Managing a project without clear metrics is a bit like navigating without a compass: you’re moving forward, sure, but where exactly? The dashboard is much more than a visual aid. It’s your command center, your steering and synchronization tool, and your lever for anticipation. However, it still needs to be well-designed, well-structured, updated, and above all… results-oriented.
So, what should you track? And most importantly, how do you transform a project management dashboard into a monitoring tool and a steering lever?
A dashboard that simplifies project management
An effective project management dashboard isn’t just for show at a monthly meeting. It’s a tool for foresight, decision-making, and alignment to manage projects. It must:
- Centralize key data
- Warn before the storm, not after the shipwreck
- Provide decision-makers with an overview… without drowning them in details
The takeaway: it’s better to spend 1 hour building the dashboard than 5 hours chasing numbers.
What types of metrics should be included in a project dashboard?
Not all metrics are created equal. Their selection depends on the project’s context, its methodology, its stakes, and the team’s maturity level.
There are four main categories of KPIs for project management:
- Performance indicators: these measure the project’s effectiveness and efficiency (budget adherence, progress, productivity).
- Alert indicators: these signal critical deviations from strategic objectives (delays, cost overruns).
- Workload and planning indicators: these track time spent and remaining work.
- Qualitative indicators: often overlooked, these nevertheless enable the evaluation of satisfaction, engagement, or deliverable quality.
Managing a project: what to include in your dashboard
Here are the essential metrics to include in any project management dashboard:
Adherence to Deadlines and Schedule
Measuring the variance between planned dates and actual completion dates for key tasks helps identify delays. Specialized management software provides a more detailed analysis.
Quality Metrics
They serve to assess whether the expected level is actually met. Return rates, deliverable compliance, number of corrections: these are all signals that indicate whether the project meets internal standards or client expectations.
Budget Variance
They help you determine if the project adheres to the defined budget limits. Tracking the variance between forecasts and committed expenses helps anticipate financial overruns before they become irreversible.
Dynamic Dashboards: Visual Data for Better Decision-Making
The power of a dashboard also lies in its ability to make data understandable. Graphs, gauges, color codes, and charts enable quick identification of critical areas. Automating the collection of indicators prevents human errors and ensures real-time updates.
Furious ERP automatically centralizes all key data, facilitating project management and task planning. The tool generates personalized and actionable indicators in real time. Thanks to its dynamic dashboard, it enables responsive, precise, and tailored management for each team’s specific challenges.
The KPI I prioritize [with Furious] is the margin. It allows me to ensure we don't exceed the time allocated on quotes. If we exceed it, I either discuss it with the client or adjust the next quote to avoid making the same mistake again. The margin KPI is truly essential for us.
Not all projects are managed the same way
In Agile mode:
- Track completed story points
- Use burndown charts to visualize the sprint
- Leverage user feedback
In V-model mode:
- Leverage deliverable milestones
- Maintain strict control over deadlines and budget
- Validate each phase before proceeding
In Hybrid mode:
- Don’t blindly mix methodologies
- Establish a classic backbone with agile flexibility
The rule? Adapt indicators to the project, not the other way around.
Best Practices for a Truly Useful Dashboard
A dashboard is only useful if it is readable, kept up-to-date, and understood by all stakeholders. Here are some proven best practices:
- Limit the number of indicators to the essentials (5 to 10 max)
- Update according to a clear frequency: weekly, daily, or monthly
- Use visual alerts: red for critical deviations, orange for emerging risks
- Foster collective ownership: involve team members in defining and interpreting KPIs for better project management.
- Avoid turning the dashboard into a punitive surveillance tool: it should be a tool for building trust, not for applying pressure.
A living tool, not a static dashboard
A good dashboard is not a static tool. It’s an ally in project management. And such a partner adapts to real-world conditions.
Managing a project without precise indicators is like moving forward by instinct. That can work… until it doesn’t anymore. A well-constructed dashboard allows you to move from reaction to anticipation.
It’s not about creating an elaborate reporting system, but a tool for quick, concrete, and useful decision-making. Your dashboard shouldn’t impress. It should serve. Ask yourself: do the numbers you track every week truly help you with project management?
The Custom ERP: More Than a Management Tool, a Reliable Indicator
What if your ERP tool became your best strategic analyst? This is precisely the approach of solutions like Furious, designed to centralize your activity flows while delivering relevant, real-time indicators. By automatically aggregating data from your schedules, time spent, quotes, budgets, or project margins, the personalized ERP transforms your daily operations into readable, actionable, and contextualized KPIs.
The result? You no longer operate blindly. You know precisely which mission is profitable, which team is overburdened, which client costs you too much overhead for too little value. Even better: with customizable dynamic dashboards, Furious automates indicator reporting.
Furious helps us identify profitable projects through an audit based on client KPIs, which allows us to know where to intensify our sales efforts.
You might be Asking Yourself these Questions?
01 What is Automatic Transaction Categorization?
This is an AI-based feature that automatically categorizes your expenses according to their nature, for simplified and more reliable financial tracking.
02 how Does Furious AI Work to Categorize Transactions?
With each import or bank synchronization, the AI analyzes the label, amount, and context to suggest a relevant category and tags. You validate, adjust if necessary, and the tool learns from your choices.
03 What are the Benefits of Automatic Categorization for Financial Teams?
Less manual entry, better accounting consistency, reduced human errors, and significant time savings on recurring tasks.
04 Can You Maintain Control over the Categories Suggested by the AI?
Yes, you remain in control of the suggestions: each classification can be accepted, modified, or refined. Automation supports, not replaces.
05 Does the AI Improve its Suggestions over Time?
Absolutely. The more you use the feature, the more the AI learns from your corrections and offers categorizations tailored to your habits.
06 who is this Feature for?
For financial managers, executives, or anyone looking to automate accounting processing, optimize cash flow, and focus on analysis rather than data entry.
