In today’s complex business landscape, where data flows thick and fast from myriad sources, having a clear, consolidated view is crucial for informed decision-making, and a Single Pane of Glass (SPOG) reporting approach plays a key role in achieving this.
To understand what is meant by a Single Pane of Glass, we must first acknowledge that our reporting comes from disparate areas within our organisation, often produced separately using different business tools, resulting in inefficiencies and obscurities that have real business impact.
The trend today is to use modern analytics platforms, like Power BI, to bring those reports into a single reporting tool. This removes some of the challenges, and often reduces the Total Cost of Ownership as skills can be shared. “Golden” Semantic Models, ie. one model to manage multiple datasets within a business area, can be constructed from which multiple reports can then be generated (we have seen 100+ in some cases).
The risk then, however, is that there is a “Golden” model for each area, which perpetuates siloed working and communication barriers. Only when the decision is taken to bring the siloed results together do we achieve a Single Pane of Glass dashboard. The significance of these dashboards lies in their ability to streamline operations and enhance efficiency by providing a comprehensive overview of key metrics, supply chain management, performance indicators, customer insights, and even IT infrastructure.
By transforming raw data into actionable insights, SPOG dashboards empower teams to make informed decisions swiftly. This transparency is what is normally meant by an Excellent Data Culture. The deeper assessment of how to improve is freed from departmental rivalries or attempts to deflect blame, allowing the business to work together to achieve its objectives.
Everything can be surfaced to Power BI Dashboards allowing the creation of, for example, a C-Suite visualisation set that surfaces exactly what they need from all areas of the business, accessible when they want, and in ways that would have, historically, been impossible. The collaborative nature of the platform makes it simple to interrogate data “on the spot”, rather than enduring the meeting-to-meeting lag which often slows decision-making.
Geordie Consulting are used to supporting our customers in the process of transforming their reporting landscape from a number of separate data silos, which might come together monthly for the board meeting, to a more efficient collaborative model.
Microsoft Power BI, supported by the wider Power Platform, is an ideal jumping off point for most clients. Our team will support you in defining your plans and strategy, as well then rolling up their sleeves and delivering. We have designed and implemented solutions for clients from SME to multi-national and in a diverse range of sectors including both Public and Private Sector.
Our Centre of Excellence as a Service offering is tailored to support organisations to grow into the Power Platform. We can support your internal staff training for analysts and developers, while also helping to equip the wider business for adoption by supporting or leading super-user community sessions to allow your Data Culture to take root. And, when the time is right, we will work with you to transition out, ensuring that your local resources have the skills they need to run your environment.
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