Set up a management dashboard

Verified 19 January 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

When a company wishes to monitor and manage its financial situation, it can set up a specific tool: the management dashboard.

The management dashboard is a tool for monitoring and controlling the performance of a company. It offers a summary view of the company's situation according to previously chosen indicators. It thus makes it possible to anticipate the difficulties and to highlight the corrective actions to be implemented.

It exists different types of management dashboards, depending on the elements that it is desired to control. For example, the budget management dashboard monitors the implementation of the company budget, while the operational management dashboard monitors the progress of internal actions defined by the company.

These various dashboards can be grouped together in a global management dashboard, which makes it possible to centralize all the indicators to be monitored and piloted.

When creating a company, a financial balance has been estimated in a business plan. However, this equilibrium may be upset during the company's financial year: unexpected developments in the turnover, increase in fixed loads, cash flow problemetc.

It is therefore necessary to make new financial forecasts taking into account the actual data of the company.

The establishment of a management dashboard is therefore useful to anticipate the changes in the company's financial situation, control it and correct it if necessary.

A management dashboard must include key indicators determined according to the activity of the company. They will then be used to highlight a number of objectives for the company.

The choice of indicators is voluntary and varies according to the type of company and the planned development.

It exists 4 main categories indicators that can be used:

  • Economic indicators : to measure results and costs
  • Physical indicators : to measure product quality, order processing, logistics, etc.
  • Human indicators : to measure employee performance
  • Project monitoring indicators : to measure the progress of projects

Among the possible indicators, a number are common for most companies, these include

  • Monthly or quarterly turnover by product family (economic indicator)
  • Monthly or quarterly turnover per customer (economic indicator)
  • Trade margin (economic indicator)
  • Commercial, structural, personnel, subcontracting costs (economic indicator)
  • Delivery times (physical indicator)
  • Level of customer satisfaction (physical indicator)

FYI  

The Bpifrance website provides a sample management dashboard.

Several steps are needed to make the management dashboard a real tracking and management tool for the company.

Involve the whole company

When the company brings together several managers, partners or employees, it is important to involve them in the design of the dashboard. This approach makes it possiblereach a consensus on the selected indicators and the information to follow, while being as close as possible to operational reality.

Analyze deviations

A diagnosis must then be made of the discrepancies between the forecasts and the actual level of activity of the company. This analysis allows to determine why the level of company activity differs from the objectives set (objectives too high, internal problems, etc.).

For new companies, it is interesting to analyze the deviations weekly or monthly in order to better understand the evolution and to determine objectives accurately and quickly.

Implement corrective actions

Once the deviations have been diagnosed, corrective actions must be implemented in order to improve the company's performance.

If the objectives set are not achieved, it is necessary to:

  • understand the reasons : new competitor in the market, increased costs, etc.
  • choose the best actions to take to address them : launch of a communication campaign, new provider, etc.

Getting accompanied

To set up a management dashboard, a number of professionals can help in the management of a company, whether it is a business or one, or of a micro-company :

  • Chartered accountants
  • Consular support networks: Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Chambers of Trades and Crafts (CMA), etc.
  • Support networks (BGE, Adie, France Active, etc.)
  • Approved Management Organizations (AMO)

Please note

Find all the consular and associative networks in the “ Who can help me ?” below.

Who can help me?

The public service accompanying companies

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