The existing dashboard functionality from SugarCRM versions 6.x has been enhanced in version 7.0 by expanding dashboards throughout the system and introducing new dashlets. Dashboards are now available not only on the homepage but also at module and record levels. Different dashlet tools exist at each level as appropriate, and many dashlets are context sensitive, showing data in different ways at each level.

New dashlets enable additional ways to analyze information from your CRM database. For example, the new Top 10 Sales Opportunities dashlet uses a bubble chart to display information in multiple dimensions, with the ability to sort by timeframe, probability, amount of the opportunities, and either sales stage or user.

Many of the dashlets have also been enhanced with toggle switches and/or dropdowns to make them more flexible and capable of displaying differing groups of information. For example, the Pipeline dashlet displayed below includes a dropdown list of time periods so that you can view your pipeline for past or future periods, as well as the current period, making it easier to compare and contrast your performance over time. This dashlet, like many others, also includes a toggle switch between displaying only information assigned to the logged in user (one person icon), or all information accessible to the user through team memberships (group of people icon).

The new Planned Activities and History dashlets (replacing the Activities and History subpanels) not only have toggle switches and categories for the different types of activities, they also include a + (plus) icon for adding new activity records.

Some of the new dashlets are only available for record-level dashboards. For example, on the Accounts dashboard, you can use Opportunity Metrics and Case Summary charts to quickly analyze data about related opportunities and cases before making a call.

You can continue to promote any custom report with a chart to any dashboard, as well as create list dashlets and web dashlets with embedded websites.

At each level, users can create multiple dashboards as needed, by clicking the create button. Dashboards on the home page can use one, two, or three columns in their layouts, while dashboards on list and record views display in a single column along the right-hand side of the page. You can continue to drag and drop to rearrange dashlets on your page. Click the gear icon on a dashlet to change the settings for that dashlet as needed.

Watch for additional posts in our series on What’s New in SugarCRM Version 7 or subscribe to our blog to get our new posts delivered to you.