6. Research Findings and Discussion

6.5 Dashboard functionality

"The moment users start customising, you do not talk the same language, and one always has to interpret and decode the messages being relayed. It needs to be the same for everyone". (Participant 2)

Participant 8 suggested that we need to standardise to make the system look neater with respect to both the visual effects and the indicators used for performance and economics. Participants 1, 3, and 4 indicated that some degree of customisation should be allowed, as different users have different needs. The user must have some flexibility to emphasise the information on specific problems; however, the format must remain standard.

The researcher observed that an online user interaction functionality was not necessarily a priority for the participants at this stage. Three participants were adamant that dashboards are a visual representation and should not be used for anything else. Participant 5 said that, as opposed to online user interaction, he recommended reverting to traditional communication methods such as a phone call or a personal message to ensure that a stakeholder takes the required action. Participants 2, 3, and 4 stated that online user interaction can be positive. Discussing via an online platform might eliminate some meetings. Participant 3 described the integration of dashboards into workflow management systems. This potential future advancement would require a significant upskilling of employees.

Overall, only a few participants responded about process context, performance, and knowledge; thus the researcher deduced that such functionality was not a high priority.