Create a dashboard

A dashboard is a view of geographic information that displays multiple visualizations on one screen, allowing you to provide a comprehensive view of data to support rapid decision-making. You can use infographics in Business Analyst Web App to visualize key indicators for sites in the form of charts, graphics, tables, images, and text. The ArcGIS Dashboards workflow allows you to choose a dashboard type and layout, and select sites and infographic templates to create a dashboard from Business Analyst Web App.

License:

The ArcGIS Dashboards workflow is available to users with a Business Analyst Web App Advanced license. To learn more about Business Analyst license types, see Licenses.

To create a dashboard, do the following:

  1. In the Maps tab, click Share results and select ArcGIS Dashboards.

    The ArcGIS Dashboards pane appears.

  2. Select the type of dashboard you want to create. Click Next.
    • Many sites, Same infographic—This type of dashboard shows data for multiple sites through a single infographic template.
    • One site, Different infographics—This type of dashboard shows data for only one site across multiple infographic templates.
  3. Choose a layout for the dashboard:
    • Side layout—This layout includes an inset map and contains a panel list to switch between the multiple infographics or sites.
    • Main layout—This layout contains a drop-down menu to switch between the multiple infographics or sites. This layout includes a map on a separate tab.
  4. Click Add site(s) and select the sites for the dashboard.
    • The Recent tab is open by default, listing sites you recently used.
    • Click the Currently on map tab to view the sites currently loaded on the map.
    • Click the From projects tab to add other sites from your current project, your other projects, or projects shared with you by other users.
    • Click Search Search to search for sites.
    Note:

    If you selected Many sites, Same infographic as your dashboard type, you can select up to 500 sites from the list.

  5. Use the Select infographic drop-down menu to select infographic templates for your dashboard from the three sections in the list. Expand or collapse a section to view or hide the templates it contains. Click an infographic to select it.
    • Standard infographics—Ready-to-use infographic templates.
    • My infographics—Infographic templates you have created.
    • Shared infographics—Infographics shared with you by other users. Hover over the list and click Refresh Refresh to refresh this list.
    • Gallery—Lists infographics in the infographic gallery, if enabled in the app preferences.

    To learn more about or find templates, do any of the following:

    • Hover over the Sample icon Sample report to view any infographic.
    • Infographics are sorted by Date (newest), but you can choose a different sort order from the drop-down menu.
    • Enter text in the search field to find infographics.

    Note:

    If you selected One site, Different infographics as your dashboard type, you can select up to 100 infographics from the list.

  6. Use the Select default infographic display drop-down menu to choose an infographic display mode: auto, full page, stack mode, slide mode, or side-by-side.
  7. Provide text in the Enter dashboard title field.
  8. Optionally, use the check boxes in the Share your dashboard section to choose sharing options.
    • Check the Entire organization check box to share the dashboard with all users in your organization.
    • Check the My groups check box to share the dashboard with all users in your groups, or you can use individual check boxes to share with selected groups.
  9. Click Create to create a dashboard.

    You can view your progress in the status bar at the bottom of the map window.

    Tip:

    You can use other workflows while the dashboard is being created.

    When the dashboard has been created, a Dashboard ready window appears.

  10. Do any of the following:
    • Click View dashboard to view the dashboard in ArcGIS Online.
    • Click Edit dashboard to open the dashboard in ArcGIS Online in edit mode.
    • Click Copy dashboard link to copy the dashboard link to your clipboard.
    • Click Close to close the window.

    Your dashboard is saved in ArcGIS Online. You can view and edit your dashboard in ArcGIS Online. When you click View dashboard, the dashboard is opened in ArcGIS Online with the infographic displayed.

    • If Main layout was selected, the Embedded content tab is active by default, displaying the dashboard's embedded content (the infographic, in this case). You can switch to the Map tab and use the drop-down menu to switch between different sites and infographics.

    • If Side layout was selected, the infographic is displayed with an inset map and panel list on the side of the dashboard. You can use the panel list to switch between different sites and infographics.

    Tip:

    When point locations (sites) are selected along with polygon or geography sites, the inset map in the side layout or the Map tab in the main layout displays only the largest buffer size. For example, if you selected a site with three rings and a geography site, only the largest ring will be shown on the map along with the geography site. However, when the infographic itself includes a map, for example, the Demographic Summary infographic, the selected buffer is displayed on that map. The smallest buffer is selected by default, but you can change this setting from the drop-down menu at the upper left of the dashboard.

View dashboards in ArcGIS Online

Dashboards you create in Business Analyst Web App are not saved in your current project, but you can access them by signing in to ArcGIS Online. Dashboards are saved in BA - My Maps under Content. Click Options Options or click the dashboard title to view more options, including View and Edit.

Note:
  • Every dashboard has a feature layer and web map items associated with it. These items share the same name for easy identification. It is important to remember that the associated feature layer and web map must not be deleted or moved; they must remain with the dashboard for the dashboard to function as expected.
  • Delete protection is enabled by default for the dashboard and its associated items. To delete them, you first must disable delete protection from Settings under View item details.

Set preferences

You can set preferences for Business Analyst Web App in the application preferences. For the ArcGIS Dashboards workflow, you can turn off the workflow overview page. Administrators can set preferences for the entire organization.

To set the workflow preferences, do the following:

  1. On the app header, click My preferences Preferences.

    The Preferences window appears.

  2. Expand the Maps section, expand the Share results section, and click Dashboard.
  3. Optionally, set the following preferences:
    • Use the Show dashboard intro page check box to skip the workflow overview page when you create a dashboard.
    • Under Select default infographic display, choose the default infographic display mode for stories.
      • Auto—Responsive display mode based on screen size and layout.
      • Show full page—View the entire infographic in a single-page display.
      • View in stack mode—View individual panels in a vertical stacked position.
      • View in slide mode—View individual panels as presentation slides.
      • Compare all areas side by side—View a comparison of all analysis areas in a side-by-side display.

    To restore the default settings, click Restore defaults.

  4. To save your changes, click Save or, optionally, click Save and close to close the Preferences window. To view your changes, refresh the app.

Workflow video