How to Create a Dashboard That Actually Helps You Run Your Business

by Jean-Eric Plamondon | 17 Jun, 2025 | Metrics and KPIs

The short answer: Build it as a control panel. Most dashboards are built around numbers that don’t actually drive decisions, so track both lagging indicators (what already happened) and the leading indicators driving those results. If there’s nothing you can do to change a number, get it off your dashboard.

I often have clients who say, “I need a dashboard.”

But when I ask them what they want on it, they have no idea.

They see a dashboard as a way they can simply glance at a screen and instantly know exactly how their business is doing.

But here’s the problem: Most dashboards we see are poorly designed, and therefore are useless. They’re built around numbers that don’t actually drive decisions.

The Problem With Traditional Dashboards

Most business dashboards track lagging indicators. Lagging indicators are numbers that tell you what already happened. For example:

• Last month’s revenue
• How much we spent on materials last month
• Current bank balance

These are important!

But they’re like stepping on a scale. The scale tells you your weight, but it doesn’t tell you why you gained or lost weight, or what to do about it.

And here’s where it gets worse. Some dashboards are just “vanity dashboards.”

They give fancy graphs and charts that make you feel like you’re in control, but they aren’t connected to anything you can actually change.

That’s like checking your weight every morning but having no idea how your diet, sleep, or exercise is affecting it.

• If revenue is down, do you know what to adjust? (and don’t just say “more sales” or “more leads!”)
• If labour costs are creeping up, do you have visibility into why or where it’s going?
• If your bank balance looks great, are you sure all payables are accounted for, or is there half a million dollars of unpaid bills stuffed in a bookkeeper’s drawer? (Yes, I’ve seen that happen more than once)

A real business dashboard isn’t just numbers – it’s a control panel that flags your attention to key areas, lets you adjust inputs and see how they impact outputs.

Otherwise, it’s just noise.

The “Control Panel” Approach to Dashboards: Connect Your Numbers to Actions

Business owners ask for a dashboard, but what they really need is a control panel.

A control panel helps you actively manage your business. It gives you levers to pull, not just numbers to stare at.

This means you need to track two categories of numbers:

1. What Already Happened (Lagging Indicators)

Examples of lagging indicators:

• Monthly revenue
• Gross and net margin
• Cash balance
• Customer churn rate
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

2. What’s Driving Those Results (Leading Indicators)

Examples of leading indicators:

• Sales pipeline (deals in progress, follow-ups scheduled)
• Speed-to-Lead (average time it takes for the sales team to qualify new leads)
• Sales Velocity (the average time it takes for a lead to close)
• Sales Team Productivity (sales calls made, account management reviews conducted, proposals sent this week)
• Inventory Replenishment (supplier on-time delivery rate, forecast accuracy, warehouse put-away time)

If a number is too high or too low and there’s nothing you can do to change it, it’s a vanity metric. Get it off your dashboard.

When you take the control panel approach, your dashboard gives you actionable information.

• If your sales pipeline is dry, you’ll know which part of your process is breaking down. Maybe you have too few leads. Or your speed-to-lead and follow-up processes aren’t working well (these are usually the silent culprits).
• If your profitability is slipping, you’ll have clear visibility into which expenses are creeping up, or which revenue opportunities are not being capitalized on.
• If you’re hitting revenue targets but are still cash-poor, you’ll know if it’s a receivables issue, an overhead issue, or something else.

If your dashboard isn’t helping you make real-time business decisions, it’s just a pretty spreadsheet.

Too many business owners are flying blind, making decisions based on gut feeling instead of real numbers. Or they rely on accountants who are only thinking about taxes, not business intelligence.

Every business needs a control panel that shows the right numbers and gives you the ability to adjust them. It’s not just about knowing where you stand. It’s about knowing what actions to take next.

Because the worst feeling in business?

Not knowing what’s going on. And if you don’t have control over your numbers, your numbers will control you.

Ready to Get Control Over Your Business Numbers?

If you’re tired of flying blind and want a dashboard that actually helps you run your business, let’s talk. We help business owners build real financial control panels that give them the visibility they need to make smarter decisions. Reach out for a consultation today.

Common questions

What is the difference between lagging and leading indicators?

Lagging indicators tell you what already happened, like monthly revenue, margins and cash balance. Leading indicators show what’s driving those results, like your sales pipeline, speed-to-lead and sales team productivity.

Why aren’t lagging indicators enough?

They’re important, but they’re like stepping on a scale. The scale tells you your weight, but it doesn’t tell you why you gained or lost weight, or what to do about it.

What is a vanity metric?

If a number is too high or too low and there’s nothing you can do to change it, it’s a vanity metric. Get it off your dashboard.

What makes a dashboard a control panel?

A control panel helps you actively manage your business. It flags your attention to key areas and lets you adjust inputs and see how they impact outputs, so you have levers to pull, not just numbers to stare at.