Data should do something

I have built a lot of dashboards. The ones that survive have one thing in common: something happens after someone looks at them.

Three kinds of data

• Data that drives a decision. A conversion funnel by category tells merchandising where to spend attention this week.
• Data that triggers an action. A stock run-rate that becomes a push notification when a SKU crosses the line.
• Data that shapes an experience. A customer segment that changes what the storefront shows.

Everything else is a chart.

The design rule

Before building a report, write down the action it enables and who takes it. If the answer is "we'll see", do not build it. If the action is the same every time, skip the report and build the automation.

Net, not gross

One small example: every ROAS number in our tools is calculated on revenue net of tax. Gross ROAS looks better in a meeting and lies about the business. A number you cannot act on is worse than no number.