KPI Visual, Cards and a Simple Scorecard in Power BI
A card shows one number. The KPI visual shows that number against a target with a trend. A scorecard is a short row of those, labelled, with the same units — not a wall of tables.
Friends! “Scorecard” gets used for any busy page. Why? Every number was dropped on the canvas. How? We build a FreshBasket (fictional) row: a few cards, one KPI with a target, and the direction set so a worse delivery time does not turn green. Few numbers, honest colour.
मित्रांनो! “Scorecard” कोणत्याही गजबजलेल्या पेजसाठी वापरले जाते. का? प्रत्येक संख्या कॅनव्हासवर टाकली गेली. कसे? FreshBasket ची एक रांग बनवायची: थोडी cards, एक KPI लक्ष्यसहित, आणि दिशा अशी की वाईट डिलिव्हरी वेळ हिरवा होणार नाही. थोड्या संख्या, प्रामाणिक रंग.
मित्रों! “Scorecard” किसी भी भीड़ वाले पेज के लिए बोल दिया जाता है. क्यों? हर संख्या कैनवस पर गिरा दी गई. कैसे? FreshBasket की एक कतार बनाओ: कुछ cards, एक KPI लक्ष्य के साथ, और दिशा ऐसी कि खराब डिलीवरी समय हरा न हो. थोड़ी संख्याएँ, ईमानदार रंग.
Quick answer
Vertical scorecard:
- Choose three to five measures, not thirty.
- One card each, title includes the period.
- Same display units on every card.
- KPI visual: Value, Trend axis from the Date table, Target.
- Sales: High is good. Minutes and cancel rate: Low is good.
- If the title does not say “versus what”, add the comparison.
Real example: Saturday sales and a bill you can feel
The scorecard on the wall of the FreshBasket office:
- Card "Mumbai sales, March": rows in are the Mumbai March slips, number out 1000.
- Card "Pune sales, March": 160.
- Card "Mumbai phone bill, March": 699.
- KPI visual on the phone bill: value 699, target 500, trend axis Jan–Mar. Direction Low is good, because a bigger bill is worse. The colour should not turn green when the bill jumps from 499 to 699.
- KPI on sales, if you add one: target might be 800. Direction High is good. March Mumbai 1000 beats 800.
What happens when the slicer moves to Pune: sales card becomes 160, phone-bill card becomes 399, and the bill KPI can go green because 399 is under 500. If the Mumbai 699 stays on screen, the card is ignoring the city filter.
Why this is not a table of every slip: the owner reads four numbers, then drills through if Saturday looked odd. The slips are the detail page, not the scorecard.
What do I need before this guide?
- Measures from intermediate patterns.
- Choose a chart so the scorecard is not your only visual.
- Course: Card and KPI visual.
Before and after (look at the tables first)
Before
आधी (Before)
पहले (Before)
After
नंतर (After)
बाद में (After)
Cards
A scorecard is a short row of labelled cards, same display units, plus a comparison such as vs last year.
scorecard म्हणजे नाव असलेल्या cards ची छोटी रांग, सारख्या display units सह, आणि तुलना जशी मागले वर्ष.
scorecard यानी नाम वाली cards की छोटी कतार, एक जैसे display units के साथ, और तुलना जैसे पिछला साल.
- Insert Card for
[Total Sales]. Repeat for[Orders]and[AOV]. - Or use Card (new) when you want several measures in one visual with reference labels.
- Turn the category label into a real title: “Sales — selected months”.
- Set display units once (thousands, or millions) and copy that choice. A mix of raw rupees and “L” on the same row makes people misread.
- A multi-row card lists the same measures per city. Use it when the city list is short. A long list belongs in a matrix.
The KPI visual
A card is one big number. A KPI visual adds a target and a trend axis.
card एक मोठी संख्या आहे. KPI visual लक्ष्य आणि कलचा अक्ष घालतो.
card एक बड़ी संख्या है. KPI visual लक्ष्य और रुझान का अक्ष जोड़ता है.
- Insert KPI.
- Value:
[Total Sales]or[Orders]. - Trend axis:
'Date'[Year Month]. This field is required. Without a trend, you wanted a card. - Target: a target measure or a column from a small targets table. If you have no target, do not invent one in the title.
- The indicator compares value and target. Read the colour with the direction setting, not with hope.
Direction
For delivery time or cancel rate set direction to Low is good, or green means the number got worse.
डिलिव्हरी वेळ किंवा रद्द दर यासाठी दिशा Low is good ठेवा, नाहीतर हिरवा म्हणजे संख्या बिघडली.
डिलीवरी समय या रद्द दर के लिए दिशा Low is good रखो, वरना हरा मतलब संख्या बिगड़ी.
- Sales, orders, AOV: higher is usually better → High is good.
- Delivery minutes, cancel rate: lower is better → Low is good.
- Leave the default on a time measure and a slow month can look green. That is the bug.
- Check the trend axis is the Date table, so months are continuous.
What a scorecard is not
- It is not fifty rows of order lines. That is a detail table, often on a drill-through page.
- It is not six pies.
- It is not a card with no period. “4.2” of what, and when?
- Put the comparison in the label: “vs last year” only if the measure is actually last year.
Ghabru naka — a red card is fine if the number is bad. A green card on a bad number is the failure.
Mistakes and calm fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| KPI empty | No trend axis | Add Year-Month |
| Slow delivery looks good | High is good | Set Low is good |
| Units do not match | Auto display | Set the same unit |
| Title is the measure name only | No period | Write the period in the title |
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Interview line: “A card is the number. A KPI visual needs a trend axis and a target. For anything where lower is better I set direction to Low is good.” Then mention consistent display units. Got it?
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मुलाखतीचे वाक्य: “card म्हणजे संख्या. KPI visual ला कलचा अक्ष आणि लक्ष्य हवे. जिथे लहान चांगले, तिथे दिशा Low is good ठेवतो.” मग सारख्या display units चा उल्लेख करा. समजलं का?
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
इंटरव्यू की लाइन: “card मतलब संख्या. KPI visual को रुझान का अक्ष और लक्ष्य चाहिए. जहाँ छोटा बेहतर हो, वहाँ दिशा Low is good रखता हूँ.” फिर एक जैसे display units का ज़िक्र करो. समझ में आया?
Practice task
- Build three cards: sales, orders, AOV.
- Add a KPI on orders with a target and a month axis.
- Duplicate the idea for delivery minutes and set Low is good.
- Slice one month and read every title.
- Remove one number the meeting does not need.
Got it? Cards carry the number, the KPI visual carries target and trend, and Low is good when a smaller number is better. Next: a small page that appears when the reader hovers. Let's continue.
समजलं का? Cards संख्या घेऊन जातात, KPI visual लक्ष्य आणि कल घेऊन जातो, आणि लहान संख्या चांगली असेल तेव्हा Low is good. पुढे: वाचक फिरवल्यावर दिसणारा छोटा पेज. आता पुढे जाऊया.
समझ में आया? Cards संख्या लेकर चलते हैं, KPI visual लक्ष्य और रुझान लेकर चलता है, और छोटी संख्या बेहतर हो तो Low is good. आगे: पढ़ने वाले के घुमाने पर दिखने वाला छोटा पेज. आगे बढ़ते हैं.
Frequently asked questions
Card vs KPI visual?
A card shows a value (and optional reference labels on Card new). The KPI visual needs a trend axis and can show a target and a good/bad colour.
Why is the KPI blank?
The trend axis is empty or not a field the visual can trend, or the target is missing. Use the Date table month, not a random text label with gaps you did not intend.
High is good on delivery time?
No. Set direction to Low is good so a slower delivery does not turn green.
Is a big table a scorecard?
No. A scorecard is a short set of labelled numbers a manager can read without scanning fifty rows.
Multi-row card?
Useful for the same few measures repeated per city. It is not a substitute for a matrix of months.
Course lessons?
Card and KPI visual, in the visuals chapter.