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Data is everything in today’s fast-paced business world. Business companies can evaluate their performance based on the data available. They can plan strategies and make decisions as well, depending on the data they collect. There are two specific ways to analyze data, one is dashboards and the other one is reports. In this article, we will help you understand their difference in simple terms and which one to pick when:
What is a Dashboard?
A dashboard is visual, it shows you live data as it changes. Dashboards can be customized to give you any information that you need. Dashboards are the control panels that give you real-time information.
For example, when you want to keep track of the everyday performance of your employees, a dashboard is perfect for them. It gives you the latest information with the latest numbers, so you can plan accordingly.
What is a Report?
A report is more of a summary in detail of how things have gone over a period. Reports don’t update regularly like dashboards, they are prepared weekly, monthly, or quarterly and provide an in-depth analysis.
Reports are perfect when you want to have a look at performance over time to make long-term decisions by understanding trends and how things have flown for a certain period.
Why Should You Use a Dashboard Vs a Report?
Both dashboards and reports are useful depending on your requirements. They serve different purposes and you need to know when to use which.
Use a dashboard when:
- You need real-time information
- You need to track continuous progress
- You need to give more control to your clients
- You want to detect problems early
Use a report when:
- When you need to make long-term decisions
- You need a detailed summary of the performance
- Your focus is on getting better long-term results
- You need to share information from one department to another
Key Differences Between Dashboard and Reports
To be able to use the right platform to get adequate information, it is important to understand the difference between the two. Here is a comparison to highlight how dashboards are different from reports.
| Report | Dashboard |
| Gives updates and information analyzed over a period of time and does not give real-time updates. | Gives live updates and insights as soon as they occur. |
| Gives an in-depth detailed analysis of a particular campaign or project | Allows you to monitor multiple campaigns at the same time |
| Created on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis | Provides round-the-clock access to data as and when needed. |
| Focusses on past performances to recognize trends | Focuses on current trends to make immediate decisions. |
How View Metrics Helps Create Dashboards and Reports
View Metrics gathers relevant data from all your marketing platforms. It saves you the hassle of manually collecting data automates the creation of marketing reports, connects to your marketing accounts, and generates reports automatically, saving you time and effort.
Try View Metrics Today and make data analysis simpler.
Both dashboards and reports are essential to understand business data and the progress of business. But the purpose they serve is different, as dashboards are relied on for minute-to-minute updates, whereas reports are relied on to see progress over time in detail. By simply understanding when to use which, you can run a successful business and make better and more informed decisions.
