How to Create a Dashboard in SharePoint and Customization Options
SharePoint is one of the sought-after web-based collaborative platforms in the industry today for a reason.
The dashboard, in particular, is the reason many businesses fall in love with SharePoint, helping organizations see critical business information on a single page, with key performance indicators (KPIs).
Since 2001, SharePoint dashboards have been changing the way businesses from multiple sectors share information. It takes the information sharing process to new heights, enhances employee productivity, and opens successful business opportunities.
How to create a Dashboard in SharePoint
You finally decided to use a SharePoint dashboard. Good choice! But how to create one?
Decide What Data To Report
Creating a responsive and stunning dashboard is tricky. Maybe, many things run in your mind.
Take a deep breath and decide what information to include in your dashboard. Remember that you are not just building good graphics or assembling indicator icons.
You also have to distinguish the data that represents your predictions and your status. But you don’t have to do that alone. You have a team you can work with, so find time to brainstorm with them. Also, do not forget to be objective.
Develop Your Dashboard in Excel
After gathering appropriate metrics, it is time to lay them all out in Microsoft Excel. Before that, you can sketch the information on a piece of paper. It will help you.
But that is not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, you may run out of ideas. That’s all right, and it is part of the process.
You can search over the internet for some inspiration. There are countless examples you can find online, and they are overwhelming to narrow down. You can compare the top five out of them at least.
Since you only search for ideas, do not copy. You have to be yourself. Combine the sample with what you have in mind. Surely, you can come up with something you have never expected.
Insert Your Dashboard in MS Excel into a SharePoint Page
You are probably using SharePoint Online and wanting to get the most out of the modern SharePoint experience. Then, you may end up employing a modern SharePoint page.
To insert your Excel dashboard into your chosen page, upload it into a document library. You just have to open the file and place the cursor in A1. Make sure to save it before hitting the X button.
Before you post your dashboard, update permissions on the file. You can leave it as read-only to secure the data. Then, you can create a page that your dashboard will display. If you have an existing page, you are ready to go.
If you want to add a new web part, you only have to click the plus icon. That’s it! There is no complex procedure to follow
Top Customization Options in SharePoint Dashboard
Who wants to post an ordinary dashboard? Nobody likes that. As a business owner, you perhaps are searching for ways to create something unique and special. There is no need to look further than the following customization options:
Out of Box Customization
Your long search is finally over with out-of-box customization. As the name indicates, this option can help you have a stunning dashboard. It is ideal for customizing sites, libraries, and lists in SharePoint Online and SharePoint 2013/2016/2019.
Power BI
If you have tried out-of-box customization and are unsatisfied with its functionality, Power BI will be your best bet.
Unlike the rest, Power BI is designed to display data in an immersive and intuitive manner with an interactive user interface.
Power BI excels in simplifying any complex information as it uses the dataset to represent dashboards according to the industry’s highest standards. Refer to this Power BI SharePoint guide to know more about integration.
Google Chart Web Part
Since its launch into the market, Google Chart Web Part has been widely used for SharePoint lists. It allows users to create any type of chart and display intuitive chart graphs by plugging in the HTML-based code.
What’s more, the Google Chart Web Part is convenient to integrate or extend according to your specific requirements.
All of these features are available for free. If you are on a budget, Google Chart Web Part should be on top of your list.
EPCGroup provides SharePoint Consulting Services to organizations that are looking to implement a web-based collaborative platform. We have over 50+ in-house Sharepoint experts with a combined experience of over 100+ years.
Why Should You Use SharePoint Dashboard?
SharePoint has remained the top favorite of most businesses since its inception. The customer base is also constantly growing. Why is that? The following are the benefits of using a SharePoint dashboard.
It Allows Businesses to Make Better and More Informed Decisions
One of the skills that every business owner must possess is good and fast decision-making ability. And almost all leaders are skilled in that department. But some are unable to decide as quickly as possible because of the absence of necessary information.
Time is necessary for any workplace. Any delay in making decisions might increase your risk of losing your potential customers to competitors and decreasing your revenues. With a Sharepoint dashboard, anyone can make more informed and confident decisions using predictive analytics consulting.
Time-Saving
Surveys revealed more than 40% of employees spend a quarter of their workweek on something manual and repetitive.
On the other hand, almost 60% of participants say they could save at least six hours every week with automation.
If you have started automating your business procedure, do not forget that a SharePoint dashboard can level up and change the way you share information across your organization.
Also, see EPC Group offering for SharePoint Development
A Perfect Opportunity to Study Your Competitors
Developing a product is your specialty. But running a business does not circulate in that alone. There are other things you may struggle with. Studying your competitors may not be your expertise. But that’s all right. You are human, after all. You also have a lot of time, so there’s no pressure. To help unleash your potential in studying your competitors, SharePoint dashboards may help.
Create a SharePoint Dashboard Today!
Don’t you have a dashboard yet? SharePoint can help you make one that you dream of. Having a dashboard will assist you in making better decisions, studying your competitors, and standing apart from the rest. If you have any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information regarding Microsoft SharePoint Training and Development Services.
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Sas Chatterjee is a Senior Architect with EPC Group. His focus lies in making sure that the execution of each engagement is delivered in a forward compatible, best practices manner. Sas is an extremely devoted professional and takes each project he is assigned very seriously. During the project execution phase, Sas invests the time needed with his clients to gain a full understanding of their requirements and develops a roadmap for achieving their desired end goal.
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