Reports with BSC Designer: Overview and Dashboard
What exporting functions allowed in BSC Designer
Continuing articles referring to reports with BCS Designer program more types are to be described. Previous article “Reports with BSC Designer” presented common HTLM reports but there are also several ways to export BSC project’s information in order to keep it or present it to someone.
The following functions referring to reports will be described in this article:
- Overview report function;
- Dashboard report function;
- Dashboard report for selected item function;
Overview report
Oppositely to common “HTML report” function overview report does not show any values. Its aim is to visualize project’s tree with descriptions for every element. Overview HTML document presents easy to understand diagram with all tree’s elements noticed and described. Description for elements might be input by the user (read more about descriptions in the article “How to manage KPIs using BSC Designer’s functions”). Overview report might be useful to gain overall knowledge on what the balanced scorecard project stands for, how to operate with it. Executive managers performing overall monitoring as well as shareholders and investors could find this type of report very helpful.
Note! How to change the whole project’s description
It is known from our previous articles where to fild description field for such items as categories and indicators. But the way to change description for the whole project is different. In order to do it click on “File” button on the top menu and select “Document properties” sign. New dialog window will appear with the following fields. Find “Description” field and type or paste the project’s information. Aslo “Author” field might be filled with project’s creator’s name and position and “Name” field might be overwrited in order to change project’s name in tree and reports. After that press “OK” button to save changes.
Document’s properties dialog field
It does not matter for “Overview report” function what element is actually selected in a tree because it works with the whole project. In order to perform create this type of report click on “Report” button of the top menu and choose “Overview report” sign. The document appeared as a result of this function’s performing is not sophisticated so no program’s settings dialog window will appear. System’s dialog window will ask you to select the file’s path. It is recommended to use names written in English in order to prevent any errors, for example: “overview.html”. After the file is saved it might be opened by any web browser or sent to anyone via email. Pay attention to send web page’s source folder along with *.html file itself for all images to be viewed correctly.
The whole project’s overview HTML report
Dashboard report
Dashboard report is an alternative to common HTML report (described in previous article “Reports with BSC Designer”). It is also based on hyper text format language and could be viewed and sent the same way as HTML report but has some differences inside. One of the main differences is “Diamond” diagram usage instead of “Time” chart. As it was noticed in the article “How to visualize data with BSC Designer: diagrams and charts (Part2)” diamond chart works only with elements that contain at least 3 sub elements inside. That is why if any category does not have at least three indicators inside the following sign will appear in the report: “Diamond type chart is available for 3 and more sub items”. It does not mean the report will not be created but it will just not be able to show diagram’s image for those elements.
Not enough sub categories sign
Dashboard report might be used in the same cases as common HTML reports. It could be sent to a higher manager to show the current working progress as well as to investors and shareholders to present current company’s performance values. Surely it is up to program’s user what type of report needs to be used in different situations and for different purposes. While common HTML report aims to present the performance’s dynamics which might be interesting for shareholders dashboard report is referring to the current project’s performance values which might suite better for executive officer.
In order to perform dashboard reporting function click on “Reports” button in the top menu and select “Dashboard report” sign. Then select the date to report in new dialog window appeared. After that system’s dialog window will appear asking to select the file’s path. When the file is saved it might be opened by any web browser or sent to anyone via email as well as any other HTML based report.
Dashboard HTML report for the whole project (part of it)
Dashboard report for selected item
Dashboard reports are able to present not only overall project but one of the items selected in a tree as well. Any sub category could be selected and reported using “Dashboard report for selected item” function. Dashboard report does not work for indicators because of “Diamond” diagram usage in it. This function might be used in order to report any performance values but not the whole project. For example dashboard report for the “Financial perspective” category will present textual data and graphs for this category and for every element it includes.
In order to perform dashboard reporting for selected item function click on “Report” button of the top menu and choose “Dashboard report for selected item” sign. The second step is to select the date to be reported in new dialog window appeared. Then select file’s path in system’s dialog window appeared. After that the report will be created and ready to be viewed or sent to anyone.
Dashboard HTML report for one of the categories (part of it)
Other report types
To fill the list of reports available with BSC Designer software product several more reporting functions are to be noticed. There are common HTML reports among them that were described in previous articles as well as some other types that are going to be described in coming soon how to articles. It is certain that the range of reports using BSC Designer is really wide.
The full list of other reporting functions is:
- Export to HTML function;
- HTML report for selected item function;
- Export to MS Excel function;
- Export to MS Power Point function;
- Strategy map report function.
