is to provide

better decision making by using historical, current and predictive views of better decision making by using historical, current and predictive views of business operations. business operations.

The software elements support the use of this information by assisting in the The software elements support the use of this information by assisting in the extraction, analysis and reporting of information. extraction, analysis and reporting of information.

Applications tackle sales, production, financial, and many other sources of Applications tackle sales, production, financial, and many other sources of business data for purposes that include, notably, business performance business data for purposes that include, notably, business performance management. management.

Information may be gathered on comparable companies to produce Information may be gathered on comparable companies to produce benchmarks. benchmarks.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of DashboardsThe Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Dashboards

Easy to use, modify & create Easy to use, modify & create reports reports

Data ,meshups can condense Data ,meshups can condense or link many reports into oneor link many reports into one

Extensive computer Extensive computer experience is not required in experience is not required in operations.operations.

Information provided is easily Information provided is easily understood.understood.

Offers efficiency to decision Offers efficiency to decision makersmakers

You may encounter You may encounter information overload, therefore information overload, therefore missing the “Big Picture”missing the “Big Picture”

May lead to less reliable and May lead to less reliable and insecure datainsecure data

Small companies may Small companies may encounter excessive costs for encounter excessive costs for

implementationimplementation..

Software Providers/Their Clients& Software Providers/Their Clients& how they are using their how they are using their

dashboardsdashboards

The Pacific States Marine Fisheries The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Commission

PTAGIS monitors fish migrations through the Federal Columbia River Power System PTAGIS monitors fish migrations through the Federal Columbia River Power System recording large volumes of data which provides valuable research information to help recording large volumes of data which provides valuable research information to help ensure the restoration of declining salmon and steelhead populations.ensure the restoration of declining salmon and steelhead populations.

Through Style Report’s easy-to-use, zero-client web-based reporting platform, Through Style Report’s easy-to-use, zero-client web-based reporting platform, PTAGIS users can now log in to their data collection systems to access vital PTAGIS users can now log in to their data collection systems to access vital information or run reports, whether in their office or in the field. They have been able information or run reports, whether in their office or in the field. They have been able to monitor migration and other trends in near real-time to help detect migration to monitor migration and other trends in near real-time to help detect migration issues, tagging inconsistencies, and fish health anomalies -- with drill down to specific issues, tagging inconsistencies, and fish health anomalies -- with drill down to specific species, hatcheries, dates, times and more. species, hatcheries, dates, times and more. 

   

Data Solutions Inc. (DSI, Inc.)Data Solutions Inc. (DSI, Inc.)

Data Solutions Inc. (DSI), a premier provider of technology and services for Human Resource Data Solutions Inc. (DSI), a premier provider of technology and services for Human Resource organizations, provides a wide range of solutions that include employee surveys, multi-rater organizations, provides a wide range of solutions that include employee surveys, multi-rater assessment programs and enterprise-wide talent management systems.InetSoft’s innovative, assessment programs and enterprise-wide talent management systems.InetSoft’s innovative, high-performance reporting platform delivers a competitive edge for Data Solutions by aligning high-performance reporting platform delivers a competitive edge for Data Solutions by aligning closely with their business processes. Style Report™ software provides the extensibility to easily closely with their business processes. Style Report™ software provides the extensibility to easily extract data in real-time from multiple sources and platforms. It offers the flexibility to design extract data in real-time from multiple sources and platforms. It offers the flexibility to design custom reports that match the look and feel required for each customer, without lengthy custom reports that match the look and feel required for each customer, without lengthy development cycles. More importantly from their customer’s perspective, reports now run in an development cycles. More importantly from their customer’s perspective, reports now run in an average of twenty seconds each as opposed to two minutes, considerably enhancing the end-average of twenty seconds each as opposed to two minutes, considerably enhancing the end-user experience -- while at the same time reducing the resource load in producing reports and user experience -- while at the same time reducing the resource load in producing reports and greatly increasing throughput. greatly increasing throughput.

IZENDA REPORTSIZENDA REPORTS

VOLVO VOLVO

GATEWAYGATEWAY

VERIZON WIRELESSVERIZON WIRELESS

U.S. NAVYU.S. NAVY

WELL POINTWELL POINT

ResourcesResources

http://www.inetsoft.com/company/customers/http://www.inetsoft.com/company/customers/ http://www.prophix.com/customers/http://www.prophix.com/customers/

customer_testimonials.phpcustomer_testimonials.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Executive_information_systemsExecutive_information_systems http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/

content/06_07/b3971083.htmcontent/06_07/b3971083.htm http://www.dmreview.com/issues/http://www.dmreview.com/issues/

20050101/1016489-1.html?type=printer_friendly20050101/1016489-1.html?type=printer_friendly