Key Takeaways
- Good dashboards track a few decision-driving KPIs, not every available number.
- Each KPI needs a target, owner and comparison period.
- Start with sales, cash and inventory dashboards for the fastest business impact.
The most common dashboard mistake is cramming every number onto one screen. Below are 12 focused dashboards, by department, with the KPIs that actually drive decisions.
Sales and marketing
| Dashboard | Key KPIs |
|---|---|
| 1. Sales performance | Revenue vs target, orders, average order value, top customers/products |
| 2. Sales pipeline | Pipeline value, stage conversion, deal age, forecast |
| 3. Marketing ROI | Leads by source, cost per lead, cost per acquisition, ROAS |
| 4. Dealer/distributor | Secondary sales, outstanding, scheme performance |
Finance
| Dashboard | Key KPIs |
|---|---|
| 5. Cash flow | Cash balance, inflows/outflows, 30/60/90-day forecast |
| 6. Receivables | Outstanding, ageing buckets, DSO, top overdue accounts |
| 7. Profitability | Gross margin by product/customer/branch, expense trends |
Operations
| Dashboard | Key KPIs |
|---|---|
| 8. Inventory | Stock value, days of inventory, dead stock, stock-outs |
| 9. Production | Output vs plan, OEE, rejection rate, downtime |
| 10. Logistics | On-time delivery, cost per shipment, RTO, pending dispatch |
People and customers
| Dashboard | Key KPIs |
|---|---|
| 11. HR | Headcount, attrition, absenteeism, hiring pipeline |
| 12. Customer service | Tickets, first response time, resolution time, CSAT |
Rules for useful KPIs
- Show trend and comparison (vs last month, vs target)
- Use colour only for exceptions
- Allow drill-down to the transaction
- Assign an owner to every KPI
Build these with real-time dashboard architecture and good dashboard design.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should a KPI dashboard include?
A small set of decision-driving metrics with targets, trends, comparisons and drill-down, tailored to the audience.
How many KPIs should a dashboard have?
Usually 5–12 per dashboard. More than that dilutes attention.
What is the most important dashboard for a small business?
Most small businesses benefit first from sales, cash flow/receivables and inventory dashboards.
How often should dashboards update?
Operational dashboards benefit from hourly or real-time updates; strategic dashboards can update daily.
