The optimization chart shows you the current performance of your indicator.

The optimization chart shows you the current performance of your indicator.  It includes your indicator’s value, and its function line.

• The three points on the chart show you the indicator’s baseline value, its current value, and its target value.  Just look at these three points, and you can see your progress toward your goal.
• The line represents the indicator’s optimization formula—that is, the relationship between the indicator’s value, and its performance.  Our default formulas, Maximize and Minimize, are both linear functions, so this will usually be a straight line.
• The relationship between an indicator’s value and its performance is not always linear.  It might be binary, or it might be more complex.  To create a different optimization formula, just select the indicator, open the Optimization dropdown menu, and choose “Editor.”  The line on the optimization chart will change shape accordingly, to show you how the indicator’s performance will change when you change its value.

• This chart is available in HTML report;
• Learn also: basic ideas about charts in BSC Designer;

The Time Chart shows you how the values of your indicators and categories have changed over time.

The Time Chart shows you how the values of your indicators and categories have changed over time.

• When you select an indicator, its Time Chart shows each change in the value of the indicator, compared to the baseline and target lines.
• When you select a category, the Time Chart shows you how the overall performance of the category has changed over time, compared to the baseline and target values of the indicators in that category.

The colors in the background match the colors of your stop lights.  Go to the Tools menu and choose “Application Options,” and you can decide what colors to use, what values they should represent, and whether they should measure your indicators’ performance, or their progress.

• This chart is available in HTML report;
• Learn also: basic ideas about charts in BSC Designer;
• Learn more Time points in BSC Designer;

Gauge Chart in BSC Designer

The gauge chart shows you the performance of each indicator:

• The small red arrow represents the indicator’s baseline value.
• The small black arrow represents its target value.
• The large arrow shows its current value.
• And the colored scale matches the colors and thresholds you chose for your stop lights.  Open the Tools menu and choose “Application Options” to choose what colors to use, what values they should represent, and whether they should measure your indicator’s performance, or its progress.

• This chart is available in HTML report;
• Learn also: basic ideas about charts in BSC Designer;

The Excel Report is a great choice when you need to collaborate on your scorecard with a colleague who doesn’t have BSC Designer.

Select "Export to MS Excel" command to create MS Excel Report

• MS Excel report does not ask user to select the reporting period. BSC Designer creates Excel report for the date that is selected on the calendar

Why Excel report is needed

• To keep the report files in achieves for internal or external needs;
• To share project’s data with colleagues or other people involved who are not equipped with BSC Designer;

Inside Excel Report

The header section of MS Excel report created with BSC Designer

The header section of the Excel report contains the basic information about the project.

• project’s name (it is “Balanced Scorecard” in our case);
• project’s description;
• the total performance value.

Learn more how to change Project Properties with BSC Designer.

Indicators in MS Excel Report generated by BSC Designer

The following part of Excel report includes information about categories, indicators and their values.

• Changing the values and the weights will automatically recalculate the project’s performance;
• All the formulas are included in the *.xls / *.xlsx file;

MS Excel Report created with BSC Designer includes the following columns:

• “Perspective” column shows the name of the category.
• “Indicator” column shows the name of the indicators.
• “Description” columns shows description for the categories and for the indicators.
• “Weight” column shows weight values for the elements: yellow color for the categories and green for the indicators; those values could be changed manually.
• “Value” column shows the values of the indicators and the calculated value of the categories. Changing the values of the indicators will affect the performance values of their parent categories and the whole project.
  

  Information for indicators in Excel spreadsheet

The screenshot above presents 4 more columns:

• “Target Value” column shows the goal for the indicator – the value that is needed to be reached in order to achieve the strategic goal measured by the indicator.
• “Target Description” here is the text description of target goal.
• “Absolute Weight” column shows the coefficient of weight value of the item, referring to the whole project’s performance. The numbers here depend on both the indicator’s own weight and its parent category’s weight.
• “Absolute Performance” column shows the performance of indicator taking into account its absolute weight. The absolute value depends on absolute weight value of the item, its current value, minimal and maximal values and the direction of the optimization and the formula of the optimization.

• Select “Export to MS PowerPoint command” in Report menu to create a PowerPoint report;
• You can specify certain period for the report;

Some slides of resulted report in MS PowerPoint

• Target Description and Initiatives. These properties of an indicator allow you to specify your action plan for the indicator.  If your plan is simple enough, you can describe it briefly in the “Target Description” text box.  For a more complex plan, choose “Initiatives,” and you can attach any documents you might need.

How to add initiative to indicator or category

1. Run BSC Designer
2. Select any indicator or category

Step 3. Click "Initiatives" button

Step 4. Add some files with tasks or requirements for this goal; Enter "Target Description" if needed;

Step 5. Small icon will appear next to the indicator indicating that this indicator has some initiatives attached.

You can get the list of all initiatives for all indicators and categories in the project. Select “Project Initiatives” command in File menu.

• Select “Dashboard report” command in “Reports” menu.

Select certain date and click "Generate" button

You can choose the range of dates to include in your report.

You can choose the level of detail for your report: Mini, Standard, or Advanced. The Advanced option includes the most details.

• You can publish your HTML reports straight to the Internet.  You will need to specify your FTP access details so that BSC Designer can automatically upload your report.

• If you chose a Standard or Advanced report, your HTML document will include diagrams.  Select “Report Options” from the Reports menu, and you can choose what kinds of charts to include, and how to arrange them on the page.

• HTML report can be generated using command line interface. Learn more in BSC Designer manual.

HTML Report generated by BSC Designer. Click to enlarge.

• Overview report is generated as HTML file.
• To create “Overview” report select the “Overview report” command in “Reports” menu.

In the center of Overview report is Project name and Project description. These texts can be changed on the “Main” tab in Document Properties dialog (File > Document Properties).

Overview Report

Overview Report in BSC Designer. Click to enlarge.

Additional information

• This report can be generated via command line interface.

Learn more about Overview Report in BSC Designer Manual.

Adding logo into the report

1. Run BSC Designer.
2. Select “Document Properties” command in “File” menu.
3. Go to the “Custom Files” tab

Step 3. "Custom Files" Tab in BSC Designer

Step 4. Add "company_logo" template. Assign specific graphical file.

Step 5. Use "Notepad" or any text editor to open Common.html file and add %company_logo% as shown on the screenshot (click to enlarge).

• Find common.html template file, normally it is located in C:\Program Files\BSC Designer\Templates
• Use Windows Notepad or some text editor to modify the common.html
• Find in the beginning of common.html file the string: <h1 style=”margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0″><span style=”font-weight: 400″><font size=”5″>
• Right after this string insert: <img alt=”" src=”%company_logo%” width=”48″ height=”48″>

Resulted template file might be a little different, but the idea is the same:

<html>
<head>
<title><#Common Value=”DocumentName”> | <<<Balanced Scorecard Report>>></title>
</head>
<body>
<a name=”<#Root Value=”Link”>”></a>
<h1 style=”margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0″><span style=”font-weight: 400″><font size=”5″>
<img alt=”" src=”%company_logo%” width=”48″ height=”48″><#Common Value=”DocumentName”></font></span></h1>

Now, try generating HTML report. Select “Export to HTML” command in Reports menu.

The resulted report includes now the logo of the company in the header.

Changing charts position

BSC Designer’s options allow to change the position of certain chart in the report.

1. Run BSC Designer
2. Select “Application options” command in “Tools” menu.
3. Go to the “Report” tab

Here user can define what charts should be displayed in the report and the relative location of charts.