Everyone knows big data is here to stay. As more and more data becomes easily available both the prevalence and importance of data-driven business solutions will increase. However InformationWeek Business Intelligence found that one of the primary barriers businesses face when they try to leverage data is a lack of visualization tools.
Lucidchart believes there is no point to data for data’s sake. Instead Lucidchart aims to provide a simple way for anyone to visualize spreadsheet data with the new dynamic shape library. Dynamic shapes allow you to add static values or use formulas to calculate and display statistics such as total progress percentages and ratings directly on Lucidchart documents.
Specifically dynamic shapes can help you with data-driven project management.
For example let’s say you need to plan an event for your company. From creating a budget picking a location and planning logistics to solidifying a promotional strategy and inviting guests there can be a seemingly endless list of things that need to get done in a relatively short amount of time.
Typically to organize to-do lists tasks are delegated to different teams through a spreadsheet like this one:
While such spreadsheets allow you to organize tasks they are less helpful when you need to quickly glance at your team’s progress. This is when dynamic shapes save the day.
Rather than sift through this dataset row by row to identify which team needs more resources you could instead use dynamic shapes to turn this tedious spreadsheet
(tip: Smart Containers can save you even more time)
into this professional dashboard directly in Lucidchart:
By using dynamic shapes Lucidchart transformed spreadsheet data into an event dashboard that visualizes progress overall and across teams.
The horizontal progress bar dynamic shapes countdown the days until the event and calculate the total progress on tasks while the donut dynamic shapes display the percentage of tasks each team has completed. This dashboard clearly shows that the Product Marketing team has accomplished half of their goals while the Public Relations team still needs to start. As a project manager insights like these are essential to ensure your team is on track. Instead of wasting time syncing with each team you can rely on your Lucidchart dashboard to provide the information you need as soon as you need it. This easy access is particularly important in scenarios where there are multiple stakeholders working under strict deadlines.
You also don’t need to worry about keeping your dashboard up to date. Dynamic shapes automatically adjust when your data source changes so you can always count on Lucidchart as your source of truth. Additionally Lucidchart’s collaborative interface makes it easy to share your dashboard with others. Collaborators can work directly on the dashboard or you can export publish or present your document.
Whether you’re planning an event or simply want to better understand your data dynamic shapes allow you to build collaborative dashboards directly in Lucidchart to visualize and track the important insights hidden behind spreadsheets.
