For companies to run effectively, there must be efficient means of communication between the various departments that make up the marketing and advertising teams. 

Dashboards achieve this efficiency by depicting the essential Key Performance Indicators appropriate for each department in visually simple illustrations that allow the reader to process the information in a short amount of time, but there also needs to be a means for more detail, which comes in the dashboard reports.

Dashboard reports will compile specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in more detail than what is summarized on dashboards. The type of report that is needed will determine which KPIs will be compiled and outlined in the reports. Reports will vary based on whether they come from analytical, operational, strategic, or tactical dashboards, which is determined by who in the corporation will need to read the report.

Read below if you would like to understand the types of reports various departments need and the KPIs that each report uses.

The Difference Between Dashboards and Reports

It’s important to note that while both dashboards and reports provide detailed information about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can impact decisions on marketing strategies, they do not possess the same amount of information, or provide information from the same points in time.

Dashboards will usually be interactive hubs that layout several sets of data in visualized charts and graphs that are actively updating in real-time. Reports will provide a single, static set of data, often with graphs and charts, that is not actively updated, but measured at certain intervals such as daily, weekly, or monthly.

 

Types of Marketing Dashboard Reports
There are four different types of marketing dashboards, which influences the kinds of reports your marketing will be receiving
  • Analytical
  • Operational
  • Strategic
  • Tactical

 

Analytical Dashboard Reports
Analytical dashboards lie somewhere between the operational and strategic, but more than any of the other dashboard types, utilize as much historical data usage as possible.

Analysts require data to be mapped out in great detail to identify the latest trends, create predictions by comparing those trends with a multitude of variables, and create targets and hard-data goals for the business intelligence department of the company.

Many times, the data that analysts require is expansive and covers a multitude of categories, and need to be condensed into smaller and more visual formats where that would be effective, or else have other ways of filtering through the vast array of data points so that it’s easier and faster to explore the data.

These filters and comparisons are what allow analysts to find their insights, so analytical dashboards usually,

  • Have as many filters and factors to select and compare against as the analyst needs
  • Use grids as the focal point and primary means of organizing the data
  • Include drill-downs, which take one set of data and expand it to see the deeper levels of it
  • And include features that help the analyst make predictions, such as predictive models and “what-if” parameters that they can select to see what would happen to the data.
    Analytical reports that belong to analytical dashboards are based on the historical data mentioned already, along with company statistics. They need to be dynamic, accessible, and clearly tell the story you need to tell about the company or certain aspects of the company, with data.

    We will describe how to create a dashboard report in a later section, but for analytical reports, the KPIs that these reports require will depend on what trends the analyst needs to uncover or compare against the standard. They will also depend on what business questions/problems the report needs to answer, and business goals the analytics need to create a path for.

Operational Dashboard Reports
Operational dashboards are used to monitor the internal processes from operation to operation within a company’s major processes in shorter time frames. Because the dashboards update each report’s information in real-time, the individuals who need to see the reports, such as the process participants and operational managers, will be able to see in which operation arising problems are coming from so that they can respond as quickly as possible.

This is because there aren’t so many points of data, as in analytics, that a user can’t look at the big picture of data and immediately find the information they need.

Once a problem is identified, the data is selected and moves on to be more deeply analyzed and have direct action taken, making operational dashboards and dashboard reports to be more detailed than strategic dashboards.

An example of an operational dashboard report might be to compare separate processes based on their duration and expected time of completion. The report might include a pie chart that has a section for programs that are in the middle of their expected duration, a section for programs approaching their expected duration, and a section for programs that are due. This will let the operations manager know which programs are experiencing problems.

Strategic Dashboard Reports
Strategic dashboards and dashboard reports are focused on long-term strategies, unlike operation dashboard reports, and are concerned with high-level metrics. These are critical metrics and factors to the success of the business that are seen by the top-level executive managers in the company, and as a result, make the dashboard reports complex to make.

Of all the dashboards, strategic reports impact the company most. These critical KPIs will be tracked periodically and analyzed from every imaginable angle in order to gain company-wide insights and predictions on which metrics will be on target next. When the executives have discovered useful trends, they will be sent to the rest of the organization.

When a strategic dashboard report is made well, it takes no time at all for a group of high-level company officials to see strategic issues and develop a new course of action.

An example of a strategic dashboard report might be for marketing management focusing on the current success of various campaigns. Because it would waste time for a CMO to go through the metrics of individual campaigns, a strategy report would include the essential KPIs of the campaigns in question in a visual and easy-to-understand format that brings all the necessary metrics together.


Tactical Dashboard Reports

Tactical dashboard reports are used to track operation performances by mid-management teams. These dashboard reports are some of the most detailed, and yet the most suitable to share with stakeholders because they are more interactive. They also work well with strategic dashboards because tactical reports will monitor strategic initiatives.

On the surface, tactical dashboards will show the sets of data in their most visual, but basic forms. When the user activates a tactical report on the dashboard, the report will guide that user through the decision process that the company made by expanding the report and allowing the user to explore the data set. It also allows the use of a variety of filters and segmentation to make it even easier for the user to explore the data.

An example of a tactical report would be one that tracks the gross profit margin in finance.

Marketing Dashboard Reports Based on Function
Every company, large and small must use dashboards and reports to maintain organization, effective communication, and a clear vision of the current progress and effectiveness of their strategies. However, there is no one dashboard with a set of reports that is effective for every department in the company.

All of the previously mentioned types of reports mentioned above can be found in every department but It can be helpful to understand how each type of report is used in these departments and what KPIs are needed.

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Customer Service
Improving customer service (CS) and experiences are critical to every business, especially online. In this department, what are the KPIs and metrics that allow this department to catch mistakes and increase CS offerings?

In CS reports, the important KPIs are:

  • Average Response Time
  • Customer Churn
  • Customer Effort Score
  • Customer Retention
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • First Call Resolution
  • MRR Growth Rate
  • Net Promoter Score
  • Net Retention Rate
  • Number of Issues
  • Revenue Churn
  • Service Level
  • Support Costs vs Revenue
  • Top Support Agent

These KPIs would be used for different reports. In CS, common reports include the following with their appropriate KPIs

Customer Satisfaction Reports
  • Net promoter score
  • Customer effort score
  • And customer retention
CS Team Reports
  • Average response time
  • First call resolution
  • Top support agents
  • And the number of issues
CS KPI Reports
  • Service levels
  • Customer support vs revenue
  • And customer satisfaction
Customer Retention Reports
  • Customer churn
  • Net retention rate
  • Revenue churn
  • And MRR growth rate

Finance

It’s impossible to fund various campaigns if the managers are unaware of the state of the budget and how much money is really available. Finance reports will also show where too much money is being given and where insufficient amounts of money are causing problems.

In finance reports, the important KPIs are:

  • Accounts Payable Turnover
  • Accounts Receivable Turnover
  • Berry Ratio
  • Budget Variance
  • Cash Conversion Cycle
  • Current Ratio
  • Debt to Equity Ratio
  • Economic Value Added
  • Employee Satisfaction
  • Expense Management
  • Finance Error Report
  • Gross Profit Margin
  • Income
  • Internal Audit Cycle Time
  • Inventory Turnover
  • Net Profit Margin
  • Operating Cash Flow Margin
  • Operating Profit Margin
  • Operating Expense Ratio
  • Payroll Headcount Ratio
  • Quick Ratio/Acid Test
  • Return on Assets
  • Return on Equity
  • Vendor Payment Error Rate
  • Working Capital

These KPIs would be used for such reports as:

Cash Flow Statement
  • Operating Cash Flow
  • Working Capital
  • Budget Variance
  • Accounts Receivable Turnover
  • Accounts Payable Turnover
  • Current Ratio
  • Return on Equity
  • Operating Cash Flow Margin
Profit and Loss
  • Income
  • Accounts Receivable Turnover
  • Accounts Payable Turnover
  • Return on Asset
  • Return on Equity
Budget Projections
  • Working Capital
  • Budget variance
  • Operating Cash Flow
  • Current Ratio
  • Net Profit Margin
  • Gross Profit Margin
  • Inventory Turnover

Human Resources

In order for HR to continuously maintain and improve management processes for employees, HR needs reports on the metrics and KPIs that reveal insights to the strengths and weaknesses of recruiting processes, training costs, turnover rates, engagement, etc. Basically, data that is connected with human resources. The majority of the reports produced for and in HR will be related to HR costs.

In HR reports, the important KPIs are:
  • Absenteeism Rate
  • Accounted Lost Time
  • Average Time Stay
  • Cost per Hire
  • Dismissal Rate
  • Employee Benefits
  • Employee Experience
  • Employee Personal Information
  • Employee Productivity
  • Employee Turnover Rate
  • Female to Male Ratio
  • Human Capital ROI
  • Overtime Hours
  • Part-time Employees
  • Payroll Processing Time
  • Profit Per Employee
  • Talent Rating
  • Talent Satisfaction
  • Talent Turnover Rate
  • Time to Fill
  • Training cost
  • Recruiting Conversion Rate

Recruiting Conversion Rate

General Performance Monitoring Report
  • Employee productivity
  • Time to Fill
  • Talent Rating
  • Talent Satisfaction
  • Absenteeism Rate
  • Human Capital ROI
  • Payroll Processing Time
  • Accounted Lost Time
Personal Information management
  • Talent Turnover Rate
  • Employee Experience
  • Age
  • Department
  • Position
Cost Display and Payment Check
  • Cost per Hire
  • Overtime Hours
  • Base/Actual Salaries
  • Employee Benefits

Information Technology

In the information technology department, reports are essential in making sure cost and ticket management and problem-solving stay on budget and are done on time, and provide insights within employee efficiency and effectiveness of issue responses to problems like downtime.

In IT reports, the important KPIs are

  • Average Handle Time
  • Accuracy of Estimates
  • IT Costs Break Down
  • IT Costs vs. Revenue
  • IT ROI
  • IT Support Employees per End Users
  • Mean Time to Repair
  • New Developed Features
  • Number of Critical Bugs
  • Project budgets
  • Projects Delivered on Budget
  • Reopened Tickets
  • Server Downtime
  • Team Attrition Rate
  • Total Ticket vs. Open Tickets
  • Unsolved Tickets per Employee
These and other KPIs are necessary to accurately create common IT reports as,

Risk Management Strategies
  • Project budget
  • Number of Critical Bugs
  • Average Handle Time
  • Accuracy of Estimates
Weekly Status Report
  • Server downtime
  • Total Ticket vs. Open Tickets
  • Unsolved Tickets per Employee
  • Accuracy of Estimates
  • Mean Time to Repair

Management

Management reports are some of the most critical because they are what allow managers to ascertain an overview of the progress and success of each department and their internal operations. It’s important to note that management reports are not the same thing as financial reports, though the KPIs are similar. Management reports have a different purpose: making the decision-making process for upper management quicker and easier. They are also not required for legal purposes as financial reports are.

In management, the important KPIs are:

  • Customer Acquisition Cost
  • Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
  • Net Profit Margin
  • Operating Profit Margin Percentage
  • P/E Ratio
  • Return on Asset
  • Return on Equity
  • Sales Target
    • All of these KPIs are used for
  • Strategy analysis reports
  • Project status reports
  • Operational reports
  • Internal and external reports are sent either to the company management or outside company stakeholders.

Sales

Sales teams rely on specific KPIs to help them determine if their current sales practices and activities are relevant of if something they are doing, or not doing, is creating “blockages” in the sales pipeline and extending the sales cycle length unnecessarily.

In sales, the important KPIs are:

  • Average Purchase Value
  • Average Revenue Per Unit
  • Average Sales Cycle Length
  • Customer Aquisition Cost
  • Customer Churn Rate
  • Customer Lifetime Value
  • Incremental Sales by Campaign
  • Lead Conversion Ratio
  • Lead-to-Opportuniy Ratio
  • Number of Sales Opportunities
  • Opportunity-to-Win Ratio
  • Profit Margin Per Sales Rep
  • Revenue Per Sales Rep
  • Sales Growth
  • Sales Opportunity Score
  • Sales Target
  • Upsell and Cross-Sell Rates
    • Common sales reports that would use these KPIs include the following.
Promotional reports
  • Customer Aquisition Costs
  • Sales Growth
  • Average Revenue Per Unit
  • Number of Sales Opportunities
  • Customer Lifetime Value
  • Customer Churn Rate
Closed and won opportunity sales reports
  • Sales Growth
  • Revenue Per Sales Rep
  • Profit Margin Per Sales Rep
Social Media

In the modern age, it’s more essential than ever to ensure that social media campaigns are performing and having the intended impact on audiences as they should be. There are a multitude of KPIs that are needed when compiling reports of their success or failure, however, in social media, the important KPIs are:

  • Click-Through Rate
  • Comments
  • Conversion Rate
  • Cost per lead
  • Customer Lifetime Value
  • Impressions
  • Issues Resolved
  • Likes
  • Mentions
  • Non-Revenue Conversions
  • Potential Reach
  • Profile Visits
  • Reach
  • Sales Revenue
  • Share of Voice
  • Web Traffic
Engagement
  • Impressions
  • Likes
  • Mentions
  • Profile visits
  • Sales Revenue
  • Share of Voice
  • Web Traffic
Community Development
  • Non-revenue conversions
  • Share of Voice
  • Web Traffic
Branding Promotion
  • Click-Through Rate
  • Conversion Rate
  • Web Traffic
  • Reach

Conclusion

Whichever dashboard your company uses, the goal is to get the right information to the right team at the right time. Understanding that will help determine which dashboard reporting your company should be using.


Remember that when constructing a report to focus on the primary business goals, that way you are able to more easily determine which KPIs and key metrics you need to include. Choosing the right ones will let the reader easily spot the strengths and weaknesses of a strategy. If your report isn’t telling a coherent story with its metrics, you know you’ve chosen the wrong metrics or KPIs.

Contact us now: info@SRpro.marketing.