Acronyms are a very efficient way of sharing an idea or a concept quickly, and there are two that we are particularly fond of at ClicData
We like to K.I.S.S. Everything!
Before this looks any weirder than it really is, let me explain myself.
With ClicData we decided we wanted to democratize Business Intelligence, to make it as easy as possible and accessible for everybody and for that we decided to “Keep It Simple Stupid”.
Do we want to give our users long lists of features through very detailed menus, manual database queries etc. Or do we want them to focus on getting the information they need as fast as possible in the most user friendly manner as possible?
We decided for the 2nd option, and that doesn’t mean we are amputating our application from important functions, it means we are going to do the extra work needed for you so that you will not need any kind of supplemental training to get the best out of our application.
In a nutshell, we don’t believe a company should require specifically trained BI specialists to manage the analysis of their business. It should be simple and efficient.
Now let’s get SMART!
As we were talking about KPIs last week, I would like to give a piece of advice regarding how you should select your KPIs for your dashboard. Have them tied to S.M.A.R.T. goals as in
Specific: The goal you set must be specific rather than general. (“increase sales of item X by 10%” rather than “increase sales” )
Measurable: you should give concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the reach of your goal (“Our event must gather 10 000 people” instead of “we should get as many as possible”)
Attainable: Do not set unattainable goals, keep them reasonable and in line with your overall business goals (You won’t achieve anything by discouraging your teams if you set objective they know to be unattainable)
Relevant: Your goal should be relevant to other objectives in your company (If your development team has the goal of releasing a product at the beginning of the year, you want a goal for your sales team in relation with this new product)
Time-bound: Set a target date to achieve each goal (keep a clear dead line on your goals, avoid “soon” or “asap” as much as possible)
Your KPIs should help you reach your objectives by giving you at any time an indication of how well you are doing against your goals.
And again, it is better to take the time to set your KPIs right the first time than realizing too late they are not relevant to your company goals.
Happy dashboarding!
