Customizable Dashboards
Self-service dashboard builder: users configure widgets, layouts, and filters themselves - directly in your platform
Dashboards every user builds themselves
Pre-built dashboards reach their limits as soon as different user groups need different perspectives on the same data. Customizable dashboards solve this problem: each user drags the widgets they need via drag-and-drop into their personal layout, sets their own filters, and saves multiple views. Elasticbrains builds this self-service layer directly into your existing platform - without external BI tool dependency, without context switches.
How this fits into our dashboard portfolio
Not every dashboard project requires the same solution. Here is the clear distinction:
Drag-and-drop widget builder, saved layouts per user, self-service filters. Users assemble their own view.
When you need specific use cases like customer portals, partner cockpits, or operations dashboards with a fixed layout.
Zu vorgefertigten Web-Portalen und DashboardsWhen you need a comprehensive BI solution with ETL pipelines, data warehouse, and exploratory analysis.
Zur ganzheitlichen Business-Intelligence-LosungCore Features of the Dashboard Builder
The following building blocks are developed according to your requirements:
Drag-and-Drop Widget Builder
Users drag widgets from a library into their grid layout. Size, position, and order are freely configurable. No code, no IT ticket.
Widget Library
Pre-built widget types: KPI tiles, line and bar charts, sortable tables, filter dropdowns, time series, and heatmaps. Custom widget types can be added as needed.
Save Layouts per User
Each configuration is persisted per user account. Multiple named layouts are possible, e.g. "Daily Overview", "Weekly Report", "Campaign Monitoring".
Team Sharing and Templates
Layouts can be shared between team members or saved as templates for new users. Role-based restrictions control which widgets each user group may see.
Live Data via WebSocket
Critical KPIs update in real time without page reload. For operational dashboards where delay is critical.
Theme and Branding
Colors, fonts, and logo placement follow your corporate design or that of your end customers in white-label scenarios.
Typical Use Cases
Customizable dashboards are particularly valuable when different user groups want to analyze the same data in different ways:
SaaS Customer Dashboards
Your B2B customers see their own data and configure the view according to their workflows. No more generic one-size-fits-all dashboards that fully satisfy no one.
Internal Operations Cockpits
Different teams - logistics, sales, customer success - pull exactly the KPIs from the same data source that are relevant to their daily work.
Multi-Tenant Reporting
In multi-tenant platforms, each tenant gets their own dashboard environment with their own data and configuration options.
White-Label Dashboards for End Customers
You operate a platform and want to offer your end customers a branded reporting tool. The dashboard carries your logo or the end customer's.
Technology Stack
We rely on proven open-source libraries and integrate the dashboard builder as a module into your existing platform:
Our Approach
- Workshop: User Groups and Data Sources: We analyze which user groups need to see which data and what degrees of freedom make sense. Too much flexibility overwhelms; too little frustrates.
- Widget Concept: We define the initial widget library: which chart types, which filters, which metrics. The concept determines development effort.
- Grid Layout and State Management: Implementation of the drag-and-drop infrastructure and persistence layer that securely saves and loads user layouts.
- Data Integration: Each widget gets its data endpoint. REST or GraphQL APIs deliver raw data; WebSocket connections provide live updates where needed.
- Sharing and Permissions: Implementation of sharing logic and role-based access controls: who may see which widgets, share which layouts, create which templates?
- Performance Optimization: Dashboards with many widgets and live data require careful request batching, caching, and virtual lists to ensure performance.
- Integration and Go-Live: The dashboard builder is integrated as a module into your existing platform. Documentation and handover to your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need a separate BI tool like Tableau or Power BI?
Not necessarily. If the core of your requirement is that users configure their data view themselves - within your platform, with your data - then an embedded custom dashboard builder is often the better choice. External BI tools come with licensing costs, context switches, and limited integration options. For complex exploratory analysis and ad-hoc queries over large datasets, a dedicated BI tool may be more appropriate. We help with the decision.
How complex is connecting our existing data sources?
That depends on whether your data is already accessible via an API. If so, the connection is usually manageable: we define endpoints per widget type and implement caching. If data still needs to be consolidated from multiple sources, we plan an appropriate aggregation layer.
Can users enter their own calculations or formulas?
This is possible but requires a dedicated formula editor as its own widget or configuration layer. We implement this when there is demand - within the widget concept we define exactly what degrees of freedom make sense and which would increase maintenance effort disproportionately.
What about mobile usage?
Grid-based drag-and-drop layouts work best on desktop. For mobile devices we implement responsive fallback layouts that display saved widgets in a single-column view. Full drag-and-drop configuration on touch devices is technically possible but rarely desired in practice.
Can the dashboard builder appear white-label for our customers?
Yes. The theming system allows full customization of colors, fonts, logos, and component style. In multi-tenant setups, each tenant can store their own branding, which is applied dynamically on load.
Ready for Your Project?
Let us clarify in a non-binding initial conversation how we can best support you.
Free · No obligation · Personal initial consultation by experienced Munich experts