In an era where data is the power source, an organisation that can pull deep insights from its ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and present them to executives effectively gains an advantage in business decisions. This article reveals key techniques for turning raw data into powerful Reports and Dashboards that hit the mark for executives.

1. 🎯 Start by understanding ‘what executives want’

Before pressing the button to pull data, the first thing to do is clearly define the requirements of each executive or each unit:

Important KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): Which indicators do executives want to see that affect the organisation’s success — e.g. net profit margin, monthly sales, production cost per unit
Business questions that need answers: What is this report’s purpose to answer — e.g. “Which product is most profitable?” or “What’s the cause of delivery delays?”
Frequency of presentation: Do they want data in real time, daily, weekly, or monthly

💡 Tip: “Don’t pull ‘all’ the data — pull only the data ‘relevant’ to the decision.”

2. 🏗️ Design reports to be ‘concise, with the overview at a glance’

Executives have little time, so reports must be designed to be ‘scanned’ quickly and understood instantly:

Focus on the summary: A dashboard should show key summary figures with trends and a comparison against target at the very top
- Example: Use a chart showing total sales against target across the year
Use Data Visualization: Use graphs and charts suited to the data type:
- Line Charts: For showing trends over time
- Bar Charts: For comparing between categories
- Gauges or Big Numbers: For a single KPI you want to specially emphasise
Use colour strategically: Use red/green/yellow to indicate status (below target / on target / above target) instantly

3. 🔍 Build the ability to ‘drill down’

Even while emphasising conciseness, a good dashboard must let executives drill down into detail:

From overview to detail: An executive should be able to click a summary figure on the dashboard (e.g. total sales) to open a sub-report (e.g. sales by product or by employee)
Use dimensions: Reports should have filters letting executives choose to view data by various dimensions themselves — e.g. date, region, business unit, or customer type

4. 🔄 Place importance on ‘accuracy and timeliness’

Data from the ERP is crucial, so you must ensure:

Single Source of Truth: Every report must pull from the same ERP database or data warehouse to prevent discrepancies
Automated data updates (Automation): Schedule reports and dashboards to pull data and refresh themselves automatically (e.g. hourly or nightly) so executives always get the latest data
Accurate calculation: Verify the KPI calculation formulas in the system are correct per the accounting or finance principles the organisation has set

5. 💻 Choose the right tools

Although many ERPs have built-in reporting tools, using external BI tools increases presentation effectiveness:

ERP’s Built-in Tools: Suited to standard reports and pulling raw data
BI Tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau): Suited to building beautiful dashboards with drill-down functionality and advanced analytics

Conclusion

Pulling ERP reports that answer executives’ needs isn’t just pressing a button — it’s ‘translating’ numerical data into a ‘business story’ that prompts decisions and action. By understanding the needs, designing for conciseness, building drill-down capability, and using the right tools, your organisation will turn data into a truly valuable asset.

📊 Techniques for pulling ERP reports and dashboards that answer executives' needs