How dashboards work, what makes them effective, and how AI is changing the way teams use them
by Databricks Staff
A dashboard is a visual interface that brings together key metrics, KPIs and data visualizations from one or more sources into a single screen, so users can see performance against a specific goal at a glance.
It can be easy to confuse a dashboard with the specific charts or reports within it. However, a dashboard refers to the totality of the organized, live view designed to answer a specific business question or track a specific outcome. In other words, a dashboard displays this information to help you determine whether you’re on track for specific business or analytical targets.
The term itself was borrowed from the car dashboard. Just as drivers see a panel with driver speed, fuel level and warning lights in one place, the same concept is applied to business data. A well-designed business dashboard helps filter out any potential noise and surfaces the signals and information you need that require a decision.
