Warning Lights: New Dashboard Reports Help Institutions Gauge Their Performance

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Warning Lights: New Dashboard Reports Help Institutions Gauge Their Performance
Language: English
Authors: Butler, Lawrence M.
Source: Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education. Spr 2007 21(5):31-33.
Availability: New England Board of Higher Education. 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-357-9620; Fax: 617-338-1577; e-mail: connection@nebhe.org; Web site: http://www.nebhe.org/connection.html
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 3
Publication Date: 2007
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Descriptors: Enrollment, School Holding Power, Benchmarking, Academic Achievement
ISSN: 0895-6405
Abstract: Dashboard reports--like an automobile's instrument panel--present quick, comprehensible overviews of the institution's status and direction. Instead of speed, RPM and engine temperature, dashboard reports display comparable measures of organizational performance and mission effectiveness. These key performance indicators (KPIs) are presented in consistent formats that enable institutional leaders to readily spot significant changes and trends. Like an automobile dashboard, these reports often display the equivalent of warning lights that flash on only when there is an impending problem or when certain variables stray outside of predetermined limits. In this way, the dashboard can serve as an early warning device alerting the board and senior administration when it might be important to dig deeper for greater insight. This article describes the two basic styles of dashboard reporting, namely, scorecard style and graphic style. It also discusses what to measure in a dashboard report and its benefits. (Contains 3 figures.)
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2008
Accession Number: EJ792690
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Dashboard reports--like an automobile's instrument panel--present quick, comprehensible overviews of the institution's status and direction. Instead of speed, RPM and engine temperature, dashboard reports display comparable measures of organizational performance and mission effectiveness. These key performance indicators (KPIs) are presented in consistent formats that enable institutional leaders to readily spot significant changes and trends. Like an automobile dashboard, these reports often display the equivalent of warning lights that flash on only when there is an impending problem or when certain variables stray outside of predetermined limits. In this way, the dashboard can serve as an early warning device alerting the board and senior administration when it might be important to dig deeper for greater insight. This article describes the two basic styles of dashboard reporting, namely, scorecard style and graphic style. It also discusses what to measure in a dashboard report and its benefits. (Contains 3 figures.)
ISSN:0895-6405