8  Dashboard Application and Advisory Report

In recent weeks, you have considered possible interventions for the company and created a simulation tool to test them. Now, you will focus on developing a dashboard application and a management report. There are no specific step-by-step questions to follow, as the goal of this assignment is to consolidate your previous work.

Below, you will find information about your target audience, a suggested structure for your report, deliverables, and assessment criteria. At the end, additional guidelines are provided for writing management project reports.

Good luck, and enjoy creating a beautiful dashboard!

8.1 Target Audience

The final report should be an advisory document that is as concise as possible while still including all essential information. The target audience consists of:

  1. The company’s board.
  2. The teachers assessing your work.

When deciding what to include, ask yourself: “What does the target audience need to know?” If some information is relevant only to part of the audience (e.g., technical details for the teachers), you can place it in an appendix and reference it in the report. If the entire audience needs the information, it should be included in the main body of the report. In summary, every word in a good report should be necessary.

8.2 Report Structure

Below is a structure you can use for your report. You may deviate from these guidelines, providing less or more information, or using different titles, as long as you write concisely. Aim to keep the report (excluding appendices) under 20 pages.

TipTip

Reuse your previously submitted assignments when writing the final report, and incorporate any feedback you have received.

Front Page

Ensure that the front page includes at least the following:

  • Project title
  • Names of the authors
  • Team number
  • Name of your tutor
  • Publication date

Management Summary

This should be no more than one page and include:

  • A brief problem description
  • The objective of the study (What is your ambition?)
  • Method (Your approach)
  • Results (The most important findings)
  • Conclusions and recommendations for the board

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

This should be no more than 3 pages and contain:

  • Motivation: A brief explanation of the problem.
  • Objective of the study: What is your ambition?
  • Method: A plan of approach, with references to the report structure.

Chapter 2: Problem Analysis

This chapter should be no more than 5 pages and include:

  • A detailed analysis of the problem, focusing on:
    • The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used (definition, calculation).
    • The company’s performance in relation to these KPIs.
    • The problem you aim to solve.

Chapter 3: Possible Solutions

This chapter should be no more than 2 pages and include:

  • A description of the potential solutions to the identified problem.

Chapter 4: Solution Analysis

This chapter should be no more than 8 pages and include:

  • A brief description of the chapter’s structure.
  • A description of how simulation was used to evaluate the possible solutions.
  • A conceptual explanation (in words, using schemes/figures) of the simulation model. Refer to the appendix for technical details.
  • A description of the experiments conducted and how they were carried out.
  • A summary of the experiment results in tables/graphs, and conclusions drawn from these results.

Conclusions and Recommendations

  • Summary of Conclusions: A summary of the most important conclusions (approximately one page).
  • Feasibility Assessment: An assessment (1–2 pages) of the feasibility of the proposed solutions and how the board should implement them.

Appendices

Appendix A: Dashboard Application User Manual

A concise user manual (with screenshots) explaining:

  • The core problem and knowledge problems your dashboard addresses (using the MPSM).
  • The dashboard’s functionality and its usefulness.
  • Instructions on how to use the interface, including what the company should do if they want to repeat the analysis with new data.
  • How to interpret the output.
  • A conceptual (non-technical) explanation of the simulation model’s functionality.

Appendix B: Dashboard Application Technical Details

  • Explain how the KPIs are calculated and where the code can be found.
  • Avoid including full pages of code; instead, focus on technical details relevant to this part of the target audience.
  • You may also explain how you applied techniques from the Skills or Research Methods components of the module.

Appendix C: Group Reflection

Approximately half a page (or more if needed), containing a collective reflection on the project.

Appendix D: Self-Assessment Form

Include the completed self-assessment form below. This form is designed to help improve the quality of your report and is not part of the formal evaluation.

Table 8.1: Self-assessment form for the final report.
Questions Not really Acceptable but could be better OK Excellent, nothing to change!
Is the text clearly structured into chapters, sections, and paragraphs?
Are the chapters and sections numbered and easy to distinguish?
Within a chapter: Is the goal and structure of the text clearly explained, so the reader understands why it is important?
Are the titles of chapters and sections informative (rather than generic)?
Are the paragraphs clearly separated by blank lines or tabs?
Do the paragraphs begin with a topic sentence reflecting the main message?
Is the writing concise (avoiding unnecessary words)?
Have you made effective use of signposting language?
Is the line of argument easy to follow?
Are the spelling and grammar correct?
Is the user manual understandable for managers?

8.3 Deliverables

The required deliverables for this assignment are:

  • An Excel file containing the final dashboard application with a working simulation model, allowing the company to conduct “what-if” analyses. Name the file groupXX_dashboard.xlsm, where XX is your group number (e.g., group01_dashboard.xlsm).
  • A PDF file of the advisory report for the management. Name the file groupXX_management_report.pdf, where XX is your group number (e.g., group01_management_report.pdf). General guidelines for writing the report are available here.

8.4 Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria for this assignment are:

Dashboard Application

  • User Interface: Is it clear and easy to use?
  • Information Visualisation: Is the information clear, easy to read, and does it accurately convey the data’s meaning?
  • Problem-Solving Evaluation: Are the proposed solutions appropriately evaluated using the simulations? Does the simulation model function correctly?
  • Presentation of Results: Are the simulation results presented effectively?
  • Code Quality: Is the code easily readable?

Documentation (Report & Appendices)

  • Clarity: Are the required elements described concisely and clearly?
  • Motivation: Are the design choices and conclusions well-supported by sound arguments?
  • Readability: Is the report easy to read and grammatically correct?

Bonus Points

Extra points can be awarded for:

  • Originality of interventions or advice
  • Usability of the results for the company
  • High complexity of the analysis (e.g., creative, innovative KPIs)
  • High quality of results (in both the report and the application)
  • Additional effort in the financial analysis of the proposed solutions.