In the two previous postings on this subject, we looked at the metrics (part 1) and the data management (part 2) practices within professional sports. The final part in this series looks at the culmination of the sports world’s efforts to use data and metrics through the use of dashboards for communication and collaboration.
First, at its most basic level, a dashboard is a content aggregator. Dashboard content is aggregated in two ways: 1) data and information is consolidated and integrated from multiple sources, and 2) data is calculated and summarized at various levels necessary to provide information in the correct, decision-making context. The dashboard itself may not necessarily perform the technical tasks of aggregating, but from a user’s perspective, it is the dashboard they see and interact with and therefore the dashboard, or more accurately what we call the dashboard application, is perceived as the content aggregator by the user.
The second function performed by a dashboard is to provide for the visualization of and interaction with the aggregated content. This is the more traditional view of a dashboard. However, I would propose that the dashboard’s communication, collaboration, and visualization capabilities far exceed most people’s perceptions of those capabilities, and this is where professional sports, and even more so fantasy sports, is pushing the envelope of dashboards.
Take for example the home page for Major Leage Baseball. Looking at this page on June 11, 2009, I instantly see the status of today’s games down the left side with up to 5 hot spots per game for additional information specific to each game. In the center, I see 6 topics of interest on a loop, complete with links and video. Just below the video is the box score for the game or team that is highlighted above to provide additional context and supporting information. There are also news highlights, ability to cast your All-Star votes, look at team, schedule, and player information, and even buy tickets and MLB merchandise.
Two things about this example jump out at me immediately. First, thousands of people use this web page on a daily basis and probably would never think of this as a dashboard. However, using our working definition from above, this dashboard is a perfect example of a content aggregator and a medium to visualize and interact with that content.
Secondly, this example shatters many people’s perceptions of a dashboard with its level of interactivity, its ability to refresh with real-time data, and its integration of Web 2.0 capabilities. All three of these characteristics are becoming critical components of corporate dashboards. Tremendous value can be delivered to users when the dashboard goes beyond communicating to a user to allow users to collaborate with other users. Effective communication and collaboration does not necessarily mean the adoption of a complete social media infrastructure, but blogs, video, alerts, collaboration, and customized content used appropriately can make the difference between a “nice” dashboard and a powerful decision-making environment.
As we finish this series of three posts, stop and think about how many times on a daily basis you interact with dashboards giving you relevant metrics to the task you are performing, many times using the dashboards without questioning the data being presented, and navigating through them almost effortlessly in a stream of thought to visualize the current situation and take appropriate action. This continues to be one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for many organizations.