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Unit 4 of 4 · M.Sc IT Sem 4

Unit 4: Enterprise reporting

Business Intelligence notes · PTU syllabus (PGCA1942)

3 min read5 topics9 exam questions
On this page
  1. Unit summary
  2. The Malcolm Baldrige performance framework
  3. The balanced scorecard
  4. Enterprise dashboards
  5. Enterprise reporting with Access and Excel
  6. Dashboard design best practices
  7. Key terms
  8. Quick revision
  9. Important questions

Unit summary

Enterprise reporting presents performance to managers in a clear, actionable way. This unit covers the Malcolm Baldrige framework, the balanced scorecard, enterprise dashboards and their comparison, reporting with Access and Excel, and dashboard design best practices.

After this unit you can

  • Describe the Malcolm Baldrige performance framework
  • Build a balanced scorecard
  • Compare scorecards and dashboards
  • Design effective reports and dashboards

PTU syllabus topics

  • The Malcolm Baldrige quality performance framework
  • balanced scorecard
  • enterprise dashboard
  • balanced scorecard vs dashboard
  • enterprise reporting using MS Access/Excel
  • best practices in dashboard design
ComparisonBalanced scorecard vs dashboard
Balanced scorecard
Dashboard

Purpose

Track strategy

Monitor operations

Time frame

Periodic (monthly, quarterly)

Real-time or daily

Measures

Four perspectives, KPIs linked to goals

Operational metrics

Users

Executives

Managers and teams

1

Topic 1

The Malcolm Baldrige performance framework

Key termsBaldrige criteria (seven categories)
Leadership
Senior leaders guide the organisation
Strategy
Plans and objectives
Customers
Engagement and voice of customer
Measurement, analysis and knowledge management
Data and performance review
Workforce
Capability and engagement
Operations
Work processes
Results
Product, customer, workforce, leadership and financial outcomes
  • US national quality award; India's counterpart ideas appear in the CII-EXIM Bank Award, based on the EFQM model.
2

Topic 2

The balanced scorecard

FrameworkBalanced scorecard (Kaplan and Norton)

  • Financial

    Revenue growth, ROI, cost

  • Customer

    Satisfaction, retention, market share

  • Internal business process

    Cycle time, quality, productivity

  • Learning and growth

    Skills, training, IT capability, culture

  • Each perspective has objectives, measures, targets and initiatives; a strategy map links them causally.
3

Topic 3

Enterprise dashboards

  • Dashboard: a visual display of the most important information on one screen, monitored at a glance.
ComparisonScorecard vs dashboard
Balanced scorecard
Dashboard

Purpose

Track progress against strategy

Monitor operations

Frequency

Monthly or quarterly

Real-time or daily

Content

KPIs with targets and owners

Metrics, charts, alerts

Users

Executives

Managers and operational staff

4

Topic 4

Enterprise reporting with Access and Excel

Key termsTools
MS Access
Queries (select, crosstab, parameter) and Reports with grouping and totals
Excel
PivotTables, PivotCharts, slicers, conditional formatting, sparklines
Report types
Static, ad hoc, parameterised, drill-down
ProcessBuilding a report
  1. 1

    Define audience and questions

  2. 2

    Gather data (query or Data Model)

  3. 3

    Summarise with pivots or grouped reports

  4. 4

    Visualise

  5. 5

    Add filters and slicers

  6. 6

    Distribute on a schedule

5

Topic 5

Dashboard design best practices

Key termsBest practices
Know the audience
Show only what they need
Fit on one screen
Most important KPI top-left
Right chart
Bar for comparison, line for trend; avoid 3-D and pie overload
Context
Targets, prior period, traffic lights
Consistency
Colours, scales, labels
Less clutter
High data-ink ratio; whitespace
Interactivity
Filters, drill-down
Performance
Fast loading

Key terms

Baldrige framework
Seven-category model of organisational excellence
Balanced scorecard
Four-perspective strategic performance system
Strategy map
Cause-and-effect links between scorecard objectives
Dashboard
One-screen visual summary of key metrics
Data-ink ratio
Share of ink used to show data

Quick revision

  • Seven Baldrige categories.
  • Four BSC perspectives; objectives, measures, targets, initiatives.
  • Scorecard vs dashboard.
  • Access and Excel reporting.
  • Dashboard design practices.

Important exam questions

Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).

Short-answer questions

  1. Q1.Name the Baldrige categories.
  2. Q2.What are the four BSC perspectives?
  3. Q3.What is a strategy map?
  4. Q4.Distinguish a scorecard and a dashboard.
  5. Q5.Name two Excel reporting features.
  6. Q6.Give three dashboard design best practices.

Long-answer questions

  1. Q1.Explain the Malcolm Baldrige framework.
  2. Q2.Explain the balanced scorecard with an example.
  3. Q3.Explain dashboards and best practices in dashboard design.

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