A business intelligence (BI) dashboard is a data visualization tool that consolidates and displays the current status of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for an organization, department or specific process. With one glance, a dashboard offers the user an array of important business insights.
Purpose of dashboard:
Monitoring: Refers to the day to day evaluation of metrics that should result in corrective action.
Consistency: Relates to the alignment of measures and measurement procedures used across departments and business units.
Planning: Given that scenario analysis is present among its features.
Communication: A dashboard communicates both performance and the values of an organization to its stakeholders through the choice of the metrics.