Dashboard creation overview
Dashboards in 5X Business Intelligence are powerful tools for presenting data insights in an organized, interactive format. They combine multiple charts, filters, and text elements to create comprehensive views of your business metrics and KPIs.What makes a great dashboard?
Clear purpose
Focused objectivesEach dashboard should have a clear purpose and target audience. Avoid trying to show everything in one view.
Logical layout
Organized structureArrange charts in a logical flow that guides users through your data story from high-level metrics to detailed insights.
Interactive elements
User engagementUse filters, drill-downs, and cross-filtering to let users explore data and find their own insights.
Visual consistency
Professional appearanceMaintain consistent colors, fonts, and styling to create a professional, branded experience.
Creating your first dashboard
Step 1: Access the dashboard builder
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Navigate to Business Intelligence
- From your workspace, click “BI” in the left sidebar
- Click ”+ Dashboard” in the top right corner
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Start building
- Begin with a blank canvas to build your custom dashboard layout
Step 2: Configure dashboard settings
1
Basic information
Set your dashboard name, description, and tags for easy organization and discovery.
2
Refresh settings
Set up automatic data refresh intervals to keep your dashboard current with the latest data.
3
Save and continue
Save your dashboard configuration and proceed to the layout builder.
Step 3: Build your dashboard layout
The dashboard builder uses a flexible grid system for arranging charts and components: Adding components:- Charts - Drag existing charts or create new ones
- Text boxes - Add titles, descriptions, and context
- Filters - Create global filters for dashboard-wide filtering
- Images - Include logos, diagrams, or visual elements
- Top-down flow - Place most important metrics at the top
- Group related content - Use rows and columns to organize related charts
- White space - Allow breathing room between elements
- Responsive design - Ensure dashboards work on different screen sizes
Dashboard components
Charts and visualizations
Charts are the core building blocks of your dashboard: Chart types available:- Time series - Line charts, area charts for trend analysis
- Categorical - Bar charts, pie charts for comparisons
- Geographic - Maps for location-based data
- Tables - Detailed data views with sorting and filtering
- Custom - Advanced visualizations for specific use cases
- Access the dashboard builder interface
- Select charts from your existing chart library
- Position and resize the chart in your layout
- Configure chart-specific settings and interactions
Dashboard filters
Filters enable users to interact with your dashboard data: Filter types:- Date range - Filter data by time periods
- Categorical - Filter by specific values or categories
- Numeric - Filter by value ranges or thresholds
- Custom SQL - Advanced filtering with custom logic
- Scope - Apply to specific charts or entire dashboard
- Default values - Set sensible defaults for new users
- Required filters - Force users to select certain filters
- Cascading filters - Create dependent filter relationships
Text and annotations
Enhance your dashboard with contextual information: Text elements:- Titles and headers - Clear section identification
- Descriptions - Explain metrics and provide context
- Instructions - Guide users on how to interact with the dashboard
- Annotations - Highlight important insights or changes
- Keep text concise and actionable
- Use consistent formatting and styling
- Provide context for complex metrics
- Include data refresh timestamps
Best practices
Design principles
User-centered design
Know your audienceDesign dashboards for specific user personas and their information needs.
Progressive disclosure
Layer informationStart with high-level metrics and allow users to drill down for details.
Consistent metrics
Standardized KPIsUse consistent metric definitions across all dashboards for reliable insights.
Regular updates
Keep data freshEnsure dashboards reflect current data with appropriate refresh schedules.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Overwhelming users:- Too many charts on one dashboard
- Complex layouts without clear hierarchy
- Missing context or explanations
- Inconsistent styling and formatting
- Loading too much data at once
- Inefficient queries and calculations
- Missing data refresh strategies
- Ignoring mobile user experience
- Unclear navigation and interactions
- Missing or confusing filters
- Inconsistent metric definitions
- Lack of responsive design
Troubleshooting
Common dashboard issues
Charts not displaying
Charts not displaying
Possible causes:
- Data source connection issues
- Insufficient permissions for data access
- Query errors or timeouts
- Missing or invalid chart configurations
- Verify data source connections
- Check user permissions and roles
- Review query performance and optimization
- Validate chart configuration settings
Filters not working
Filters not working
Possible causes:
- Incorrect filter configuration
- Data type mismatches
- Missing filter dependencies
- Cache or refresh issues
- Review filter settings and scope
- Verify data types and formats
- Check filter dependencies and cascading
- Clear cache and refresh data
Slow dashboard performance
Slow dashboard performance
Possible causes:
- Large data volumes
- Inefficient queries
- Complex calculations
- Network or infrastructure issues
- Optimize data queries and filters
- Implement data aggregation strategies
- Use caching for frequently accessed data
- Monitor and optimize infrastructure