Dashboards: few can fine-tune it
Imagine the teenager next door and Beethoven dipping into the same source of music notes to create a composition. Chances are the outcome will be dramatically different; chances are the one will be pure beauty and music genius while the other will be, well, a nice enough little tune to hum.

In much the same way dashboards can be functional but, in the right hands, they have the potential to be powerfully compelling and keenly thought-provoking.
“The term ‘dashboards’ has become synonymous with BI, but we’ve come across few examples of dashboards adding the full extent of their value,” said Synergy Business Intelligence principal consultant, Gill Staniland.

Recognising this potential, Synergy BI has drawn from industry insights and techniques to put together a workshop where both designers and developers will master ways to build dashboards that entice the left and right brain – gripping dashboards that expose and exploit information necessary to trigger actions, discussion and decisions.

“The Best Practice Dashboard Design workshops will be held in three major cities and will aim to arm participants with a dashboarding toolkit that will enable them to harvest the full potential of their current or future software investments,” Staniland explained.

Workshop topics will include:
  • understanding your dashboard audience, their roles, skills, devices;
  • identifying the purpose of the dashboard and the questions it is aiming to answer;
  • selecting the information – moving away from merely “interesting” to “deeply thought-provoking and activating”;
  • visualisation techniques – all charts are not made equal, how to select the perfect match;
  • design  – layout, colour, flow and functionality, and making sure the users enjoy their experience.

Workshops will be held in Cape Town (11 October at The Taj Hotel);  Johannesburg (12 October at the Midrand Conference Centre) and Durban (13 October at the Durban Country Club).

For more information, or to reserve a place, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it