Balanced Scorecard Designer

We are happy to present a new diagram in BSC Designer program called “Gauge”. It is now available in diagrams and charts dialog field. Learn more about diagrams and charts in the article “How to visualize data with BSC Designer: diagrams and charts” (First part, Second part).
Also now the current “Time” diagram is filled with basic colors showing the performance rate’s level.

What Gauge diagram shows

Gauge diagram shows the percentage of performance value for any item in the tree (indicators, sub categories and the whole project). The hand shows current performance values at the moment comparing to “min” (the left starting point) and “max” (the right finishing point) values.

To select gauge diagram turn all diagrams on at first. In order to perform this run BSC Designer and click on “Chart Options” button right under chats dialog field. After a new dialog window appears mark every diagram type. Now click “OK” button to save changes. Now when all the diagrams had been turned on select “Gauge” tab in chats dialog field.

Gauge diagram for one of the indicators

Red, yellow and green colors mean the same as stop lights’ colors. Read more about stop lights in the article “How to visualize data with BSC Designer: signal icons“. As for colors’ borders it could be changed the same way as stop lights’ colors intervals. In order to manage color intervals click on “Tools” -> “Stop lights” and select “Options” sign. A new dialog window will appear with two lines – one for Red light and one for Green. Drag sliders in both lines until the needed interval is chosen.

Colors’ intervals management dialog field

“Time” chart is now colorized too!

Such tool and “Time” chart is now colorized using three basic colors. This update aims to make the graph easier to understand and monitor. Since color’s borders are set by the user it is now so easy to notice when some indicator or category does not suit company’s plan. For example the critical percentage value could be set on 50 percent. Now all the values under this border will be red colored so it will help manager to notice what exact indicators or categories for what exact dates he or she is not satisfied with. Oppositely green color might help manager to notice what specialists had made great job in some period of time and need to be awarded.

“Time” chart’s new look

HTML reports’ new look

HTML reports is a common type of reports in BSC Designer. Read more about HTML reports is the article “Reports with BSC Designer“. Advanced HTML reports now present not only “Time” chart but also “Gauge” diagram. This diagram’s usage in reports might help for better understanding presented information by visualizing not only time progress but also current values comparing to minimal and maximal borders. Colorized visualization might be especially useful while presenting reports to persons without special knowledge about balanced scorecard and Business Intelligence concepts like shareholders and investors.

HTML reports’ new look (the first part of it)

HTML reports’ new look (the second part of it)

How to update Balanced ScoreCard Designer program

Current users need to download BSC Designer installer and overwrite the software. No system’s reboot is needed. After the installation is done run the program and use all new functions and features!

Not a user yet? Well join us by downloading a full function software product and use it 30 days long for free! After that the program’s license might be bought.

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Intro

After all management operations are being described it needs every performance value to be visualized and understand. There are several automatic signal icons in the program aiming to make project’s management process easier by helping a manager to orient in a big company’s project and set proper priorities. The colors of those icons are quite understandable for everyone because the green-yellow-red scheme is used.

Signal icons are divided into:

• Schematic Clock Icons;
• Up and Down Arrows;
• Stop Lights.

Schematic Clock Icons

Schematic clock icons perform visualization function for such parameters as indicator’s values. Those little clocks are located before every indicator in the tree. It is no need for those icons to be set manually – when new indicator is created or imported it already has its own clock. While KPI’s values age being changed the “clocks” are transforming as well. A green clock icon showing about 1 o’clock means that the weight’s value of indicator equals “1”. Oppositely a full red one means that KPI’s weight set to “10”, the maximal number. To demonstrate clock icons’ changing 10 new indicators well be created with all different weights.

Every clock icon means different weight’s values of indicators

Up and Down Arrows

While the project’s values are updating using the Calendar function a little green and red arrows appeared for every item. Those arrows show the direction of every indicator’s, category’s and whole project’s performance changing comparing to the date it was updated before. In the article “How to manage time points with BSC Designer” changing values of indicators along 3 days took its place. Using that project’s example arrows icons could be shown. Selecting the 18th of November date green arrows could be found as well as red ones. Green arrows mean that yesterday’s performance value was lower than today’s. Oppositely red arrows mean that performance value decreased comparing to yesterday’s values. Both green and red arrows of KPIs could be directed up and down depending on the optimization direction of indicator.

Two of four categories decreased its performance but the whole project’s performance value increased

Stop Lights

BSC Designer allows usage of special stop lights which are located next to any item of the project’s tree. Let’s see what logic is used for different kinds of stop lights to be shown. Those icons depend on the current performance values of indicators, categories and the whole project. Stop lights could be green, yellow and red. “Good” performance values are marking with green light, red lights are for “bad” performance and yellow lights show that the performance is not “bad” already but is not yet “good”. Certainly both “bad” and “good” have its own performance percentage value. By default green lights are shown within the interval of 80 – 100, %%, yellow lights are for 21 – 79, %% and red lights are for 0 – 20, %%.

In opposite to other icons described in the article stop light’ settings could be changed by program’s user. At first some of the colors can be turned off in some case. It might be manager’s decision to find problems to be fixed so just red lights will be shown. To turn off and on stop lights click on “Tools” button in the top menu, select “Stop Lights” and mark or unmark red, yellow or green lights. And the second feature allows user to change any color’s intervals. In order to manage color intervals click on “Tools” -> “Stop lights” and select “Options” sign. A new dialog window will appear with two lines – one for Red light and one for Green. Drag sliders in both lines until the needed interval is chosen. As an example “0” – “34” interval will be set for red light, “35” – “90” for yellow one and “91” – “100” for green one. Those numbers mean performance percents of every item. Even if some indicators have score measure units or custom ones anyway it will be calculated into percentage value to show stop lights and to project’s calculations.

How to turn on or off stop lights

How to manage intervals

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