Article
At ELAVV, our objective is to design models and processes in such a way that users do not need to have knowledge of the underlying programming environment. This means that there is no need to review complex code before they wish to run their model/process.
At ELAVV, our goal is to design models and processes so that users do not need to have knowledge of the underlying programming environment. This means that no complex code needs to be reviewed before they want to run their model/process.
One method to achieve this goal is dashboarding. A dashboard is an application that supports the visualization of data. There are many possibilities within creating a dashboard. These possibilities can be divided into two categories:
Dashboarding in a complex environment: Creating dashboards by integrating the underlying calculations/processes with output in programs like PowerBI or Excel,
Dashboarding in a less complex environment: Setting up a dashboard in a programming environment.
Which of these options best suits your model, process, and organization is highly dependent on your preferences. Below, we will explain some of the possibilities.
Dashboarding in a complex environment
Dashboards do not have to be as complex as they sound. When using PowerBI or Excel, the data from an underlying programming language will be loaded into these tools. This tool environment will be set up in advance to process the output.
For simple versions of dashboards, Excel can be chosen. Excel offers reliability, as it is easy to use and most people have experience with it. This can make it suitable in cases where many specific adjustments are made to the outcomes of certain calculations. However, we note here that complexity can also introduce error-proneness and time inefficiency. Fortunately, there are enough methods to prevent this as much as possible.
If there is a need for a balance between complexity and design, PowerBI can offer a good solution. In PowerBI, a dataset is loaded from the underlying programming language, which is then edited in another environment into figures and numbers. PowerBI offers more and better possibilities within building a dashboard compared to Excel, where even additional figures can be introduced using programming languages like Python and R.
Dashboarding in a less complex environment
Building interfaces with the help of dashboards is not limited to the programming language that collects or calculates the data. One programming language may offer more tools for building dashboards than another. This allows for deviation from the programming language used for calculating and collecting the data.
Dashboards set up within a programming environment can provide a clear and fixed environment within which calculations are performed (or data is retrieved). In this environment, it is possible to combine input and output, so that the user can "play" with different settings in a fixed environment and directly view the output. The advantage of this is that the room for errors is limited and there is uniformity created in the figures displayed. These figures can be downloaded for a presentation but can also be directly shown in the dashboard.
A fixed environment does not mean that no changes can be made at all. If there is a need for changes in figures or the need for additional figures, this can be addressed with some extra programming work.
Is this the solution for you?
Dashboards can ensure that your processes run more smoothly and your company appears more innovative. Many techniques and programs can be used to achieve the most suitable end result.
Curious about which application suits you best? Contact us!
