Design effective KPI dashboards with metrics selection, visualization best practices, and real-time monitoring patterns. Use when building business dashboards, selecting metrics, or designing data visualization layouts.
View on GitHubwshobson/agents
business-analytics
January 19, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/wshobson/agents/blob/main/plugins/business-analytics/skills/kpi-dashboard-design/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill kpi-dashboard-designInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/kpi-dashboard-design/# KPI Dashboard Design
Comprehensive patterns for designing effective Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards that drive business decisions.
## When to Use This Skill
- Designing executive dashboards
- Selecting meaningful KPIs
- Building real-time monitoring displays
- Creating department-specific metrics views
- Improving existing dashboard layouts
- Establishing metric governance
## Core Concepts
### 1. KPI Framework
| Level | Focus | Update Frequency | Audience |
| --------------- | ---------------- | ----------------- | ---------- |
| **Strategic** | Long-term goals | Monthly/Quarterly | Executives |
| **Tactical** | Department goals | Weekly/Monthly | Managers |
| **Operational** | Day-to-day | Real-time/Daily | Teams |
### 2. SMART KPIs
```
Specific: Clear definition
Measurable: Quantifiable
Achievable: Realistic targets
Relevant: Aligned to goals
Time-bound: Defined period
```
### 3. Dashboard Hierarchy
```
├── Executive Summary (1 page)
│ ├── 4-6 headline KPIs
│ ├── Trend indicators
│ └── Key alerts
├── Department Views
│ ├── Sales Dashboard
│ ├── Marketing Dashboard
│ ├── Operations Dashboard
│ └── Finance Dashboard
└── Detailed Drilldowns
├── Individual metrics
└── Root cause analysis
```
## Common KPIs by Department
### Sales KPIs
```yaml
Revenue Metrics:
- Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
- Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
- Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)
- Revenue Growth Rate
Pipeline Metrics:
- Sales Pipeline Value
- Win Rate
- Average Deal Size
- Sales Cycle Length
Activity Metrics:
- Calls/Emails per Rep
- Demos Scheduled
- Proposals Sent
- Close Rate
```
### Marketing KPIs
```yaml
Acquisition:
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- Lead Volume
- Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)
Engagement:
- Website Traffic
- Conversion Rate
- Email Open/Click Rate
- Social Engagement
ROI:
- Marketing ROI
- C