Exploring the Dashboard
The purpose of the dashboard
The dashboard is meant to give you a high-level overview of key analytics for your loaded data.
As you use the controls, you will see the data update in real time.
Dashboard Widgets
Cycle Time
This widget tells you how long it takes for you to deliver your work (in days) for the fastest 85% of cases. This should be reflective of the cycle time for the 85% percentile line on the Cycle Time Scatterplot chart when using the same filters.
Be aware that you can control what this chart reflects by using the filter controls for this chart.
The chart will include all of your data that's been loaded in unless you use the item filter control.
This cycle time reflects how long it took for work from entering the first checked workflow stage to exiting the last checked workflow stage in your Workflow Stages control to the right.
Why 85%?
There is no magic reason why you should use the 85th percentile. The 85th percentile often happens to be a happy compromise between having enough confidence and enough uncertainty when assessing risk for forecasting. The percentile used cannot be changed at this time.
WIP
This widget tells you how long many items are in your workflow (aka in progress) right now. This should be reflective of the number of items that are shown on the Aging Work In Progress chart when using the same filters.
Be aware that you can control what this chart reflects by using the filter controls for this chart.
By using the item filter control you can filter down to a specific set of items
By using the workflow stages control, you can choose to show the number of items in a subset of workflow stages.
Stability
This widget tells you the calculated averages about your:
Arrival Rate is how often work enters into the first checked step of your workflow as configured in the Workflow Stages control for this chart.
Throughput is how often work enters the last checked stage of your workflow as configured in the Workflow Stages control for this chart.
WIP Age is the age of your work-in-progress or how many days it has been since the work items entered the first checked step of your workflow as configured in the Workflow Stages control for this chart.
Work-in-progress is defined as work that has entered the first checked step of your workflow but has not entered the last checked step.
You see the calculated averages for those data points for the following time horizons:
As of Today (Anything that has been created)
As of Last Week (Created on or before 7 days ago)
As of Last Month (Created on or before 30 days ago)
Be aware that you can control what this chart reflects by using the filter controls for this chart.
By using the item filter control you can filter down to a specific set of items
By using the workflow stages control, you can choose to show the number of items in a subset of workflow stages.
This widget should show information similar to that in the Summary Statistics dialog box in the Cumulative Flow Diagram chart when using the same filters
Pro Tip
Ideally, the arrival rate and throughput are similar. If your arrival rate is higher than your throughput, you are starting more than you finish. In that situation, you'd expect your WIP age to start increasing. This widget can give you a quick health check on your process.
Monte Carlo: How Many
This widget tells you how many items can be finished in 30 days with an 85% degree of certainty. The image to the left is saying that there's an 85% chance that 66 items or more will be completed in 30 days. This should be reflective of what you'd see in the Monte Carlo: How Many chart when using the same filters.
Be aware that you can control what this chart reflects by using the filter controls for this chart.
By using the item filter control you can filter down to a specific set of items
By using the workflow stages control, you can redefine what completed means by unchecking workflow stages from the bottom of the list. Removing workflow stages from the top of the list does not affect the calculations.
Monte Carlo: Remaining
This widget tells you how long it will take to finish your unfinished items with an 85% degree of certainty. The image to the left is saying that there's an 85% chance that the 45 remaining unfinished items will be completed in 22 days or less. This should be reflective of what you'd see in the Monte Carlo: When chart when using the same filters and a configuration of 45 items.
Be aware that you can control what this chart reflects by using the filter controls for this chart.
By using the item filter control you can filter down to a specific set of items (ie. not just all unfinished items)
By using the workflow stages control, you can redefine what completed means by unchecking workflow stages from the bottom of the list. Removing workflow stages from the top of the list does not affect the calculations.
Dashboard Controls
Item Filter
You can filter down the dots shown on this chart by choosing one or more available filters.
If you want to clear your filters so that all data is portrayed again, click the Reset button.
Workflow Stages
Use this control to refine the portion of the process that is used for the dashboard. Each widget may use this information differently depending on how the chart is based on works.
If you have any questions about this process, please submit them to our help desk.