Beyond the Dashboard

Introduction: more than just dashboards
1. Strategize your visualizations
2. Clarity through structure
3. People make the difference
Conclusion: building data confidence

Introduction: more than just dashboards

How often did you find yourself spending weeks or even months developing a dashboard, only to see it fall flat after you’ve put it in production? Due to unclear requirements, low adoption, or data quality issues all of your hard work will turn out unseen or undervalued. Or maybe you have a lot of business questions that need answering, but you simply don’t know where to start?

This whitepaper is here to help you! It explores how DDBM approaches data visualisation not just as a design task, but as a strategic capability. We don’t see data visualisation simply as the final step in the analytics journey—the visual layer that presents insights — but rather as a catalyst for clarity, collaboration, and change. Our team enables organisations to align on their goals, spot inefficiencies, and take action.

In this paper we will illustrate how we deliver structure, clarity, and confidence through examples of real-world client work, highlighting key elements of our approach: structured delivery, stakeholder engagement, scalable solutions, and last but not least: human-focused adoption.

Based in Amsterdam, DDBM has over a decade of experience helping its clients bridge the gap between data and decisions. When our consultants are not working with clients, they spend a lot of time on personal development - both focussing on technical skills as well as soft skills, because at DDBM we value both technical expertise and excellent communication.

At DDBM, we believe that the success of any data project starts with strategy. It’s the thinking and structure behind them that make them truly impactful. That’s why we begin every project with a strong strategic foundation. Before a single chart is built, we take the time to fully understand the context: what are the business goals? Who are the stakeholders? What insights do they need to make better decisions? We ask the right questions, map existing processes, identify data dependencies, and explore any technical or organisational barriers that could slow things down later.

This initial phase is where we do most of the thinking and planning work. We define clear priorities and set realistic deadlines, making sure the scope is aligned with available resources and expectations. We break the work into manageable milestones and estimate the complexity of each part so that surprises are kept to a minimum. Together with the client, we agree on how we want to communicate throughout the project: through regular check-ins, shared documentation, morning standups, end-of-day updates, and/or demo moments. These habits are simple but powerful, as they keep the momentum going and ensure everyone stays informed.

For example, in our ongoing engagement with a retail company, we recently completed a successful proof of concept. We translated two of their most critical Excel reports into automated Tableau dashboards in close collaboration with both business and technical stakeholders, immediately reducing manual workload and demonstrating the potential of a scalable BI approach. With the POC complete, we’re now in the planning phase for the next stage: migrating around 20 additional reports and exploring opportunities to incorporate AI-driven features like Tableau Pulse or Tableau Agents. As with every project, we’re taking the time upfront to map their data landscape, define priorities, set clear milestones, and establish structured ways of working to set the foundation for a smooth delivery process and long-term success.

We’ve learned from experience that when planning is skipped or rushed, teams may end up reacting to problems instead of anticipating them. That’s why we bring structure to every engagement, whether it’s a two-week proof of concept or a multi-phase implementation. This approach doesn’t just lead to smooth project delivery — it builds trust, confidence and creates transparency. At DDBM, we value structure not for its own sake, but because it gives our clients the assurance that we understand their needs and are aligned on the path forward.

Good dashboards don’t just appear by chance—they come from a clear and structured process. We try to keep things simple: work in phases, show progress regularly, and plan together with everyone involved. Before opening any BI tool, we make sure the project itself has structure. This way, each person knows their role, and the results improve.

At one retail client, most reporting was done in Excel and was very time-consuming. We started small with just two dashboards. The process, however, was very structured: daily check-ins, reviews at key points, and close communication with the client. Within weeks, the dashboards were live, and there was already a roadmap for more. Showing progress early helped create energy and trust.

In another case at a healthcare group, the lack of structure made deadlines difficult to meet. By introducing a clear way of working and adding a person responsible for the structure, projects became more predictable. Deadlines were met, and everyone understood their specific tasks.

Structure is just as important in short projects, where there is little time to waste. In a healthcare sales project, we had only a few days to build several dashboards. By spending time upfront to ask questions, document goals, and set expectations, we were able to deliver tools quickly and effectively.

Many clients come to us unsure how to grow from ad-hoc reporting to scalable BI. Our job isn’t to take over reporting—it’s to make sure you won’t need us forever.

No dashboard succeeds without adoption. That’s why we focus not just on development, but on enablement: training, documentation, community, and engagement. Our job does not end with building a dashboard, that is only the start: ensuring data insights are embedded into people’s work and into decision making processes is key to success for any analytics product.

In this case, the client needed help to put people at the center of their data initiatives. These are some examples of initiatives we supported them with:

improve internal user groups, giving the space to learn from each other and to share (eg use cases, knowledge sharing, ask questions)
launch gamified challenges, so that people would actively participate, learn, and friendly challenge each other
build a roadmap for internal champions, fostering experts in different countries to boost and help increase adoption in teams across the organisation.

Training was also part of building a data culture and it was tailored to different user levels. Progress and usage was monitored to provide feedback loops and encourage trainees who were falling behind.

Training does not always have to be a stand alone activity, it could also be dashboard specific. For example, in a logistics project, dashboard development was paired with hands-on coaching to maximize internal capability that ran parallel with the development process.

In this case, the target for adoption in terms of building Tableau development knowledge was more focused towards one person, the internal analyst who used Excel to make their internal reporting. As Tableau was introduced to the business, they saw an opportunity to leverage the improved BI capabilities of Tableau.

With a limited development time, it was best to do hands-on coaching and development at the same time. Meaning that as the specific business logic was explained and the previous Excel dashboards were shown to the placed consultant for rebuilding, the consultant took the approach of explaining his thought process and methods to make what was requested.

This resulted in a slower development cycle but ensured that the adoption of the technology was possible.

Towards the end of the project, it is clear that documentation plays a major role in adoption as well. Not only to the developers but also to the users. To reinforce learning and support future use, comprehensive documentation and step-by-step walkthrough videos were created.
These resources went beyond technical instructions, providing clear explanations of the business logic underpinning each visualization.

Our value is not just technical. It's consultative. We ask not just "What do you want to see?" but "What are you trying to solve?" Then we guide teams to practical, maintainable solutions.

DDBM

At DDBM we build more than dashboards in the BI department. We deliver structure, clarity, and confidence. Every successful project begins with a thorough strategy. By taking the time upfront to understand goals, people, and potential hurdles, we make sure we’re building the right product, not just building fast. That’s why we invest in mapping, prioritising, and planning before the first dashboard ever takes shape. It may feel like slow work at the start, but it pays back tenfold when the project flows smoothly later on.

Structure is what turns that strategy into something real. We’ve experienced that clear ways of working with check-ins, milestones, shared responsibilities and clear roles make all the difference. It keeps energy high, prevents surprises, and helps everyone feel part of the process. Whether it’s a small project or a longer engagement, structure is the glue that holds the project together.
Of course, none of this matters if people don’t actually use what we build. That’s why we focus on adoption just as much as delivery. Training, coaching, and a feedback loop help bring dashboards to life in daily work. When people feel confident and curious, tools stop being “extra work” and start being part of how decisions get made. Adoption isn’t a finish line, it’s what makes the whole effort worthwhile.

At DDBM, we care deeply about doing things right, but we also believe work should feel human. We’ll bring structure and expertise, but we’ll also keep it approachable and enjoyable along the way. After all, good data should make life easier, not harder. And if along the way you learn to love a Gantt chart? Well, we promise not to tell anyone.