Question 1

What is the management feature of a dashboard?
A) operational data that identify what actions to take to resolve a problem
B) summarized dimensional data to analyze the root cause of problems
C) summarized dimensional data to monitor key performance metrics
D) graphical, abstracted data to monitor key performance metrics

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the management feature of a...

Question 2

Which type of visualization tool can be very helpful when the intention is to show relative proportions of dollars per department allocated by a university administration?
A) heat map
B) bullet
C) pie chart
D) bubble chart

Accepted Answer

A pie chart would be the best choice as it allows for an easy visualization of relative proportions through the use of different sized sections of a circle representing each department's allocated dollars.

Question 3

What is the fundamental challenge of dashboard design?
A) ensuring that users across the organization have access to it
B) ensuring that the organization has the appropriate hardware onsite to support it
C) ensuring that the organization has access to the latest web browsers
D) ensuring that the required information is shown clearly on a single screen

Accepted Answer

The fundamental challenge of dashboard design is to ensure that the required information is shown clearly on a single screen. The purpose of a dashboard is to provide a visual representation of data that is easy to understand and interpret at a glance. Therefore, it is essential to design the dashboard in a way that presents the most important information clearly and concisely. The other options mentioned are important considerations, but they do not address the primary challenge of dashboard design.

Question 4

Which type of question does visual analytics seeks to answer?
A) Why did it happen?
B) What happened yesterday?
C) What is happening today?
D) When did it happen?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which type of question does visual analytics...

Question 5

Which of the following is LEAST related to data/information visualization?
A) information graphics
B) scientific visualization
C) statistical graphics
D) graphic artwork

Accepted Answer

Graphic artwork, while encompassing elements of design and visual communication, is not directly related to the communication of data or information. The other choices all involve displaying data in various visual formats.

Question 6

When you tell a story in a presentation, all of the following are true EXCEPT
A) a story should make sense and order out of a lot of background noise.
B) a well-told story should have no need for subsequent discussion.
C) stories and their lessons should be easy to remember.
D) the outcome and reasons for it should be clear at the end of your story.

Accepted Answer

A well-told story should actually prompt discussion and thought among the audience, rather than being the end of the conversation.

Question 7

Which kind of chart is described as an enhanced variant of a scatter plot?
A) heat map
B) bullet
C) pie chart
D) bubble chart

Accepted Answer

A bubble chart is an enhanced variant of a scatter plot that uses size and color to represent a third variable. The size of each bubble represents the value of the third variable, while the color can be used to represent additional variables. This makes the bubble chart a more effective visualization tool than a simple scatter plot.

Question 8

The Internet emerged as a new medium for visualization and brought all the following EXCEPT
A) worldwide digital distribution of visualization.
B) immersive environments for consuming data.
C) new forms of computation of business logic.
D) new graphics displays through PC displays.

Accepted Answer

The Internet brought worldwide digital distribution of visualization (A), immersive environments for consuming data (B), and new graphics displays through PC displays (D). However, new forms of computation of business logic (C) are not directly related to the emergence of the Internet as a new medium for visualization.

Question 9

Contextual metadata for a dashboard includes all the following EXCEPT
A) whether any high-value transactions that would skew the overall trends were rejected as a part of the loading process.
B) which operating system is running the dashboard server software.
C) whether the dashboard is presenting "fresh" or "stale" information.
D) when the data warehouse was last refreshed.

Accepted Answer

The contextual metadata for a dashboard should provide information that is relevant to the data being presented, such as data freshness, data warehouse refresh times, and any rejected transactions. However, the operating system running the dashboard server software is not relevant to the data being presented and would not be considered contextual metadata.

Question 10

Benefits of the latest visual analytics tools, such as SAS Visual Analytics, include all of the following EXCEPT
A) mobile platforms such as the iPhone are supported by these products.
B) it is easier to spot useful patterns and trends in the data.
C) they explore massive amounts of data in hours, not days.
D) there is less demand on IT departments for reports.

Accepted Answer

Visual analytics tools are designed to handle large volumes of data efficiently, but claiming they can explore "massive amounts of data in hours, not days" might overstate their capabilities without specifying the context or the complexity of the data analysis tasks. While they significantly speed up data analysis processes, the actual time can vary widely depending on the specific use case, the amount of data, and the computational resources available.

Question 11

All of the following statements about balanced scorecards and dashboards are true EXCEPT
A) scorecards are less preferred at operational and tactical levels.
B) dashboards would be the preferred choice to monitor production quality.
C) scorecards are best for real-time tracking of a marketing campaign.
D) scorecards are preferred for tracking the achievement of strategic goals.

Accepted Answer

Scorecards are not the best tool for real-time tracking of a marketing campaign. Dashboards would be a better choice for this purpose. The other statements are true. Scorecards are preferred for tracking the achievement of strategic goals and may not be as useful at operational and tactical levels, while dashboards are often used to monitor production quality.

Question 12

For those executives who do not have the time to go through lengthy reports, the best alternative is the
A) last page of the report.
B) raw data that informed the report.
C) executive summary.
D) charts in the report.

Accepted Answer

The executive summary is a concise overview of the key information, findings, and recommendations presented in a report. It is specifically designed for busy executives who may not have the time to read through the entire report. The executive summary provides a quick and easy way to understand the main points of the report without having to delve into the details.

Question 13

Which component of a reporting system contains steps detailing how recorded transactions are converted into metrics, scorecards, and dashboards?
A) data supply
B) business logic
C) extract, transform and load
D) assurance

Accepted Answer

The component that contains steps detailing how recorded transactions are converted into metrics, scorecards, and dashboards is the business logic. This component defines how data is organized, processed and presented as insights. The data supply component provides the necessary data sources, the extract, transform and load component ensures that data is prepared and transformed for analysis, and the assurance component validates data quality and accuracy.

Question 14

Why is a performance management system superior to a performance measurement system?
A) because performance measurement systems are only in their infancy
B) because measurement automatically leads to problem solution
C) because performance management systems cost more
D) because measurement alone has little use without action

Accepted Answer

While measurement is important for tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement, it is ultimately action that leads to meaningful change and improvement. A performance management system goes beyond just measuring performance, but also involves setting goals, providing feedback, coaching and development, and taking action to improve performance. Therefore, a performance management system is superior to a performance measurement system as it encompasses all of these elements for driving improvement.

Question 15

Which type of visualization tool can be very helpful when a data set contains location data?
A) bar chart
B) geographic map
C) highlight table
D) tree map

Accepted Answer

A geographic map is the best choice when a data set contains location data as it can present the data in a visual and interactive way that highlights location-based patterns, trends, and insights. It can be used to show the distribution of data across regions or countries, display regional disparities, and reveal spatial relationships and dependencies between data points. This type of visualization tool is especially useful for mapping customer locations, sales territories, supply chain networks, and real-time tracking data.

Question 16

Kaplan and Norton developed a report that presents an integrated view of success in the organization called
A) metric management reports.
B) balanced scorecard-type reports.
C) dashboard-type reports.
D) visual reports.

Accepted Answer

Kaplan and Norton developed the Balanced Scorecard, which presents an integrated view of success in the organization. It is a type of report that balances financial and non-financial measures to evaluate the organization's performance.

Question 17

All of the following are true about external reports between businesses and the government EXCEPT
A) they can include tax and compliance reporting.
B) they can be filed nationally or internationally.
C) they are standardized for the most part to reduce the regulatory burden.
D) their primary focus is government.

Accepted Answer

The statement "their primary focus is government" is false. While external reports between businesses and government do primarily involve reporting to the government (e.g. tax reporting, compliance reporting), their focus is not exclusively on the government. They may also include reporting to other regulatory bodies or industry organizations.

Question 18

What is Six Sigma?
A) a letter in the Greek alphabet that statisticians use to measure process variability
B) a methodology aimed at reducing the number of defects in a business process
C) a methodology aimed at reducing the amount of variability in a business process
D) a methodology aimed at measuring the amount of variability in a business process

Accepted Answer

Six Sigma is a methodology developed by Motorola in the 1980s aimed at reducing the number of defects in a business process. It involves using statistical tools and techniques to identify and eliminate sources of variation in a process, ultimately leading to improved quality, customer satisfaction, and profitability. The name "Six Sigma" comes from the statistical concept of measuring process capability, where six sigma represents a level of performance that is 99.99966% defect-free.

Question 19

Dashboards can be presented at all the following levels EXCEPT
A) the visual dashboard level.
B) the static report level.
C) the visual cube level.
D) the self-service cube level.

Accepted Answer

Dashboards are typically presented at the visual dashboard level for interactive data visualization, at the static report level for fixed data presentations, and at the self-service cube level for user-driven data exploration. The term "visual cube level" is not a standard term for dashboard presentation, making it the correct choice for an exception.

Question 20

Why is the customer perspective important in the balanced scorecard methodology?
A) because dissatisfied customers will eventually hurt the bottom line
B) because customers should always be included in any design methodology
C) because customers understand best how the firm's internal processes should work
D) because companies need customer input into the design of the balanced scorecard

Accepted Answer

The customer perspective is important in the balanced scorecard methodology because dissatisfied customers can eventually hurt the bottom line. Including the customer perspective helps organizations ensure that they are meeting customer needs and expectations, which is essential for long-term success.

Quiz 4: Business Reporting, Visual Analytics, and Business Performance Management

What is the management feature of a dashboard?

Which type of visualization tool can be very helpful when the intention is to show relative proportions of dollars per department allocated by a university administration?

What is the fundamental challenge of dashboard design?

Which type of question does visual analytics seeks to answer?

Which of the following is LEAST related to data/information visualization?

When you tell a story in a presentation, all of the following are true EXCEPT

Which kind of chart is described as an enhanced variant of a scatter plot?

The Internet emerged as a new medium for visualization and brought all the following EXCEPT

Contextual metadata for a dashboard includes all the following EXCEPT

Benefits of the latest visual analytics tools, such as SAS Visual Analytics, include all of the following EXCEPT

All of the following statements about balanced scorecards and dashboards are true EXCEPT

For those executives who do not have the time to go through lengthy reports, the best alternative is the

Which component of a reporting system contains steps detailing how recorded transactions are converted into metrics, scorecards, and dashboards?

Why is a performance management system superior to a performance measurement system?

Which type of visualization tool can be very helpful when a data set contains location data?

Kaplan and Norton developed a report that presents an integrated view of success in the organization called

All of the following are true about external reports between businesses and the government EXCEPT

What is Six Sigma?

Dashboards can be presented at all the following levels EXCEPT

Why is the customer perspective important in the balanced scorecard methodology?