Project Management Dashboard

A project management dashboard acts as a central hub for project managers to assess the current progress of an organization's initiatives and identify which projects need an extra push, which projects will need extensions, and which projects are running smoothly and offer best practices moving forward.

Gantt Charts

The Gantt chart above displays the timeline and status of each project and milestone so project managers can see what activities are on the horizon. A Gantt chart is useful as a project management tool that can chart the various activities associated with a project against a specific timeline. It can also show how different activities are related to one another and how the completion or delay of one milestone might impact the others.

Qualitative Information

Below the Gantt chart, the project manager report presents each initiative along with its owner, making it easy for project managers to check in with the individual responsible for overseeing the project. Also included in the report is a qualitative description of the project for more context on why and how it’s being implemented. The budget, end date, and milestones of the project, as well as the status of each milestone, are also displayed here.Also included in the report is a qualitative description of the project for more context on why and how it's being implemented. The budget, end date, and milestones of the project, as well as the status of each milestone, are also displayed here. The best project management dashboards, including this example from ClearPoint, make it easy to drill down from the dashboard for more information on any project.

Key Elements for Project Management Dashboards

• Snapshot of current status of all active projects

A snapshot of current status of all active projects allows project managers to easily digest the information they need on where their projects stand. Without this element, and without a Project Management Dashboard, managers are often left feeling unsure about the status of all the different projects occurring. This snapshot also allows managers to quickly asses which projects may need extra support.

• Gantt chart for display of project and milestone timeline

Knowing where projects stand isn’t always enough. Project managers should also have the visuals they need to see where projects are with their timelines. This allows managers to see which projects may be falling behind – and which projects won’t start on time because of it.

• Assignation of ownership for each project

From the snapshots gained above, of both project status and timeline, project managers may have questions and concerns regarding progress of projects. It is best practice to assign one spokesperson for a project, so then project managers can hear consistent information regarding project updates and have one person to turn to for further information. Displaying owners assigned to projects allow managers to easily follow up with the correct person for any project they need additional information about.

• Qualitative field for easy determination of next steps or linkage to action items

By including next steps, project managers can understand where projects are within their timeline. Viewing next steps and action items allows managers to see what is still to come and if there is any support they can offer to assist with. These steps save managers from reaching out to project teams about next steps and easily allows managers to walk away with the information they need to have meaningful conversations with their project teams.

Intended Audience

This dashboard is intended for project managers and department leaders. Project managers and department heads can utilize this dashboard to better understand the status of all their projects and initiatives within their department and organization.