Data Visualization
Step into any busy office environment today and what do you see?
People looking at multiple screens, from different computers and angles, scrambling to get their work done.
It’s become the norm to use a desktop computer, a laptop and a smart phone, not to mention the different applications available on each medium, as necessary tools for job productivity.
The consequences result in time-consuming searching and gathering of information because we don’t know where to look first.
This is where Data Visualization comes in.
Take the old time adage “A picture paints a thousand words” and add a little high tech savvy to it.
The “picture” is now a “dashboard” and the “words” are “real-time data.”
Through the use of images, charts, and video clips, you can now see INSTANTLY the information you need – all on one screen, right in front of your eyes.
This means wasting less time, experiencing less frustration and easily increasing levels of productivity.
The concept is not new. In the early days, chalk and blackboards were used to display numbers to people in the same way that dashboards are used today.
Henry Ford did it and so did members of the stock market.
In fact, Ford used chalk to write down production levels on the floor so his dayshift workers could see it and be motivated into making more cars than the nightshift crew.
You might think of this as a crude version of a Key Performance Indicator (KPI).
In the video below, John Liberatore discusses the evolution of Data Visualization and his first-hand experiences creating a dashboard for his clients.
Why Data Visualization is Important?
Data Visualization can be just about numbers or it can provide you with insight that adds value to the task at hand.
This is called Business Intelligence and without it, your dashboard will be like a car you drove off the lot without air conditioning.
Don’t do it! Take the time to design a product that will give the most meaning (and comfort!) to all your workers.
This may be easier said than done.
It’s not easy creating a dashboard if you have multiple sources of information at your disposal.
We can help you. Give us a call and we can direct you to the right resource, whether it be a website, digital support specialist or manual.
Do you have any challenges with Data Visualization you’d love to share?
Please let us know in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you!