Create an Automotive Reporting Dashboard with No-Code

Creating an automotive reporting dashboard doesn’t have to be a complex, time-consuming process. With the rise of no-code platforms, even those without technical expertise can build a powerful, customized dashboard that delivers actionable insights. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to create an automotive reporting dashboard using Knack’s no-code platform.

Key Takeaways

1. An automotive reporting dashboard is a visual tool that consolidates and displays key data metrics related to automotive operations in a centralized, real-time interface.
2. An automotive reporting dashboard should track metrics such as inventory levels, sales performance, profit margins, labor productivity, technician efficiency, and service part availability to provide a comprehensive view of the business’s operational and financial health.
3. No-code platforms allow users to create custom automotive reporting dashboards using pre-built components and drag-and-drop elements rather than writing code.

What is an Automotive Reporting Dashboard?

An automotive reporting dashboard is a visual tool that consolidates key data and metrics related to automotive operations, such as sales performance, inventory levels, service department efficiency, and customer satisfaction. These dashboards provide a centralized, real-time view of critical information, allowing users to easily monitor trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. They often include various visual elements like charts, graphs, and tables to simplify complex data and make it more accessible.

Automotive reporting dashboards are typically used by dealership managers, sales teams, service department heads, and executives in the automotive industry. They are essential for streamlining operations, enhancing decision-making, and improving overall business performance. By offering quick insights into various aspects of the business, these dashboards help users stay informed, react promptly to changes, and align their strategies with market demands.

What Should Go in an Automotive Reporting Dashboard?

Automotive reporting dashboards are only as effective as the data they track. Your dashboard should include the following three elements:

Centralized View of Performance

A centralized view of performance provides decision-makers with a high-level snapshot of the business’s most critical metrics. This includes essential figures like profit, gross margin, overall sales, and labor margin, which collectively offer a comprehensive understanding of the company’s financial health and operational efficiency. This streamlined access to vital data ensures that leaders can make informed, timely decisions that drive growth and optimize performance across all areas of an automotive operation.

Technician Efficiency

Understanding technician efficiency is paramount for driving the best performance in an automotive service center. An effective automotive reporting dashboard should highlight key performance indicators (KPIs) like labor margin and productivity, average repair time, technician utilization rates, and first-time fix rates. By monitoring these metrics, service center managers can identify areas where technicians excel and where improvements are needed, ultimately ensuring that the service center delivers both high-quality service and strong financial returns.

Inventory Management

Monitoring inventory levels of vehicles, service parts, and quantities is essential for optimizing the operations of dealerships and service centers. An automotive reporting dashboard should provide a clear view of current inventory, including the number of vehicles in stock, the availability of critical service parts, and the quantities of each item. This visibility helps managers anticipate demand, avoid overstocking or understocking, and make informed decisions about ordering and sales strategies, improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

How to Create an Automotive Reporting Dashboard With Knack (No-Code)

Knack is a powerful no-code platform that allows businesses to build custom software applications tailored to their needs without any programming skills. Below, we’ve broken down the process for using Knack to create an automotive reporting dashboard for tracking sales at a car dealership. If you need additional guidance, check out our knowledge base and developer documentation.

1. Sign Up for Knack

If you don’t already have a Knack account, you’ll need to make one to follow this tutorial. You can sign up for Knack in 4 easy steps:

1. Visit knack.com
2. Click the “Start Building for Free” button in the top right corner.
3. Enter your email address and create a password.
4. Click “Create Account.”

2. Use the Inventory Manager Template

We recommend that you start from the Inventory Management Template when you register. This will create a customizable data model that is very similar to your needs. This includes part and product numbers, starting inventory amounts, prices, and more. Here’s how to get started:

1. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll be automatically redirected to the app builder. In the section labeled “Create a New App,” click the “Inventory Manager” template option.

2. In the top left corner, click on “Inventory Manager (2023 Edition Template)” to change the name of your automotive reporting dashboard to something more relevant to your business. As a reminder, the automotive reporting dashboard we’re building in this guide is for tracking sales.

3. Adjust Your Tables

Now that you have your template set up, it’s time to customize it. You can do this by editing or creating tables using the menu on the left side of the app builder. For example:

1. Select the dropdown arrow next to the table titled “Products.”
2. Click “Settings.”
3. Change the title of the table to “Vehicle.”
4. Within that table, there are individual fields in which more vehicle information will be entered. Customize these fields to fit your needs using the three dots to the right of the field name. For instance, you could change the “Part Number” field to “VIN Number.”

If you want to add a new table rather than edit an existing one, click the purple + button in the Tables menu on the left side of the app builder. You can then choose whether you want to import data from a CSV or Excel file, build from scratch, or choose from a catalog of pre-built tables. 

Repeat the steps above until you have customized every table and field to your specific needs.

4. Include Other Users

For this automotive reporting dashboard to be as effective as possible, you’ll need to add users so individual team members can access, input, and track data relevant to their roles. Here’s how:

1. In the menu on the left side of the app builder, click the purple + next to “User Roles.”
2. Name your user role something relevant, such as “Sales Team” or “Admin.”
3. Click “Add User Role.”
4. Customize the fields using the three dots next to their titles to fit your needs.
5. Repeat until all necessary user roles have been added.

5. Start Tracking Sales

To start tracking sales, you’ll need to create a page that allows individual team members to report closed sales. Follow these steps:

1. From the menu on the left side of the app builder, click “Pages.”
2. Click the purple + button next to “All Pages” in the menu on the left-hand side.
3. Choose whether you want the page to be public (accessible to anyone with the URL) or require a login. For security purposes, it may be best to require a login.

4. Decide whether you want all users to have access to this page. Because individual managers and salespeople will be using this page to report sales, it may be best to allow all users to have access.
5. Name the page something relevant, like “Sales Tracking.” Click “Add Page.”

6. Next, you’re going to add a view to this page. Views are how your data is accessed and displayed on a page. For this purpose, choose the “Form” view from the menu on the left side of the app builder.

7. Choose which table you want the form to link to.

8. Under the “Add Inputs” section, adjust the fields to match your needs. For example, you might want fields for information like whose sale is being reported, what vehicle was sold, when it was sold, and the total sale amount.

6. Create a Reporting View

Once you’ve finished doing that and your team has begun marking inventory as sold, you can create another view that helps you create visual representations of the data. All you have to do is add a new page, choose your report view (bar chart, pie chart, line chart, area chart, or pivot table), and choose which records you want the view to display. You may choose to include information like:

1. Which make of vehicles is selling the most.
2. How many vehicles were sold in a given week or time period?
3. Total inventory dollar amount sold in a given week or period.

Get Started with Knack

Building an automotive reporting dashboard with no-code tools like Knack empowers businesses to create a customized, comprehensive solution that meets their unique operational needs. The simplicity and flexibility of no-code platforms make creating and maintaining an effective dashboard accessible to everyone.

Ready to experience the power of a no-code automotive reporting dashboard firsthand? Sign up with Knack and start building for free today!