Key takeaways
- Start from decisions.
- Keep a small core set of metrics.
- Document sources and definitions.
- Pair metrics with actions and owners.
Start with decisions
List the decisions the dashboard should support: what to reorder, which listings to fix, where to adjust advertising, which products to promote. Choose metrics that inform those decisions and drop the rest.
Choose a small set of metrics
A useful core set covers sales, sessions, conversion, advertising spend and ratios, inventory cover, returns and account health. Add profitability inputs where you have the cost data. Keep the main view to what fits on one screen.
Pick reliable data sources
Use Amazon's reports and APIs where available and combine them with your own cost and inventory data. Document where each figure comes from and how often it is refreshed.
- Sales and traffic from business reports
- Advertising from the ads console
- Inventory from inventory reports
- Costs from your accounting data
Design for readability
Use clear labels, consistent units and simple charts. Show comparisons with the previous period and targets. Highlight exceptions, such as products with low stock or unusual spikes, so people see them at once.
Set refresh cadence
Daily views for operations, weekly for performance and monthly for strategy. Make sure everyone knows when data is updated, and that late data is flagged.
Include definitions
Add a page of definitions and data sources so everyone interprets figures in the same way. Note limitations such as attribution windows and delays.
Link to action
Add a section for actions and owners next to the metrics. Each review should end with decisions recorded.
A worked example
A team replaces a large spreadsheet with a one-page weekly dashboard showing sales, conversion, advertising ratios, stock cover and exceptions, with a short commentary. Meetings become shorter and decisions faster.
Dashboard checklist
Purpose defined, metrics limited, sources documented, comparisons included, exceptions highlighted, definitions available, owner named and review scheduled.
Questions to ask before building
Who will use it? What decisions will it inform? How often? What data do we have and trust? Who maintains it? Start simple, test with users and improve.
Keeping the dashboard alive
Dashboards decay if no one owns them. Assign a maintainer, schedule a quarterly review of metrics and definitions and retire anything that no longer informs a decision. Collect feedback from the people who use it, and make small improvements regularly.
Track whether the dashboard is actually used, for instance by asking at each review which numbers led to a decision. If a section is never used, remove it and keep the page focused.
Your next three steps
Keep the first version small and useful.
- List the five decisions the dashboard must support.
- Choose one metric per decision and document its source.
- Test it with real users for a month and cut anything unused.
Key terms
A few terms used above, in plain language.
- Metric: a measured number such as conversion.
- Data source: where each number comes from.
- Exception reporting: highlighting only what is unusual.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a spreadsheet or software?
Either can work. Choose what your team will maintain and trust.
How many metrics should I include?
As few as support your decisions, often a dozen or fewer on the main view.
This guide is general information. Amazon's fees, policies and program rules change and vary by marketplace, so confirm current details in Seller Central and, for tax or legal questions, with a qualified adviser.