The terminology thrown around these days almost perpetuates the confusion surrounding the definition and understanding of Workforce Metrics.

‘Managers Console’, ‘Digital Dashboard’, ‘Analytics’, ‘Business Intelligence’, ‘Data Mining’, ‘Corporate Performance Management’, ….etc.

The truth of the matter is , that it is nothing new, it is simply Management Reporting.  What has changed, however, is the manner in which it is being delivered.

Gone are the days of Business Analysts working away for days, weeks, even months, in little dark rooms preparing Reports, Graphs, Charts and Trends for Monthly Board and Management Meetings.

With the continuing advances in Technology and the significant reduction in associated costs,  and more importantly the simplifying of the User Interface, this same Management Information is now being delivered directly to the Manager in real time.  It is here that the ‘Digital Dashboards’ and ‘Managers Consoles’ have come to the fore.

What all the techno-speak relates to is the infrastructure that underpins these ‘Dashboards’.  All comprehensive Reporting Frameworks require some form of Database, or more likely a Data Warehouse, as it’s foundation.  From there , there are numerous mechanisms to rationalise and collate the information ready for presentation.  The what, why and how is a whole new topic.