Vast amounts of data are collected on a daily basis, making it difficult for humans to derive at valuable information to make effective decisions. In recent years, the field of Business Intelligence (BI) and Information Visualisation (IV) have become a key driver of an organisation’s success. BI tools supporting decision making need to be accessible to a larger audience on different levels of the organisation. The problem is that non-expert users, or novice users, of BI tools do not have the technical knowledge to conduct data analysis and often rely on expert users to assist. For this reason, BI vendors are shifting their focus to self-service BI, a relatively new term where novice users can analyse data without the traditional human mediator. Despite the proliferation of self-service BI tools, limited research is available on their usability and design considerations to assist novice users with decision making and BI analysis. The contribution of this study is a conceptual framework for designing, evaluating or selecting BI tools that support non-expert users to create dashboards (the BI Framework). A dashboard is a particular IV technique that enables users to view critical information at a glance. The main research problem addressed by this study is that non-expert users often have to utilise a number of software tools to conduct data analysis and to develop visualisations, such as BI dashboards. The research problem was further investigated by following a two-step approach. The first approach was to investigate existing problems by using an in-depth literature review in the fields of BI and IV. The second approach was to conduct a field study (Field Study 1) using a development environment consisting of a number of software components of which SAP Xcelsius was the main BI tool used to create a dashboard. The aim of the field study was to compare the identified problems and requirements with those found in literature. The results of the problem analysis revealed a number of problems in terms of BI software. One of the major problems is that BI tools do not adequately guide users through a logical process to conduct data analysis. In addition, the process becomes increasingly difficult when several BI tools are involved that need to be integrated. The results showed positive aspects when the data was mapped to a visualisation, which increased the users’ understanding of data they were analysing. The results were verified in a focus group discussion and were used to establish an initial set of problems and requirements, which were then synthesised with the problems and requirements identified from literature. Once the major problems were verified, a framework was established to guide the design of BI dashboard tools for novice users. The framework includes a set of design guidelines and usability evaluation criteria for BI tools. An extant systems analysis was conducted using BI tools to compare the advantages and disadvantages. The results revealed that a number of tools could be used by non-experts, however, their usability hinders users. All the participants used in all field studies and evaluations were Computer Science (CS) and Information Systems (IS) students. Participants were specially sourced from a higher education institution such as the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). A second field study (Field Study 2) was conducted with participants using another traditional BI tool identified from the extant systems analysis, PowerPivot. The objective of this field study was to verify the design guidelines and related features that served as a BI Scorecard that can be used to select BI tools. Another BI tool, Tableau, was used for the final evaluation. The final evaluation was conducted with a large participant sample consisting of IS students in their second and third year of study. The results for the two groups revealed a significant difference between participants’ education levels and the usability ratings of Tableau. Additionally, the results indicated a significant relationship between the participants’ experience level and the usability ratings of Tableau. The usability ratings of Tableau were mostly positive and the results revealed that participants found the tool easy to use, flexible and efficient. The proposed BI Framework can be used to assist organisations when evaluating BI tools for adoption. Furthermore, designers of BI tools can use the framework to improve the usability of these tools, reduce the workload for users when creating dashboards, and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of decision support.

Yes / Adapting dashboard design to different contexts of use is an open question in visualisation research. Dashboard designers often seek to strike a balance between dashboard adaptability and ease-of-use, and in hospitals challenges arise from the vast diversity of key metrics, data models and users involved at different organizational levels. In this design study, we present QualDash, a dashboard generation engine that allows for the dynamic configuration and deployment of visualisation dashboards for healthcare quality improvement (QI). We present a rigorous task analysis based on interviews with healthcare professionals, a co-design workshop and a series of one-on-one meetings with front line analysts. From these activities we define a metric card metaphor as a unit of visual analysis in healthcare QI, using this concept as a building block for generating highly adaptable dashboards, and leading to the design of a Metric Specification Structure (MSS). Each MSS is a JSON structure which enables dashboard authors to concisely configure unit-specific variants of a metric card, while offloading common patterns that are shared across cards to be preset by the engine. We reflect on deploying and iterating the design of QualDash in cardiology wards and pediatric intensive care units of five NHS hospitals. Finally, we report evaluation results that demonstrate the adaptability, ease-of-use and usefulness of QualDash in a real-world scenario.

Yes / Dashboards can support data-driven quality improvements in health care. They visualize data in ways intended to ease cognitive load and support data comprehension, but how they are best integrated into working practices needs further investigation. This paper reports the findings of a realist evaluation of a web-based quality dashboard (QualDash) developed to support the use of national audit data in quality improvement. QualDash was co-designed with data users and installed in 8 clinical services (3 pediatric intensive care units and 5 cardiology services) across 5 health care organizations (sites A-E) in England between July and December 2019. Champions were identified to support adoption. Data to evaluate QualDash were collected between July 2019 and August 2021 and consisted of 148.5 hours of observations including hospital wards and clinical governance meetings, log files that captured the extent of use of QualDash over 12 months, and a questionnaire designed to assess the dashboard's perceived usefulness and ease of use. Guided by the principles of realist evaluation, data were analyzed to understand how, why, and in what circumstances QualDash supported the use of national audit data in quality improvement. The observations revealed that variation across sites in the amount and type of resources available to support data use, alongside staff interactions with QualDash, shaped its use and impact. Sites resourced with skilled audit support staff and established reporting systems (sites A and C) continued to use existing processes to report data. A number of constraints influenced use of QualDash in these sites including that some dashboard metrics were not configured in line with user expectations and staff were not fully aware how QualDash could be used to facilitate their work. In less well-resourced services, QualDash automated parts of their reporting process, streamlining the work of audit support staff (site B), and, in some cases, highlighted issues with data completeness that the service worked to address (site E). Questionnaire responses received from 23 participants indicated that QualDash was perceived as useful and easy to use despite its variable use in practice. Web-based dashboards have the potential to support data-driven improvement, providing access to visualizations that can help users address key questions about care quality. Findings from this study point to ways in which dashboard design might be improved to optimize use and impact in different contexts; this includes using data meaningful to stakeholders in the co-design process and actively engaging staff knowledgeable about current data use and routines in the scrutiny of the dashboard metrics and functions. In addition, consideration should be given to the processes of data collection and upload that underpin the quality of the data visualized and consequently its potential to stimulate quality improvement. / This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research Program (project #16/04/06).

Behovet av beslutsstödsystem ökar ständigt bland företagen världen över. För att ett beslutsstödsystem skall vara användbart och generera en nytta till ett företag, så finns det krav på att den information som visualiseras skall uppnå en viss datakvalitet. Således är syftet med detta arbete att undersöka vilka problem som uppstår vid utveckling av dashboards i strävan efter att uppnå en hög datakvalitet. I strävan efter att identifiera vilka problem och svårigheter som uppstår vid utveckling av dashboards för beslutsstöd så utfördes intervjuer med sex olika utvecklare av dashboards från olika företag i Sverige. Fokus under dessa intervjuer fanns på åtta olika aspekter som tillsammans genererar god datakvalitet. Denna studie har visat att samtliga utvecklare var överens om att datakvalitet är en mycket viktig aspekt när det kommer till dashboards och beslutsstödsystem och det framkom en variation av problem som kan uppstå i strävan efter att uppnå detta. Den här studien ger en god insyn i de problem som existerar inom detta område idag. / The need for decision support systems is constantly increasing among companies worldwide as well as the need for it to be useful and generate a benefit to a company. There is also a requirement that the information being visualized reaches a certain data quality. Thus, the aim of this research is to investigate the issues that arise during the development of dashboards sincerely with the interest of achieving high data quality. Since the aim of this study is to identify the issues and difficulties that arise during the development of dashboards for decision support, six interviews were conducted with different dashboard developers from various Swedish companies. During the interviews the focus was being put on eight different aspects that together generate good data quality The most relevant discovery made during this study was that the developers agreed on the fact that data quality is a highly relevant aspect when it comes to dashboards and decision support systems. Furthermore, there also emerged a variety of problems that arise with the interest of achieving high data quality. This study gives an insight to the issues that exist in the field today.

To prevent climate change, the world needs to reduce carbon emissions globally. This also applies to academia, where a large portion of a research-intensive organization’s total emissions comes from flying. At KTH, a research-intensive organization, an ambitious university-wide goal to reduce emissions from academic flying has been established. The mid-level structure in the organization, a division, functions as a boundary between the individual employee and the larger organization, and has been identified as a promising target to address the organizational goals. In this study a tool for heads of divisions to budget and follow-up a speculative carbon budget on their division is explored through a design process. It was found that a tool for heads of division to manage carbon emissions at their division needs to involve the employees in the process, be effortless in terms of prioritization of trips and provide a good overview for decision making. The most prominent finding, and the requirement for such a tool to be implemented, is clearer directives and communication from the top-level of the organization. / För att förebygga klimatförändringar behöver världen minska koldioxidutsläppen globalt. Detta gäller även akademin, där en stor del av forskningsintensiv-organisationers totala utsläpp kommer från flyg. På KTH, som är en forskningsintensivorganisation, har ambitiösa organisatoriska mål fastställts för att minska utsläppen från akademiskt flyg. Inom organisationen fungerar avdelningar som en förbindelse mellan den enskilde medarbetaren och den större organisationen, och har identifierats som en lämplig del av organisationen att agera på de organisatoriska målen. I denna studie utvecklas ett verktyg som ska hjälpa avdelningschefer att budgetera och följa upp en spekulativ koldioxidbudget på sin avdelning, detta utforskas genom en designprocess. Det uppmärksammades att ett sådant verktyg behöver involvera medarbetarna i processen, vara enkelt när det gäller prioritering av resor och ge en bra överblick för att kunna ta beslut. Den mest framträdande upptäckten, som också är ett krav för att ett sådant verktyg ska kunna implementeras, är tydligare direktiv och kommunikation från organisationens ledningsnivå.

Common goals of Educational Data Mining are to model both student knowledge as well as student affect. While research continues along these lines of gathering data and building models of students' changing knowledge and affect states, little is being done to transform this collected (raw) data into meaningful entities that are more relatable to teachers, parents and other stakeholders, i.e. people who are not researchers. This research has entailed the iterative design and development of Teacher Tools, created with input from teachers and other experts. Teacher Tools is a web application designed as part of the MathSpring.org Intelligent Tutoring system --the component that teachers interact with, to set up classes as well as analyze resulting data from their students. In our study, we redesigned the existing version of MathSpring's Teacher Tools in three iterations, based on feedback gathered during each of those phases. The feedback captured from the first iteration clearly suggested for multiple design level changes with respect to math content organization, the interface, and the complexity level of the existing performance reports. Responses to Prototype I during the second iteration, designed on the basis of responses from the first iteration, were met by teachers with mixed to positive responses regarding usability and understandability. Experts at this point suggested further areas of improvement from a usability standpoint, which resulted in Prototype II of the Teacher Tools. Prototype II was then subjected to a third and final improvement iteration; this one was well received by a new set of 10 math teachers and other experts, who thought that Prototype II was very useful to them, in general. Teachers were able to appreciate the use they could give to these Teacher Tools to understand their students better, as well as guide future action plans that would alter their teaching based on information about their students' behavior, performance and affect of their students. In summary, we have created a software product for teachers that supplements the MathSpring tutoring system, which summarizes rich information from data logs into visualizations and other representations. These Teacher Tools have proved useful to teachers in Middle Schools in Massachusetts, who claim they are ready to use this information to change their teaching plans.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Additional advisors: David G. Green, Gary J. Grimes, John L. Hartman IV. Description based on contents viewed Feb. 5, 2008; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-120).

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are essential tools for businesses, projects and service delivery structures. The majority of managers in health institutions are from a clinical background and do not use business intelligence principles to manage or monitor performances in their domains. Literature has revealed that managers in South African public health institutions do not monitor and evaluate their data regularly; likewise the most important information is not consolidated for easy reference and assessment. A pilot study of the introduction of an M&E dashboard was implemented at the East London Hospital Complex (ELHC) in May 2011 at the request of the Superintendent General of the Eastern Cape Department of Health to address this challenge. The current study explored the experiences of managers in the implementation of an M&E dashboard at the ELHC in the Eastern Cape. To establish managers’ experiences, a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study was undertaken to gain insight, while accurately depicting the experiences and perceptions of managers of the dashboard. A survey questionnaire was developed to undertake a case study with respondents, who were involved in the initial implementation of the dashboard project at the ELHC. The results were analysed and recommendations were made addressing the design of the dashboard, and communication and change management in the introduction of the monitoring and evaluation tool. Further recommendations were made relating to future potential research in this area. An important finding of the research is that thirty-one (31) of the thirty-four (34) managers (91 percent) responded positively about the dashboard, while 9 percent were neutral. None of the respondents encountered negative experiences of utilising the dashboard. This indicates that the implementation of the dashboard was an overwhelming positive experience. The dashboard can be implemented in other healthcare institutions in the Eastern Cape, thereby encouraging more reliable methods to monitor data, improve staff efficiency and above all service delivery to patients.

This diploma thesis deals with design principles of mobile reporting. In the introduction the difference between report and dashboard is described because these two concepts are usually falsely perceived. Then a compilation of a list of properties follows, which of them a well-designed dashboard should have and this is the main objective of this thesis. In its content the document describes, how to achieve certain properties, what to avoid in the layout and recommended features which can help to end users to simplify and streamline the work. These recommendations are also applied in practice by using some examples. The description is given, including workflow and available options of the selected tools. This thesis offers detailed instructions, how to form mobile dashboards, including comments and opinions provided by end users. I find this as the main benefits of this thesis.

The diploma thesis deals with the selection of tools used for reporting and managerial output for a telecommunications company that, with respect to the volume of its activities, falls into the category of small and medium-sized enterprises. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses on general issues of Business Intelligence, on finding and combining recommendations for high-quality reporting and output, and on the method of choosing the right option meeting the necessary requirements from a wide selection. The practical part describes the reasons that led a specific company to the need for reporting tools. It summarizes the company's needs and analyzes the market of potential products. This part is concluded with a selection procedure that, using the created criteria, assesses individual products and attempts to find the best solution. This thesis is based on theoretical knowledge acquired during studies, as well as practical experience and consultations with experts in reporting. It can also serve to summarize requirements and to find options for companies looking for optimal reporting and output tools.