If you’ve ever stared at a mountain of forecast data and thought, “Now what?”, you’re not alone. Forecasts are only as useful as your ability to understand and act on them. That’s where dashboards come in. This guide is for anyone who’s using Forecastpro and wants to actually see what’s going on — not just crank out numbers and hope for the best.
We’ll walk through how to build dashboards in Forecastpro that show you what matters, skip what doesn’t, and help you spot problems before they become disasters. No fluff, just the steps, the pitfalls, and some practical advice.
Why Dashboards Matter (and What to Ignore)
Let’s get this out of the way: dashboards aren’t magic. They don’t fix bad data or broken processes. But they do help you:
- Spot trends and outliers, fast.
- Track how your forecasts stack up against actuals.
- Share insights with the rest of your team (without sending a 10,000-row spreadsheet).
- Stay focused on what matters, not just what’s easy to graph.
What doesn’t work? Overcomplicated dashboards with every chart under the sun. If you need a PhD to read your dashboard, you’ve already lost. Keep it simple, and focus on what decisions you actually need to make.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Before you even touch a dashboard, make sure your data isn’t a dumpster fire. In Forecastpro, that means:
- Clean up your hierarchy: Make sure product, region, and time-period groupings are accurate. If your sales regions are a mess, your charts will be too.
- Actuals vs. Forecasts: Double-check that you’ve got clean actuals loaded alongside your forecasts. If you’re comparing junk to junk, you’ll get junk.
- Consistent timeframes: Settle on the periods (weeks, months, quarters) that make sense for your business. Don’t mix and match.
Pro tip: Don’t try to dashboard your way out of bad data. Fix the source first. Even the prettiest graphs can’t hide garbage.
Step 2: Decide What You Actually Need to See
This sounds obvious, but most dashboards fail here. Ask yourself:
- What decisions am I trying to support?
- Who’s going to use this dashboard? (A planner? The CFO? The sales team?)
- What are the top 2-3 things I need to see at a glance?
Stick to a handful of key views, like:
- Forecast vs. actuals, over time.
- Forecast accuracy (MAPE, bias, etc.) by product or region.
- Exceptions: where is the forecast way off?
Ignore: Vanity charts and endless KPIs. If you’re not going to act on it, leave it out.
Step 3: Build Your First Dashboard in Forecastpro
Forecastpro comes with built-in dashboard tools. They’re not as flashy as some BI tools, but they get the job done without a lot of fuss.
3.1 Open the Dashboard Module
- From the main menu, look for “Dashboards” or “Dashboard Module.”
- If you don’t see it, check your version — older versions may be missing dashboard features, and you might need an upgrade.
3.2 Add Your First Panel
- Click “Add Panel” or similar. You’ll typically pick from things like:
- Line charts
- Bar charts
- Tables
- Exception lists
3.3 Choose Your Data
- Select the forecast and actuals you want to display.
- Pick the time period (monthly, quarterly, etc.).
- Filter by product, region, or whatever makes sense for your business.
Pro tip: Start with Forecast vs. Actuals for your top 5 products or customers. That’s usually where the money is.
3.4 Configure the Panel
- Set clear titles. “Product Forecast vs. Actuals (Jan–Jun 2024)” beats “Chart 1.”
- Pick colors that make differences stand out. (If red-green colorblindness is an issue for your team, stick to blue/orange or similar.)
- Adjust axes so you’re not hiding big swings with a weird scale.
3.5 Rinse and Repeat
- Add a few more panels, but don’t go overboard. 4–6 per dashboard is plenty.
- Group related panels together — all product-level views in one place, all region-level in another, etc.
Step 4: Make Your Dashboards Actually Useful
A dashboard is only as good as the story it tells. Here’s how to get real value:
- Highlight exceptions: Set up conditional formatting or callouts for big misses. If forecast accuracy drops below 80%, make it pop.
- Drill-downs: Use Forecastpro’s filtering to let users dig deeper — from total sales to individual SKUs.
- Annotations: Add notes on big events (promotions, supply chain hiccups) so spikes and dips aren’t mysterious.
- Update regularly: Set a schedule to refresh your dashboards as new actuals come in. Old data isn’t just useless; it’s dangerous.
Pro tip: Check in with your users after a week. What do they actually look at? If they ignore a chart, ditch it.
Step 5: Share and Collaborate (Without the Chaos)
Dashboards are meant to be shared, but don’t let them get out of hand:
- Export options: Forecastpro can export dashboards to PDF or image files. For bigger teams, use the built-in web dashboards if available.
- Access controls: Not everyone needs to see everything. Set permissions so people only get what they need.
- Version control: Save copies before making big changes. If you break something, it’s nice to go back.
Ignore: Endless dashboard versions for every stakeholder. Try to get 80% of people on a single, focused view.
What Works, What Doesn’t
What Works
- Focused dashboards that answer the top business questions.
- Regular updates, so decisions are based on reality.
- Simple, clear visuals — not a sea of spaghetti lines.
What Doesn’t
- Overly complex dashboards stuffed with every metric you can find.
- Ignoring user feedback. If nobody’s looking at it, it’s not useful.
- Relying on dashboards to “fix” bad data.
Pro Tips for Visualizing Forecast Data in Forecastpro
- Less is more: If you can’t explain the dashboard in 30 seconds, it’s too complicated.
- Automate updates: If you’re doing a lot of manual work, look into Forecastpro’s automation features or batch imports.
- Question the data: If a chart looks weird, double-check the source. Bad data sneaks in more often than you think.
- Use context: Add benchmarks or targets to your charts so you know what “good” looks like.
Keep It Simple, Keep Improving
Dashboards in Forecastpro aren’t about impressing anyone — they’re about making better decisions, faster. Start with a simple dashboard, share it, and see what sticks. Don’t be afraid to cut what doesn’t work. Iterate as you go.
Remember: the goal isn’t a “perfect” dashboard, it’s one that helps you and your team spot problems and act on them. The rest is just noise.