What's included

• Staggered broadcast times
• Clear out old broadcasts
• Keep dashboards lean

Staggered broadcast times

What’s the problem?

Broadcasts enable reports to be sent to a user or users automatically according to a pre-set schedule. Each broadcast runs the report in question for the latest data. If a lot of broadcasts are scheduled for the same time, or at a time when peak usage occurs, it can slow performance and broadcasts can fail to send.

What to do?

• Set your broadcasts to run outside of normal working hours.
• Choose a time window different to other users. Consider allocated windows per user.
• If there are a number of broadcasts, stagger them apart within your time window, though please bear in mind, the broadcast facility only provides 15 minute increments (00, 15, 30, 45).

Why do it?

Removes concentrations of processing load, which in turn results in less or no likelihood of broadcasts failing to send or diminished speed for users.

Clear out old broadcasts

What’s the problem?

If there are too many broadcasts it will be difficult to stagger the timings. Requirements may change or the recipients leave their role or the organisation. The broadcasts are redundant but are still left running.

What to do?

• Review the list of broadcasts and delete any no longer required

Why do it?

It removes unnecessary processing load, which in turn results in less or no likelihood of broadcasts failing to send or diminished speed for users.

Keep dashboards lean 

What’s the problem?

Dashboards are a collection of reports contained within one screen to enable viewing at once. Just like a dashboard in a car, they should be simple and typically graphical indications.

As each dashboard has to run numerous reports simultaneously when viewed, if the reports contained within it are data heavy (perhaps large complex tables of data), it can, at best, slow down the dashboard loading the data.  At worst, it can prevent the page loading, and as the dashboard is the landing page when entering the report builder, such scenarios can stop access to other parts of the builder owing to the frozen page.

What to do?

• Review the dashboards and ask, “is this information necessary and useful?”, and specifically “does it tell me what I need to know at a glance, requiring clicking into the reports within it for further detail?”.
• If the answer is “no” then remove the reports from the dashboard or the dashboard entirely.

Why do it?

Logging in and navigating to other pages will be quicker and easier, and users will have the quick-to -understand insights dashboards are intended to give.