{"id":1370,"slug":"rule-qualify-every-metric-with-decision-and-threshold","title":"R1 — Before building any dashboard, qualify every proposed metric: named owner + named decision + action threshold; if it fails the \"what would I do if it moved?\" test, drop it","kind":"rule","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["agency-methodology","dashboards","decision-linked-metrics"],"reference_body":"**Rule:** For each proposed dashboard metric, require: (a) a **named owner**; (b) a **decision it drives**; (c) a **threshold that triggers action**. Drop any metric that fails the **\"what would I do if this number doubled or halved tomorrow?\"** test ([[what-would-i-do-if-it-moved-test]]).\n\nChange-the-plan benchmark: **if the client cannot name 3-7 decision-linked metrics, they do not need a dashboard yet** — they need a cleaner data-capture layer or a periodic report.\n\n**Why:** [[used-vs-vanity-dashboard-criteria]] — vanity metrics drive nothing and burn trust when they conflict with source-of-truth systems. Adoption stagnation ([[barc-eckerson-25pct-bi-adoption-2022]], [[gartner-30pct-bi-adoption]]) reflects the cumulative effect of vanity-dashboard rollouts that did not earn user habit.\n\n**How to apply:**\n- Use the \"decision + threshold\" worksheet in every dashboard scoping conversation.\n- If the conversation drifts to \"we want everything in one place,\" substitute the worked examples ([[construction-job-cost-dashboards-weekly]], [[professional-services-dso-dashboards]], [[cross-industry-internal-dashboard-use-cases-roundup]]).\n- 5-7 metrics per view is the practitioner ceiling.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"rule-test-defensibility-by-asking-if-competitor-version-identical","title":"R7 — Test defensibility with one question: would your competitor's version of this look exactly like yours? If yes, it's a commodity","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"barc-eckerson-25pct-bi-adoption-2022","title":"BARC / Eckerson Group (March 2022, 214 D&A leaders surveyed Nov-Dec 2021) — BI/analytics adoption at 25% of employees on average; \"stuck around 20% for many years\" per Eckerson","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"construction-job-cost-dashboards-weekly","title":"Construction: weekly job-cost dashboards (labor variance, committed vs actual materials, change orders, billing vs % complete, backlog) catch margin erosion before month-end financials arrive","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"professional-services-dso-dashboards","title":"Professional services: DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) dashboards with aging buckets + at-risk-customer flags; 30-45 days is a common \"good\" benchmark; rising DSO is an early cash-flow warning","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"used-vs-vanity-dashboard-criteria","title":"Five criteria separating a used dashboard from a vanity one: built for daily user / every metric tied to decision+threshold / embedded in existing workflow / trusted / few metrics (~5-7 per view)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"what-would-i-do-if-it-moved-test","title":"The \"what would I do if this number doubled or halved tomorrow?\" test — if no action follows, it's vanity","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-dashboards-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: dashboards for SMBs — what's worth showing, and when an embedded one earns its keep (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"article-when-is-a-dashboard-worth-it-for-your-business","title":"Article (draft): When is a dashboard worth it for your business? The honest case for internal and embedded dashboards in SMBs","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-maximise-self-relevance-in-output","title":"R3 — Maximise self-relevance in the output: show the user's own number, not \"people like you average X\"; the personalization mechanism is the best-evidenced lever in the brief","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-20T18:03:12.195Z","updated_at":"2026-06-20T18:03:12.195Z"}