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Dashboards

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How to build a custom project management dashboard
Project Management 10 min read

How to build a custom project management dashboard

When you’re working on complex projects, you need a project dashboard system that blows basic methods like spreadsheets and shared documents out of the water.

A Comparative Review of Top Business Dashboard Software in 2023
Project Management 7 min read

A Comparative Review of Top Business Dashboard Software in 2023

Staying ahead of the competition requires effective data management and visualization tools, and business dashboard software has emerged as a crucial solution for organizations seeking real-time insights and streamlined decision-making. This article provides a comprehensive review of business dashboard software, highlighting its key features and user experiences. Understanding Business Dashboard Software Business dashboard software is a tool that allows companies to monitor and analyze various business metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) in a visual format, and it plays a huge role in enhancing decision-making processes within an organization. By consolidating data from multiple sources and presenting it in a visually appealing manner, these dashboards allow executives and managers to effectively flag bottlenecks, trends, and potential areas for improvement. Essentially, business dashboard software has become an indispensable asset for companies across industries. Whether it's a small startup or a multinational corporation, having access to real-time data and visual representations of performance metrics is crucial for making informed decisions. Gone are the days of relying solely on spreadsheets and manual data analysis. With the advent of dashboard software, executives and managers can now have a comprehensive overview of their organization's health and take proactive measures to drive growth and success. Key Features of Effective Dashboard Software When evaluating dashboard software, it is essential to consider the key features that contribute to its effectiveness. Firstly, customization options allow businesses to tailor the dashboard to their specific needs and preferences, from choosing the layout and color scheme to selecting the data sources and metrics to display. Integration capabilities let companies seamlessly integrate with existing systems such as CRM software, ERP systems, and marketing analytics tools, thereby eliminating the need for manual data manipulation.  Real-time data processing  gives way to tracking website traffic, monitoring social media engagement, or analyzing sales trends in the moment. Unlike traditional reporting methods, which involve time-consuming data extraction and analysis, real-time data processing lets you make decisions faster. Lastly, robust security and compliance features are paramount when it comes to dashboard software. In an era where data breaches and privacy concerns are on the rise, businesses must prioritize the protection of sensitive information. Effective dashboard software should offer advanced security measures, such as data encryption, user authentication, and role-based access controls. Compliance with industry regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, is also crucial for organizations operating in specific sectors. Criteria for Evaluating Business Dashboard Software Here are several criterion to keep in mind when searching for the right business dashboard software for your company. They include user-friendliness and customizability, integration capabilities, real-time data processing, and security and compliance features. User-Friendliness and Customizability An intuitive dashboard interface can greatly enhance user experience. The ability to easily customize the dashboard layout, widgets, and visualizations allows users to optimize their workflows and focus on the specific KPIs that matter most to their roles. Look for tools that provide drag-and-drop functionality, pre-built templates, and easy data filtering options. For example, a marketing manager can customize their dashboard to display key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, and social media engagement. They can arrange these metrics in a way that is visually appealing and easy to understand, so that they have a clear view of their marketing performance at a glance. Additionally, they can choose from a variety of visualization options, such as charts, graphs, and heatmaps, to present their data in the most impactful way. Integration Capabilities Efficient data integration is a key aspect of effective dashboard software, because they offer seamless integration with a wide range of data sources such as databases, spreadsheets, cloud storage, and third-party applications. By connecting these disparate data sources, organizations can have real-time access to all relevant data in one centralized dashboard, eliminating the need for manual data aggregation and reducing the potential for data discrepancies. For instance, a sales team can integrate their CRM system with the dashboard software to automatically pull in data on leads, opportunities, and closed deals. This integration enables the team to track their sales performance in real-time and identify areas for improvement. They can also combine this sales data with marketing data, such as campaign performance and lead generation metrics, to gain a holistic view of their revenue generation efforts. Real-Time Data Processing In today's fast-paced business environment, real-time data processing is crucial for informed decision-making, as they provide real-time or near real-time updates of data visualizations. This capability empowers users to monitor performance, track trends, and react promptly to sudden changes or anomalies. It also ensures that the data displayed on the dashboard is accurate and up to date, fostering trust and confidence in the decision-making process. Consider a supply chain manager who needs to monitor inventory levels across multiple warehouses. With real-time data processing, they can view the current stock levels, track incoming shipments, and identify any potential stockouts or overstock situations. This real-time visibility allows them to make proactive decisions, such as adjusting production schedules or placing urgent orders, to optimize the supply chain and meet customer demands. Security and Compliance Features Data security is a top concern for businesses of all sizes, as you want to prioritize robust security measures to protect sensitive information via data encryption, access controls, user authentication, and secure hosting options. Furthermore, compliance features such as HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance are essential for businesses operating in regulated industries or handling personally identifiable information (PII). For example, a healthcare organization that deals with patient data must ensure that their dashboard software complies with HIPAA regulations. This means that the software should have strong encryption protocols to protect patient information, strict access controls to limit data access to authorized personnel only, and regular security audits to identify and address any vulnerabilities. By prioritizing security and compliance features, businesses can mitigate the risk of data breaches and maintain the trust of their customers. Ultimately, understanding the role of dashboard software in businesses is crucial for unlocking the power of data-driven decision-making.  Learn about the importance of using business dashboard software in 2023 with a comprehensive free trial of Wrike. Start a free trial to experience our versatile business dashboards firsthand. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

A Closer Look at Dashboard Templates: Effective Tools for Data Analysis
Project Management 10 min read

A Closer Look at Dashboard Templates: Effective Tools for Data Analysis

The ability to analyze and interpret large amounts of data is crucial for making informed decisions. Dashboard templates have emerged as powerful tools that enable organizations to visualize and understand complex data sets effectively. This article explores the various aspects of dashboard templates, from their definition to their customization options. By the end, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how these templates can enhance your data analysis capabilities. Understanding Dashboard Templates Dashboard templates are pre-designed frameworks that provide a visual representation of data. They are essentially a collection of data visualization components, such as charts, graphs, tables, and gauges, that are organized in a visually appealing and user-friendly manner. They enable users to quickly grasp the overall performance of their business or analyze specific aspects of their data. These templates are flexible and adaptable, allowing users to customize them according to their specific requirements. When it comes to data visualization, dashboard templates offer a wide range of options to choose from. Users can select the most suitable charts or graphs to represent their data accurately and effectively. Whether it's a line chart to show the trend over time, a bar graph to compare different categories, or a pie chart to illustrate proportions, dashboard templates provide the necessary tools for visualizing data in a meaningful way. The Importance of Dashboard Templates in Data Analysis One of the key advantages of using dashboard templates in data analysis is the ability to customize and personalize the visualizations. Users can choose different color schemes, fonts, and layouts to match their brand identity or personal preferences. This level of customization not only adds a touch of uniqueness to the dashboards but also helps in creating a more engaging and visually appealing user experience. Moreover, dashboard templates often come with interactive features that allow users to drill down into the data for deeper insights. By clicking on specific data points or filtering the data based on certain criteria, users can uncover hidden patterns or relationships that may not be apparent at first glance. This interactivity enhances the analytical capabilities of the templates and empowers users to extract valuable insights from their data. The Anatomy of a Dashboard Template When it comes to a dashboard template, there is more than meets the eye. While it may seem like a simple collection of charts and graphs, there is a whole world of functionality and design that goes into creating a truly effective dashboard. Let's dive deeper into the key components that make up a dashboard template. Key Components of a Dashboard Template A dashboard template typically includes the following components: Charts and Graphs: Visual representations of data that allow for quick comprehension and analysis make it easier to identify trends and patterns.. These can range from simple bar charts to complex heatmaps, depending on the type of data being presented.  Key Metrics: Summarized information that provides insights into the overall performance of the business via key performance indicators (KPIs), such as revenue, customer satisfaction, or website traffic. The goal is to quickly assess the health of the business and make data-driven decisions. Filters and Parameters: Tools that enable users to manipulate and explore data based on specific criteria allow for drilling down into the data and extracting valuable insights. For example, users can filter data by date range, region, or product category to focus on specific segments of the business. Data Tables: Detailed displays of quantitative information that support in-depth analysis lets users perform complex calculations, compare different data points, and identify outliers. While charts and graphs provide a visual representation of the data, data tables offer a more granular view, via data, calculated metrics, or even aggregated data. Alerts and Notifications: Features that highlight significant changes or events in the data keep users aware of importance shifts in the data. These alerts and notifications can be triggered by predefined thresholds or specific conditions. For example, if the revenue drops below a certain threshold or if there is a sudden increase in customer complaints, the dashboard template can send an alert to the user.  How Dashboard Templates are Structured Dashboard templates are structured in a way that optimizes data presentation and user experience. They often incorporate features such as: Organized Layouts: Clear and logical arrangement of components facilitate navigation. A well-designed dashboard template will have a clean and organized layout, with components placed strategically to guide the user's attention.   Intuitive Navigation: Easy-to-use menus and interactive elements will allow users to explore different aspects of the data. A dashboard template should provide intuitive navigation options, such as dropdown menus, tabs, or clickable icons, for a seamless user experience. Responsive Design: Templates that adapt to different screen sizes and devices make for a consistent user experience. The template should automatically adjust its layout and design based on the device being used. Whether it's a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, a responsive dashboard template will provide an optimal viewing experience for all. Types of Dashboard Templates Dashboard templates can be categorized into three main types based on their purpose and functionality: operational, analytical, and strategic. Operational Dashboard Templates Operational dashboard templates focus on monitoring the day-to-day operations of a business. They provide real-time updates and visualizations of key performance indicators (KPIs) related to operational efficiency and productivity. These templates enable managers and employees to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions to optimize operational processes. Its ability to provide alerts and notifications also helps with communication to the relevant stakeholders. An operational dashboard template for a manufacturing company may display real-time data on production output, machine downtime, and quality control metrics. This allows managers to quickly identify any issues in the production line and take immediate action to resolve them. The template may also include visualizations such as line charts, bar graphs, and gauges to provide a clear and intuitive representation of the data. Analytical Dashboard Templates Analytical dashboard templates are designed for in-depth data analysis. They enable users to explore data from multiple angles, perform complex calculations, and uncover insights that drive strategic decision-making. These templates often include advanced data visualization techniques and interactive features that allow users to drill down into specific data segments or apply custom filters. They also incorporate advanced statistical analysis capabilities and let users perform calculations such as regression analysis, correlation analysis, and forecasting to gain deeper insights into the data.  An analytical dashboard template for a marketing team may provide a comprehensive view of marketing campaign performance across different channels and target audience segments. It may include features like interactive maps, heat maps, and scatter plots to visualize the geographic distribution of customers and their purchasing behavior. Users can then drill down into specific regions or demographic groups to analyze the effectiveness of marketing efforts and identify opportunities for improvement. Strategic Dashboard Templates Strategic dashboard templates focus on high-level strategic planning and performance tracking. They provide a comprehensive overview of key business metrics and help stakeholders monitor progress towards strategic goals. These templates typically incorporate performance scorecards, trend analysis, and comparative reports to aid in long-term decision-making. They also let users create and share executive-level reports, enabling stakeholders to communicate the organization's performance to key stakeholders and investors. A strategic dashboard template for a financial institution may display key financial metrics such as revenue, profitability, and asset quality. It may also include performance scorecards that track the achievement of strategic objectives, such as market share growth or customer satisfaction improvement. Trend analysis features can help stakeholders identify patterns and anticipate future market trends, while comparative reports enable benchmarking against industry peers or competitors. How to Choose the Right Dashboard Template Choosing the right dashboard template is crucial for maximizing the value of your data analysis efforts. Understanding Your Data Analysis Needs Identify the specific goals and requirements of your data analysis tasks. Determine the types of data you need to analyze, the key metrics you want to track, and the level of interactivity and customization that would benefit your analysis process. Evaluating the Features of Different Dashboard Templates Research and compare the features, functionalities, and user reviews of various dashboard templates. Assess factors such as ease of use, data visualization capabilities, integration with data sources, and the availability of customization options. Choose a template that aligns with your data analysis goals and provides a user-friendly interface. Customizing Your Dashboard Template Customizing your dashboard template allows you to tailor it precisely to your data analysis needs.  Adding and Removing Data Points Easily include or exclude specific data points or metrics based on your analysis requirements. By focusing the dashboard on the most relevant information, you can reduce clutter and increase the visual impact of the data. Adjusting Visual Elements for Clarity Fine-tune the visual presentation of your dashboard by selecting appropriate color schemes, font styles, and chart types. Consider the audience and purpose of your analysis when making these adjustments to ensure clear communication of the data. By understanding the different aspects of dashboard templates, you can leverage these effective tools to enhance your data analysis capabilities. Whether you need to monitor operational performance, conduct in-depth analysis, or track strategic goals, dashboard templates provide a visual and intuitive platform for efficient data-driven decision-making. Choose the right template, customize it to your specific needs, and unlock the full potential of your data analysis efforts. Dash into the world of data analysis using Wrike's dynamic dashboard templates. Start a free trial and harness your data’s potential to drive informed business decisions. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

How to Create a Kanban Board in Wrike Using Custom Statuses & Dashboard Widgets
Project Management 5 min read

How to Create a Kanban Board in Wrike Using Custom Statuses & Dashboard Widgets

If you've ever worked with a task management tool and wanted to customize your workflow in the tool to closely resembles how your team actually works, then you know not every tool out there offers that functionality. Wrike does. Our Custom Statuses are unique features built into Wrike Enterprise that allow the creation of workflows tailor-made for your team. And when you combine them with the power of the Dashboard, you gain visibility into whatever slice of the work pie requires your focus. If you're wondering what is a dashboard in project management, it's a way to visualize your project's key deadlines, team member's workloads and tasks, for better project success. We'll teach you how to set up insightful Dashboards using Custom Workflows, starting with a refresher on Custom Statuses. What are Custom Statuses? Custom Statuses allow you to describe the unique stages of your workflow in finer detail than the Wrike default task statuses. The intended sequence in which your teammates should use your Custom Statuses builds your Custom Workflow. You can create specific workflows for every team, and assign each Custom Workflow to be the default workflow for one or multiple folders in your workspace. For example, you could build an Advertising workflow where a task's status goes from "planned" to "in process" to "peer review" to "client approval" to "published" — it all depends on your needs. How Can Dashboards Help? When you combine Custom Statuses and Dashboard Widgets, you gain instant visibility into just the right areas and processes you want to monitor with just a glance. If you notice bottlenecks often happening at the "client approval" stage, setting up a Dashboard to track these tasks gives you a chance to take action before long-term problems arise. A Sample Dashboard with Custom Statuses Here's how to create a useful Dashboard Widget using one of your Custom Statuses: Start by navigating to the Folder or Project you wish to monitor. For many people, this will be a department or team folder containing tasks you need to watch. Let's say you want to create a Dashboard for marketing department tasks with the Custom Status "Pending Approval". Get to the main Marketing Folder Click the Filters icon to open Filters in the right panel Find the Custom Workflow that contains the "Pending Approval" custom status and select only that status. Go back to the center panel and click the three-dot menu button. Select "Add to Dashboard" and choose the Dashboard where the Widget should live. Name the Widget you've just created. And you now have a Widget on your Dashboard showing all the tasks with the "Pending Approval" status! You can check it daily to see which tasks don't seem to be making progress. Note: When tasks move from the “Pending Approval" status to a different status in their workflow, they will automatically disappear from the Widget, so you know you don’t have to worry about them anymore. Create a Kanban Board With Custom Statuses You can keep adding status-specific Widgets to one Dashboard and create your own Kanban board. Use the steps above to create a new Widgets for every status in your Workflow. Then, drag-and-drop them into the correct order on your Dashboard. You can also combine multiple Custom Statuses into one Widget to track the many steps of a detailed workflow in bulk. For example, if you want to know the 4 main stages of work, one option would be to organize them like this: Widget 1, name it "TO DO": Include all your "not-yet-started" Custom Statuses (E.g. Idea, Proposed, User Stories, Planned). Widget 2, name it "DOING": Include all your active Custom Statuses (E.g. In Progress, In Design, In QA, Testing, In Review). Or separate the different stages as you see fit. Widget 3, name it "REVIEW": Include all tasks waiting for feedback from other people. Widget 4, name it "DONE": Include all your "completed" Custom Statuses (E.g. Completed, Published, Released, Done). Create whatever Widget categories make sense for you and your Kanban tool. When you change the Custom Status of a task, say from To Do into Doing, then this will correspondingly move the task across your Widgets. If you need more help setting up a Kanban board for your team, contact our Support team. More Resources: Help Page: Custom Statuses Video Tutorial: How to Create Customized Dashboard Widgets Help Page: Building Dashboard Widgets How to Create an Approval Process in Wrike Eager to Try Custom Fields and Custom Statuses? Custom Fields and Custom Statuses are available to Wrike Business and Enterprise users. If you're not on Wrike Business or Enterprise yet, start a free trial to test-drive these customization features. Have any lingering questions or need a little help? Contact our Support team.

How To Get the Best Data Visualizations for Your Project
Project Management 7 min read

How To Get the Best Data Visualizations for Your Project

Data visualization software can help you present information in an accessible way and improve your projects. Here’s how to find the right tool for your team.

Seeing Is Achieving: How Visibility Fuels Efficiency in the Workplace
Wrike Tips 7 min read

Seeing Is Achieving: How Visibility Fuels Efficiency in the Workplace

What’s the best solution for viewing all ongoing projects across a team? A central location to view & organize work. Enter: Wrike Dashboards & Reporting.

Keep Approvals Organized with Updated Filters & Dashboards
News 3 min read

Keep Approvals Organized with Updated Filters & Dashboards

How do you stay in touch with everyone regarding each review and approval process? We’ve updated our Proofing and Approvals filter collection so that you can easily find the tasks with ongoing or completed reviews and set up dedicated dashboards. It's all in the filters.

The Dashboard Helps You Meet Deadlines
News 3 min read

The Dashboard Helps You Meet Deadlines

Now you will have quick access to the tasks that are due shortly. They are displayed on the dashboard, so you can begin your work at once. The dashboard will also help with your daily review of your tasks. It lets you immediately mark them completed or reschedule them.   Check the box, if the task is done, or reschedule it for the future. Completed tasks become grey and disappear from the list in a few seconds. On the dashboard you can also find tasks that are due today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

Analytics Widgets: Actionable Progress Insights Now on Your Dashboard
News 3 min read

Analytics Widgets: Actionable Progress Insights Now on Your Dashboard

Remember Dashboard widgets — those highly customizable boxes that help you pre-define any task category and stay on top of these tasks in real time? The new handy update now allows you to make your dashboard truly graphic: meet the recently released Analytics widgets for your Dashboard! Now you can add Analytics reports to your Dashboard, giving you up-to-the-minute charts and infographics tracking project progress and overall team performance. This is extremely useful for project managers wanting to keep tabs on project performance via baseline or performance charts, and even individual team members wanting to monitor personal performance via work progress charts. How to Get Analytics Widgets: From the Analytics tab, choose the report you want to view. Click on the upper right corner of that report for the drop down option: Add to Dashboard. Go to Dashboard and view your infographic in action. 4 Kinds of Analytics Reports You Can Widgetize: Here’s an easy guide to help you understand the type of reports available. Performance Chart: shows you the ratio of planned and completed tasks and how far ahead or behind you are on that plan, based on your tasks. Especially useful for project managers. Baseline Chart: compares actual project progress to the original plan. A staple for project managers everywhere. Work Progress Chart: tracks the performance of your team members. Useful to both project managers and individual team members interested in monitoring personal progress. Tasks by Users (new!): tracks the volume of tasks for individual team members. See exactly how many active, backlogged, or overdue tasks they have on their plate in comparison to their teammates. How are these new widgets helping you be more productive? Let us know in comments!

New Enterprise Features: Create Your Project Command Center
News 3 min read

New Enterprise Features: Create Your Project Command Center

Marketers have to be master jugglers. They need to keep an eye on dozens of different tasks, instantly shifting their attention as opportunities arise and priorities change. With new projects and campaigns constantly being added to the mix, soon they're scrambling to keep everything in the air. Marketing teams need tools to help untangle the mess of tasks and timelines, coordinate multiple teams and initiatives, and fine-tune teamwork for future campaign success. Let's take a look at how the marketing team at (fictitious) company ACMEsoft masters their workflow with Wrike's latest Enterprise features. ACMEsoft’s software development team has pulled more than a few all-nighters to get their product ready in time for launch. Now, they’re passing the torch to the marketing department to prepare for the promotional push. To generate buzz around the product and company, the marketing team is planning a full-on media blitz. But with so many tasks to juggle, schedules to wrangle, and feature details to remember, they're discovering it’s only too easy for things to start spinning out of control. Create a Project Command Center Meet Sarah, the Head of Marketing at ACMEsoft. In order to get a handle on this huge marketing project, she creates a new, custom Dashboard specifically for the upcoming product launch. She includes: A Baseline Chart widget so she can check actual progress against planned deadlines. A widget based on her “Written Content” folder that includes press releases, website copy, company blog posts and social media, so key messaging is consistent and easily accessible. A widget of the "Media" folder with a full schedule of upcoming interviews and opportunities. A widget based on the software team's Product Development folder with the latest product details and release updates. Sarah then shares her project dashboard with the rest of her team. Everyone sees the same view of exactly which tasks need to be prioritized, and they can access critical information from wherever they happen to be. And since everyone can see who’s assigned to specific tasks, they'll know exactly where to go with questions to get timely answers. Customize the Workspace Now that her team has their project command center, Sarah customizes her reports page to monitor key statistics. She removes widgets she doesn’t use to get an uncluttered view of the information she actually cares about. And she adds a new chart: Tasks by Users. Now she can see each team member’s workload and productivity and can balance assignments to make sure no one’s overwhelmed or in danger of missing deadlines. Finally, Sarah spruces up her team’s workspace by adding the ACMEsoft logo. With the team spending so much time both on developing the product and on the marketing launch, she wants to remind her colleagues of the company’s incredible progress and bring that sense of pride and team identity directly into their workspace. Sarah got her team together to manage the perfect media blitz. Learn more about how Wrike's new Enterprise features can help you build your own team or project command center.

Create Multiple, Shareable Dashboards; Change the Way You View Work
News 3 min read

Create Multiple, Shareable Dashboards; Change the Way You View Work

The Dashboard is a perfect place to track the most important tasks and the latest updates in your Activity Feed. It's also a good starting point when searching for specific tasks. Today, we release a new feature for our Enterprise and Professional customers. Now you can customize multiple Dashboards exactly the way you want them and then share these dashboards with members of your team. This means you and your colleagues can align over the same project view. Enterprise workspace can hold up to 20 Shareable Dashboards while Professional users can create up to 10 Dashboards. It also means that Enterprise users can pick which custom reports they want front and center for all team members on their shared Dashboards. With this new feature, the possibilities are endless: You can run a weekly meeting off a custom "Weekly Overview" dashboard. Instead of giving each other links to separate tasks, the entire team can now share a common view of just the crucial tasks. First, create the appropriate widgets for your meeting (e.g. tasks completed this week in the Content Marketing folder, overdue tasks in the Engineering folder), embed them into a Shareable Dashboard, and give your team access. You can track multiple projects at once by creating a Dashboard of relevant widgets for each project, then you can share each Dashboard relevant stakeholders so everyone is actively tracking the key pieces.   When you share a Dashboard, your team will only see tasks that are shared with them. If you have multiple accounts, you can create widgets selecting tasks across all of your accounts. In this case, users with access to the Dashboard will only see tasks that have been shared with them. Just go to your workspace now to reveal the full power of the new Dashboards. Tell us what you think of the new Shareable Dashboards in the comments below!

New for Dashboards: Edit Custom Widgets
News 3 min read

New for Dashboards: Edit Custom Widgets

We’ve made Dashboards even more powerful by enabling you to edit custom widgets and create new ones directly from the Dashboard View.

The Dashboard Has Become More Descriptive and Convenient
News 3 min read

The Dashboard Has Become More Descriptive and Convenient

We recently improved the dashboard interface, so it allows you manage your tasks easier and faster. The dashboard displays the tasks assigned to you that are overdue or due within a week. So you can easily decide what task to tackle first, the dashboard contains the information regarding the task priority, due date or how many days it is overdue. Additionally, parent folders are shown near each task, so you can quickly get the context of the task. The dashboard allows you to manage tasks the following ways: 1) Mark the task as completed by clicking on the check box on the left of the task name. 2) Reschedule the task by clicking on the pencil icon. Once the changes are made, hit the “Save” button. 3) Delete the task by clicking the recycle bin icon on the left of the task name. 4) View other task details, such as description, attachments, etc., by clicking on the task title.

Wrike iOS App Updated with Dashboards & Starred Folders
News 3 min read

Wrike iOS App Updated with Dashboards & Starred Folders

Real-time access to your work while on the go has always been the goal of mobile work apps — it's become a necessity with organizations demanding agility and workers using their own mobile devices to get things done. Today we’re happy to announce an update to the Wrike iOS app which will assist you in staying productive from any location.

Please Welcome the New Wrike
News 5 min read

Please Welcome the New Wrike

We promised you the big news, so here it is. The last week was marked by several very special events. First, we participated in the Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco, the biggest and the most popular conference in our industry, and had fantastic success there. Second, we are proud to let you know that our news was published on Forbes.com. Yet the most important thing last week was the spectacular unveiling of Wrike’s new version, which was released in beta. The new Wrike is here, and it will redefine your project management and collaboration experience. With this new release, your favorite project management software is turned into a top-notch, e-mail-integrated, real-time project collaboration and productivity solution. We totally rethought the user interface and added several very simple, but incredibly powerful, features that will turn your team into project productivity rock stars. Here are the highlights of the newest and best ways to manage your projects via e-mail and the Web: Faster Performance, Clean and Intuitive User Interface The new Wrike is designed for speed and productivity. Every action — like creating a task or a project, assigning it to a team member, sharing project data with a team, or attaching a file — is done in a click or two. The new streamlined interface was developed based on extensive usability studies and deep analysis of Wrike users’ feedback. We want to thank all of you who shared your thoughts and ideas on how we can make Wrike a better solution. Unparalleled Personal and Team Productivity We enhanced the dashboard and turned it into a powerful, yet extremely easy to use, personal productivity tool. Upon opening the dashboard, you immediately see what you should be working on today and get real-time updates from your team members. From now on, it will be amazingly easy to coordinate the work of your team and closely follow the progress of multiple projects. Social Project Management Wrike’s new version takes the best of social networking and applies it to project management to maximize the productivity of your whole team. We introduced avatars to bring a visual experience to your team’s online interactions and emphasize the social part of your teamwork. We believe that, thanks to this feature, your project management platform becomes more engaging, which unquestionably results in growing efficiency in your project collaboration. Avatars also make your online workplace much friendlier and fun to use. Real-Time Insight into Projects The new Wrike gives you the ability to simultaneously see your tasks and projects compiled in a list and visualized on a Gantt chart for project planning. The list view provides you with the most important details about any particular task, including due dates, task duration and the people responsible for it. The Gantt chart pane visualizes all of the team’s changes to project plans in real time. The new timeline is the best way to get a 1,000-foot overview of your projects and your whole business. These are just the highlights of the changes you’ll experience in the new version. We plan to write more about each of the new features and tell you how you can use them to maximize your team’s productivity. The best news is that you are able to check the elegant new design and test-drive the cool new features right now! Simply log in to the beta and explore the new Wrike. You know that “your feedback is important” is not just a polite phrase to us. We’re building this app for thousands of our users, and every one of you has the power to make Wrike suit your needs better by sharing your opinion about the product with us.

Become a Task Organization Ninja: Watch Our Recorded Dashboard Webinar
News 3 min read

Become a Task Organization Ninja: Watch Our Recorded Dashboard Webinar

On March 25 we kicked off a series of "How-to" webinars designed to spotlight Wrike's individual features and help you become a productivity powerhouse. To start, we tackled a hot topic among Wrikers: using the Dashboard to organize tasks and personalize your virtual workspace. Your Wrike Dashboard is like the instrument panel of an airplane, giving you a comprehensive overview of your tasks. It was designed to streamline your workspace, so you can focus on what you want to get done. The Dashboard comes pre-loaded with five default widgets that are useful for all types of work habits, and taking full advantage of them boosts your productivity. On top of that, custom widgets let you decide what is the most important work to keep front and center. Our “How to Become a Task-Organization Ninja with the Dashboard” webinar uncovers the tips and tricks for making the most of both types of widgets. In the recorded webinar, Wrike-expert Joy will help you: learn the secrets of productive workspace organization, apply best practices citing case studies and research statistics, use default widgets to keep your task list organized, transparent, and accessible, create custom widgets tailored to your needs or chosen project management strategy, and follow a 5-step action plan to maximize your dashboard's usefulness. The recent webinar was a great success, attracting 1,000 attendants! Take a look at what people are saying: "I just wanted to send you a note about how great the Dashboard webinar was. My group considers me a 'power user' of Wrike, but I got a lot of really great information and new tricks that I’ve already started putting into use." — Saralyn Smith Program Manager; Brandman University "Joy used real-life scenarios to illustrate how to customize the dashboard. This translated to fitting mine to the projects I'm working on. It's already helping me quickly work through the most important issues on my plate." — Karen Jackson Project Analyst; Mercy Corps "It was an excellent presentation; very helpful. The presenter was terrific, very knowledgeable, and presented with a steady flow and reemphasized in the right places." — Lawrence P. Rugar Vice President, Corporate Risk Management; Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC If you're kicking yourself for missing out, don't worry, we've got your back. Now you can watch the webinar recording whenever you’d like. After you’ve watched the video you can download (and share!) this handy PDF guide with key takeaways. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our future how-to webinars! Possible upcoming topics include: generating custom statuses, creating project templates, and selectively sharing folders and tasks. What would you like to see covered? Leave a comment and let us know!

Dashboard Improvements
News 3 min read

Dashboard Improvements

A lot of users asked us to change the dashboard, so it shows the tasks that are due today, plus ones that are supposed to be worked on today. This was a very good idea, so we have changed the dashboard logic.   In order to finish important tasks on time, you need to proceed to them when they are scheduled. If a task will take you a week to complete, Wrike will now show it you from Monday to Friday, not just on Friday when the task is supposed to be done. So you can at least keep an eye on the task, since it is hardly possible to do a one-week task in one day.   The same changes apply to your daily “to-do” e-mails: they now show overdue tasks and tasks that are planned for today. If you do not want to see some of your tasks on the Dashboard, you can change the task's start date or split big tasks into smaller ones. Splitting tasks into sub-tasks is an excellent project management practice. It helps you schedule projects more accurately and gives you a better visibility into the progress. You can keep notes, ideas and other non-actionable items away from the dashboard. In this case, you just need to remove their start date and duration.  

Why a Project Management Dashboard Can Revolutionize Your Business
Project Management 5 min read

Why a Project Management Dashboard Can Revolutionize Your Business

Project management dashboards give you accurate, live, and insightful information when you need it the most. Find out how your company could benefit with Wrike.

Find Tasks Quickly, Right from the Dashboard
News 3 min read

Find Tasks Quickly, Right from the Dashboard

For many of you, the dashboard is the main staging ground where you track the most important tasks. And even if you prefer accessing your tasks by navigating to folders, the dashboard is still the first place you see when you log into Wrike. When things are moving fast, you need a quick access to particular task right from your starting point. And that's what this new feature brings. Now you can simply input the keywords and run a search right from the dashboard view. Wrike will then look through task and folder titles, task descriptions, even comments to present you with the closest-matching results. There are still several ways to search for a particular task in the system. You can click on the account name in your folder pane, choose "show descendants" and then search through the entire account. Or you can navigate to the precise folder where the task is located. But when you need to get to a task on the fly, searching from the dashboard is the way to go. The new feature truly brings search functionality to every corner of Wrike. And it speeds up your workflow, so you can get things done more efficiently!

Greater Visibility with New and Improved Dashboards
News 3 min read

Greater Visibility with New and Improved Dashboards

You can now use Dashboards the way you want and work faster than ever before by increasing the number of widgets you want to use on the Dashboards without worrying about whether it impacts performance.