Configurable Components on Project Dashboards

In the realm of project management, a dashboard serves as the compass, providing both a bird's-eye view and an intricate analysis of every project. The true power of a project dashboard lies in its configurability – the ability to sculpt it according to your unique needs and challenges, resulting in meaningful and tailored reporting. In this article, we delve into the benefits of configurable dashboards, guiding you through the process of personalising and optimising your project dashboard for effective reporting.

Applying reporting layouts and charts

On the project dashboard, there are various reporting layouts that serve as a visual piece of reporting. These showcase the various overviews that project information can be viewed in and can be located by simply clicking on the Switch Report Layout button. 

The Dashboard Reports dialogue will appear with a list of reporting layouts that you can choose from. This list incorporates a number of areas in which project information can represented on the dashboard. The dashboard layout is also fully searchable by keywords, depending on what you're looking for on the report you need.

From the dialogue:

• On the left-hand navigation - you'll see the different sections of project information that can be reported on. 
• Each section will include the reporting layout options.
• You can also use the search at the top of the dialog to display any reporting layout by its title.

Once you have sourced the layout that fits your reporting needs, simply click on Select to apply the layout to the dashboard. You'll be able to see the report layout applied, directly at the top of the dashboard. 

How to configure components on project dashboards

Each project manager will have a different layout they wish to apply, depending on their reporting needs. When a reporting layout is applied, there are components that can be edited and updated to visually present the desired overview of project information. 

For example, as a project manager, if you were reporting on project impacts and rag components with their path to green dates, the reporting layout would give you default charts that represent that information. 

Depending on your reporting style, you may want to use bar graphs that show the metrics of the information instead on a pie chart. 

To begin to configure your dashboard, click on the settings cog located on the charts within the dashboard to open a compact dialog, allowing you to customise the chart according to your reporting preferences. Here, you can choose the data field the chart references and the type of chart that best presents your data.

NOTE:  You are also now able to select Project Custom Properties that have been set up as Option / Multioption / ValuedOption / Date data fields.

Once you apply the changes, the charts will update the information and provide you with the style of layout that you need. 

Saving the configured dashboard

A key final step is to save the dashboard with the new layout that you have applied. Enabling you to access this personalised dashboard at any given time!

To save the dashboard, simply click on Save As Dashboard at the top of the page. 

For more information on how to complete the steps for saving/creating a dashboard, Click here.