Book Image

Creating Stunning Dashboards with QlikView

By : Julian Villafuerte
Book Image

Creating Stunning Dashboards with QlikView

By: Julian Villafuerte

Overview of this book

QlikView is one of the most powerful analytical tools in the market. Based on an in-memory associative model, it lets users freely navigate through the data, spot trends and make better decisions. This platform is capable of integrating a wide range of data sources like ERP systems, data warehouses or spreadsheets into a single application in order display dashboards with state-of-the-art visualizations. Creating Stunning Dashboards with QlikView is an easy to follow handbook that guides you through the process of creating an effective and engaging dashboard that delivers tangible value to the business. It starts with the identification of the business needs and the definition of the main KPIs, and takes you all the way to the application rollout. Throughout the book, you will learn how to apply some of the best practices in the field of data visualization, create a robust navigation schema, chose the best chart types for each scenario and many other things that will help you create effective dashboards that uncover all the stories behind the data.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Creating Stunning Dashboards with QlikView
Credits
Foreword
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
4
It's Not Only about Charts
Index

Chapter 3. First Things First – The Dashboard Structure

The wait is over, we know exactly what kind of dashboard we want, and it is time to start materializing it! So turn on your computer and open a new QlikView document as we are about to define the structure upon which our application will be based.

Though there is no formal categorization, we usually divide QlikView objects into two groups. First, we have the analytical objects. These are usually charts or tables, and their job is to present the right information in the appropriate formats. Secondly, we have all those elements that form the skeleton of the application and help the user navigate through the application, such as filters, buttons, current selections box, and other controls.

Although there isn't a correct order to create them (and most of the time, we find ourselves doing both at the same time), having the dashboard's structure built before you start creating the analytics often helps you overcome the blank page syndrome....