Create a user dashboard

Can I do this task?

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Workplace. Then, under My Work, click Dashboards.
2. In the Dashboard Management group, click New.

   Dashboard Layouts opens.

3. Select a layout as a starting point to design your dashboard. More information: Select dashboard layouts

   The right pane shows the appearance of the new dashboard based on the layout selected in the left pane.

4. Click Create.

   The dashboard designer opens with empty columns based on your layout selection.

5. In the Name box, type a descriptive and useful name for your dashboard.
6. Add different components that you want to be displayed on your dashboard:
   • Chart
     1. In the Insert group, click Chart.

        - OR -

        In an empty component area, click the Chart button .

     2. In the Component Designer dialog box, specify the following information:
        • Record Type. Click the record type to use for the chart that you want to add to the dashboard.
        • View. Click the view to use for the data in the chart. The View drop-down box has the associated views for the chosen record type.
        • Chart. Click the type of chart that you want to insert. The Chart drop-down box has the associated charts for the chosen record type.

        The chart preview changes based on your choice of the record type, view, and chart.

     3. Click OK.

        Note

        You can add only system charts in a system dashboard. A user dashboard can contain system charts and user charts.

   • List
     1. In the Insert group, click List.

        - OR -

        In the empty component area, and click the List button .

     2. In the Component Designer dialog box, specify the following information:
        • Record Type. Click the record type for the list that you want to add to the dashboard.
        • View. Click a view to use for the data for the list. Only views that are associated to the selected record type are in the View drop-down box.
     3. Click OK.
   • IFrame
     1. In the Insert group, click IFrame.

        - OR -

        In the empty component area, click the IFrame button .

     2. In Add an IFRAME, enter the following information:
        • Name. Type a unique name for the IFrame. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters and the underscore character.
        • URL. Type the full URL for the IFrame. You may select the check box. More information: Passing Parameters to an IFRAME (Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK)
        • Label. Specify a label for the IFrame.

          To display this label on the form, select the Display label on the form check box.

        • Visibility. Select the Visible by default check box if you want the IFrame to be visible in the Web application and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook reading pane.

          Caution

        Applications can interact with each other through an IFrame. The Restrict cross-frame scripting check box is selected by default for security purposes. When the check box is selected, it blocks running scripts in the IFrame.

        More information: Add or edit a form IFRAME.

        Note

        If you are using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 for Outlook, some URLs added by using an IFrame may show script errors during dashboard loading. These script errors may also obstruct the charts from loading. However in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 for Outlook, you can limit the script errors by selecting the Restrict cross-frame scripting check box.

     3. Click OK.
   • Web resource
     1. In the Insert group, click Web Resource.

        - OR -

        In the empty component area, click the Web Resource button .

     2. In Add Web Resource, specify the following information:
        • Web Resource. Click the Lookup button , and then in the Look Up Record dialog box, select the Web resource that you want to add to the dashboard, and then click OK.

          Note

          In a dashboard, you can only add Web resources of the following types: HTML, Silverlight, PNG, GIF, JPEG, ICO.

        • Name. Type a unique name for the Web resource. The name can only contain alphanumeric characters and the underscore character.
        • Label. Type a label for the Web resource. To display this label on the form, select the Display label on the form check box.
        • Visibility. Select the Visible by default check box if you want the Web resource to be visible in the Web application and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM for Outlook reading pane.
        • If you want to provide the target application with information about the context of the Web resource, select the Pass record object-type code and unique identifier as parameters check box. More information: Passing Parameters to an IFRAME (Microsoft Dynamics CRM SDK).

        For more information about adding a Web resource, see Add or edit a form Web resource.

     3. Click OK.

     For more information about arranging the components, see Manage dashboard components.

7. To change the dashboard properties, in the Action group, click Dashboard Properties. Type the name and description for the dashboard, and then click OK.
8. To make changes to a component that you have added to the dashboard designer, select the component, and in the Action group, click Edit Component. Verify the details or make changes, as required.

   For an IFrame, see information about editing an IFrame.

   For a web resource, see information about editing a web resource.

   For a chart or list component, Sub-Grid Properties opens.

   For more information about editing a chart or list component, click:

   • Edit a chart component.

     Verify or change the details, as required:

     1. Name. This is the name of the chart.
     2. Label. This is what displays on the chart component header.
     3. Display label on the Dashboard. Select this check box if you want the label to display on the chart component header.
     4. Entity. Click the entity for the chart.
     5. Default View. Click the view that will be used to retrieve the data for the chart.
     6. Display Chart Selection. Select this check box if you want the option to select different charts from the dashboard.
   • Edit a list component.

     Verify or change the information:

     1. Name. Name of the chart.
     2. Entity. Entity for which you want to insert a list.
     3. Default View. View that is used to retrieve the data in the list.
     4. Display Search Box. Select this check box if you want a search box to be available with the list. This lets you search for records in the list.
     5. Display Index. Select this check box if you want the alphabetical index to be available with the list. This lets you jump to records starting with a particular letter or number.
     6. Display View Selection. Select this check box if you want to be able to select a different view for the list.
9. Click Save.

Note

To edit a user dashboard, in the Dashboard list, click the dashboard that you want to edit, and in the Dashboard Management group, click Edit. To edit a system dashboard, navigate to the Customization area, and click the Customize the System. Under Components, click Dashboards, and open the dashboard.