[Guide] KPI Data Dashboard Archiving

A business's most valuable asset is the information it generates and provides. Not only that but also the results of the different areas of your company, which are crucial for future decision-making. 

To take a comprehensive look at these indicators, we need clean, organized data to encourage a data-driven mentality. Many companies turn to data dashboards as they’re an efficient tool to visualize real-time results and thus make faster and wiser decisions. But it would be best if you didn’t get too wrapped up in the present: as vital as it is to get a current view of the state of the business, previous decisions and their results can dictate a future path.

You can access these results by keeping a periodic record of your data dashboards. This article will cover the importance of archiving these dashboards as part of decision-making by capturing screenshots automatically at regular intervals.

The importance of historical data

We should always be aware of real-time data, as it lets us understand quickly how the business is doing. Most data dashboard platforms also allow us to set notifications at different points of the day with a short report, so we can always be updated. That’s great, but it’s a constant flow of information focused on short-term, reactive decisions.

If a similar decision was made in the past, such as a new product launched a few years ago, it would be crucial to go back to that point to see the effects on your business. That will sustain upcoming decisions or indicate what you need to do differently.

If a similar decision was made in the past, for example, a new product launched a few years ago, it will be crucial to go back to that point in time to see the effects on your business. That will sustain upcoming decisions or indicate what you need to do differently.

Historical data helps keep track of goal accomplishment, whether yearly, quarterly, or monthly goals. It’s also the base of any forecast, and seeing the evolution of our results over time helps detect trends.

It’s also essential to record important decisions or events that impacted the company if you go back to your data and see a strange peak or decline in sales, turnover, or profit. That will let you identify the cause of that anomaly.

You can ask for expert advice or hire a consultant, but there is nothing like your own experience to learn from. And it’s even better if you have the actual tangible results of that experience to help you onwards.

How to archive your data dashboard

Now that we’ve covered the why, let’s move over to the how.
You can refer to screenshots to archive your data dashboards. Set a reminder each month, go to your dashboard, and capture it away! You can even do this in one sitting: set the time filter in your dashboard for each month and start taking screenshots.
But that sounds a bit tedious. It’s possible, but there’s an easier way.

Stillio is an automatic screenshot service that lets you get full-size captures of websites. Set the URL, and the frequency and the screenshots will be saved directly on your Drive for future reference. That takes manual work away and keeps your data safe and at hand.

So to start using Stillio to keep a record of your dashboards, all you’re going to need is a public URL. Here’s how to get it in some of the most popular data dashboard tools.

1.

Thumbnails of the Data Studio screenshots in your Stillio account

Google’s official data dashboard platform is straightforward to use. There are over 300 connectors, but the third-party ones are paid. All the charts and diagrams are present in the tool, so you don’t have to go through making things yourself. You can even get more such templates from the Data Studio community, where other users upload relevant templates.

To capture Data Studio dashboard screenshots, you need to generate a shareable URL. At the top right-hand corner of the dashboard, locate the “Share” button and click on the down caret icon to reveal the dropdown menu items. Select “Get report link” and copy the generated URL. You can now head over to your Stillio account and add that URL.

Note: The generated URL is shortened, so we highly recommend that you expand it by loading it in a new browser tab. After loading it, copy the expanded URL and add it to your Stillio account.

Generate a shareable Data Studio link

2.

Thumbnails of the Geckoboard screenshots in your Stillio account

Geckoboard is very famous due to its easy-to-use design and options for customization. It’s effortless to understand, but it has limited functionalities, so it should ideally be used as an essential data dashboard software. Another great feature is the link-sharing service, where you can share a link to the dashboard and choose if others can read or edit the information. 

Capturing Geckoboard is very similar to Data Studio. First, you need to generate a shareable public URL and add that to your Stillio account. At the top of the dashboard, click “Share”. That will present you with different options, among which there is one to generate a shareable URL. To obtain the URL, click the “Create share link” button.

Generate a shareable Geckoboard link

3.

Thumbnails of the Databox screenshots in your Stillio account

Databox is a straightforward software preloaded with templates, making it one of the bluntest tools in the market. Even though there are many chart options, almost all are simple ones, so there are no histograms or cartograms. You can find over 70 integrations. 

To capture Databox dashboard screenshots, you need to extract a shareable URL. Click “Copy URL” at the top right-hand corner and add it as a web page on your Stillio account.

Generate a shareable Databox link

4.

That is one of the most widely-used tools for data dashboards. Not only is it compelling to use, but it is also user-friendly. So if you’re a first-timer, you may want to go down this route since you can start small and build more complex dashboards as you keep learning. The best part about Power BI is that it offers plenty of connectors to integrate data from various sources.

Thumbnails of the Power BI screenshots in your Stillio account

Note: To generate the public PowerBI link, you'll need to request permission from your Power BI account admin.

Generate a shareable Power BI link

Conclusion

Hopefully, we have convinced you to archive screenshots and preserve previous versions of data dashboards to keep proper track of your company or business.

A data-driven mentality isn’t just being on your visualization tool 24/7. It’s choosing the correct data for the right decisions and giving historical data and previous findings the importance they deserve in your strategy. 

If you’d like to know more about how to use Stillio to archive your dashboards, feel free to book a demo with us.