Custom Reporting & Dashboards: Beyond Excel

How many hours does your team spend each week pulling data into spreadsheets, formatting reports, and emailing them around? There's a better way.

The Problem with Manual Reporting

• Time waste: Hours spent on repetitive data compilation
• Stale data: Reports are outdated before they're finished
• Error risk: Copy-paste mistakes are inevitable
• Single version: Everyone needs the same view
• No drill-down: Questions require new reports

Custom Dashboard Benefits

Real-Time Data

Dashboards pull directly from your systems. Data is always current.

Self-Service

Users get the views they need without waiting for someone to build a report.

Interactive Exploration

Click to drill down. Filter by date, region, product. Answer follow-up questions instantly.

Automated Delivery

Scheduled reports arrive in inboxes automatically. Exception alerts when metrics go off-track.

Common Dashboard Types

Executive Dashboard

• Key performance indicators at a glance
• Trend comparisons (YoY, MoM)
• Goal tracking
• Exception highlighting

Operational Dashboard

• Real-time status of key processes
• Queue depths and backlogs
• Resource utilization
• Quality metrics

Sales Dashboard

• Pipeline by stage and rep
• Forecast vs. actual
• Win/loss analysis
• Activity metrics

Financial Dashboard

• Revenue and expense tracking
• Cash flow visibility
• Budget variance
• Profitability by segment

Build vs. Buy: Dashboard Tools

Off-the-Shelf BI Tools (Power BI, Tableau)

Pros: Quick to start, many built-in visualizations

Cons: Per-user licensing, limited customization, data must fit their model

Custom Dashboards

Pros: Perfect fit for your data and needs, no per-user fees, full control

Cons: Higher upfront investment, requires development

When Custom Makes Sense

• Complex data from multiple proprietary systems
• Many users need dashboard access
• Specific calculations or business logic required
• Need to embed in other applications
• Data security requirements