September 25, 2019, by Erik Larson

No More Static Reports

We're entering 2020 without flying cars...but we do have dynamic data


If your organization still publishes a PDF of data to satisfy those in search of numbers, you're not alone. In fact, there is still a strong majority of groups relying on traditional reporting methods.

But the portion of organizations adopting new technology and techniques for reporting data is growing. Fast.

If you're not quite convinced yet to invest the time and dollars into a new data reporting approach going forward, well, we can't resist but to lay out a few strong (and hopefully, objective) arguments in favor of. :)

3 Reasons to Ditch The Static Report for Something New



1. No one reads anymore: 55% of all page views get less than 15 seconds of attention.

That PDF long-format report on your website doesn't stand a chance of being fully digested when average visitors spend less than 20 seconds before clicking on. Since most organizations publish data through their website, this presents a major problem. And an opportunity: if you take a different approach – a dashboard format, for example – you will stand out and ensure engagement.

Here's a great example from the Technology Association of Oregon; you can see the full dashboard here: link to TAO data site


2. You can't track engagement.

How do you know if your audience at large, or specific individuals, are reading your report? With a PDF or other static file, you really can't. However, with built-in analytics a web-based dashboard can track both total views and even views of specific individuals.

Here is a screenshot of report view analytics from eIMPACT:


3. Uggh...updates: reports go stale almost immediately

Data updates to your reports frquently take the back seat to other more urgent activities. With the right dashboard solution you can automate these tedious updates and focus your time on higher value priorities.




Interested in learning more?

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