Overview of training PerformancePoint dashboard users (SharePoint Server 2010)

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise

At the end of a deployment of PerformancePoint Services dashboards, one of the last phases is to train users to use the dashboards that are created. When you provide training or make sure that it occurs, users are more likely to adopt the dashboard and less likely to request support.

The following image is a simplified, high-level view of the life cycle of a dashboard deployment project.

Training materials should instruct users on how to navigate and use the charts, reports, and other dashboard elements to monitor and analyze relevant information. This article has links to training material to help you provide training and inform users what to expect in a dashboard.

Train users on PerformancePoint Dashboards

The following are areas to emphasize as your organization develops its own training materials.

Explain to users what the scorecard, report, and dashboard elements mean

In many cases, users do not know what they want until they see a prototype or the initial design of a dashboard and its various elements. During and after the design phase, instruct users on the following.

• The purpose of the dashboard and what is being measured.

• How current the data is, when the data is refreshed (latency) for each data source behind the dashboard element, and when users should check for an update to refresh the view of the dashboard elements.

• The indicators and how they show what is "good" and "bad".

• The thresholds and trending indicators used to indicate whether things are becoming better or worse.

• The filters that are available to users for refining the data that is shown.

• What the target is and what the norm is for a KPI.

• How to display more details and, on the other hand, how to view data more generally with the various mechanisms described later in this article.

• Users should be encouraged to give feedback to the dashboard author on what they think is missing or can be improved. For example, if users do not see data that is relevant to their decision making, such as additional views or separate dashboards, they should say something to the dashboard author.

Give an overview of PerformancePoint report types

Users should review the following documentation about reports, scorecards, and other dashboard elements that are relevant to their dashboard implementation.

• Learn about PerformancePoint scorecards (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215812).

• Learn about PerformancePoint report types (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215813), which discusses the different report types:

  • Analytic charts and grids

  • Excel Services reports

  • SQL Server Reporting Services reports

  • ProClarity Server reports

  • Web Page reports

  • Scorecards

  • Strategy Map

  • KPI Details reports

• Learn about the Decomposition Tree (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215871), which describes a root-cause analysis tool for looking at SQL Server Analysis Services data.

Show how to navigate PerformancePoint reports, Web Parts, and other dashboard components

The following are articles that show how to navigate reports, Web Parts, and other PerformancePoint dashboard components.

• Getting Started: PerformancePoint dashboards and Web Parts (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215875), which gives short descriptions of dashboard elements and links to helpful articles and more.

  • What is the difference between a dashboard and a scorecard? (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215873)

  • Why is some information not visible on my dashboard? (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215874)

• How to navigate PerformancePoint dashboards and explore data (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=215872)

• Make Better Business Decisions (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215876), gives users a tour of how to use a PerformancePoint dashboard to analyze potential business concerns, such as profitability, and then share information and recommendations with other users in order to improve business decision making.

Demonstrate how dashboards are created

PerformancePoint Services includes a dashboard authoring tool that has many features for creating KPIs, scorecards, reports, filters, and dashboards. Although the following videos are made for dashboard authors, users can watch them to learn what is available in a dashboard. The following videos introduce PerformancePoint Services and Dashboard Designer. All are available at Up to Speed with PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=215878).

• Video 1: Introducing Dashboard Designer (5:48)

• Video 2: Tour Dashboard Designer (11:17)

• Video 3: Creating a basic dashboard (13:20)

• Video 4: Adding a report to a dashboard (3:36)

• Video 5: Making changes to a PerformancePoint dashboard (7:55)

• Video 6: Adding a page to a PerformancePoint dashboard (4:22)