Looking to build a dashboard that actually tells you something useful, not just a wall of charts? This guide’s for anyone who wants real visibility into their business without getting lost in endless options or hype. Whether you’re new to reporting tools or just new to Getctrl, I’ll walk you through what works, what’s a waste of time, and how to keep things sane.
Step 1: Know What You Need (Before You Click Anything)
Before you even open Getctrl, figure out what questions you want your dashboard to answer. Sounds basic, but skipping this step is why so many dashboards turn into data graveyards.
Ask yourself: - What decisions am I trying to make? - Who will actually look at this dashboard? - What data do I trust (and what’s just noise)?
Pro tip:
If you can’t name three specific questions your dashboard should answer, you’re not ready to build it yet.
Step 2: Getting Set Up in Getctrl
Alright, time to get into the tool. Log in to Getctrl, and head to the “Dashboards” area. If you don’t see it, check your permissions or ask your admin—sometimes access is restricted.
To create a new dashboard: 1. Click the “+ New Dashboard” button. 2. Give it a clear, boring name. “Sales Overview” beats “Q2 Synergy Portal.” 3. (Optional) Add a short description. It helps if you have more than a few dashboards floating around.
What works:
Starting simple. You can always add bells and whistles later.
What to skip:
Don’t obsess over layout or colors yet. Content first, design later.
Step 3: Connecting Your Data Sources
A dashboard’s only as good as its data. Getctrl lets you pull in data from a bunch of sources—databases, spreadsheets, CRMs, whatever your company uses.
Here’s how: 1. Go to “Data Sources” (usually a tab or menu option). 2. Pick the type of connection (e.g., Google Sheets, SQL database, HubSpot). 3. Follow the prompts to authenticate and select what data you want. 4. Test the connection. Seriously—don’t skip this. Bad data = bad dashboard.
Things to watch out for: - Some integrations are smoother than others. Connecting to a Google Sheet? Usually easy. Your homegrown database from 2008? Might take some fiddling. - If you’re not the data owner, loop in whoever is. You don’t want to learn about missing fields at midnight.
Step 4: Adding and Customizing Widgets
Widgets are the building blocks: charts, tables, KPIs, whatever you need to visualize your data.
Adding a Widget
- Hit “Add Widget” or similar.
- Choose the type (bar chart, line graph, table, etc.).
- Select your data source and the fields you want to show.
- Set up basic filters (date ranges, product categories, regions, etc.).
Customizing Widgets
- Titles and labels: Use plain language. “Revenue by Month” beats “RBM_2024_v2.”
- Colors: Stick with defaults unless you have a real reason to change (e.g., company branding, color-blind accessibility).
- Chart types: Don’t use a pie chart unless you absolutely have to. Bar and line charts are almost always clearer.
- Sorting and grouping: Think about what’s easiest to read, not what looks fanciest.
What works:
Limiting yourself to 3–6 widgets per dashboard. More than that, and people stop paying attention.
What to skip:
Most “fun” widgets—gauges, word clouds, or animation—add noise, not value.
Step 5: Fine-Tuning Filters and Interactivity
Filters let users slice and dice the data. Getctrl offers both dashboard-wide filters and widget-level filters.
- Dashboard filters apply to everything on the page (e.g., by region or time period).
- Widget filters only affect a single chart or table.
Best practices: - Keep filters obvious and upfront—nobody wants to hunt for a dropdown. - Default to the most common view (e.g., “Current Month”). - Only add filters people will actually use. If nobody cares about “Customer Segment Z,” don’t clutter the dashboard with it.
What works:
Pinning key filters to the top so users can change views fast.
What doesn’t:
Cascading filters that require users to pick through five menus before seeing any data. Keep it simple.
Step 6: Sharing and Permissions
Dashboards are meant to be shared, but you don’t want just anyone poking around sensitive data.
In Getctrl: 1. Look for the “Share” or “Permissions” option on your dashboard. 2. Set who can view, edit, or manage the dashboard. 3. Use groups/roles when you can. Saves time if you need to update access later.
Pro tip:
Default to “view only” unless someone really needs to edit.
What works:
Sharing links with clear expiration dates or one-time use—especially for external partners.
What to skip:
Emailing exported spreadsheets around. If your dashboard is good, people shouldn’t need to.
Step 7: Cleaning Up and Iterating
You’ve got your dashboard live. Now, the real test—do people actually use it?
Check in a week later: - Is anyone looking at it? (Getctrl often has basic usage stats.) - Are people asking for more, or ignoring it? - Is anything broken or out of date?
Iterate ruthlessly: - Remove widgets nobody uses. - Add new views only if people ask for them. - Update filters as your business changes.
What works:
Quarterly check-ins. Most dashboards get stale if you set and forget.
What doesn’t:
Trying to make a “perfect” dashboard from day one. It doesn’t exist.
Pro Tips and Honest Advice
- Don’t chase every metric. Stick to numbers you can act on, not just what’s easy to chart.
- Automate data refreshes. Manual updates are tedious and error-prone.
- Document anything weird. If a metric is calculated in a non-obvious way, explain it (even if it’s just in the dashboard description).
- Ask for feedback. The best dashboards come from actual user pain points, not guesses.
Wrapping Up
Building a useful dashboard in Getctrl isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little discipline. Start simple, focus on what matters, and don’t be afraid to throw out what doesn’t work. Dashboards should help you make decisions, not just decorate your screen. Keep it practical, iterate often, and you’ll get real value—no hype required.