When I’ve been in the room asking for budget for a new support platform, the difference between "we need better tooling" and "we deserve investment" always came down to one thing: the dashboard. Leaders don't buy feelings — they respond to clear, measurable impact. Here’s the exact set of metrics I put on a leadership dashboard to win budget conversations for a new support platform, how I explain each metric’s business relevance, and what visualizations and targets make the case compelling.
Why the dashboard matters
A dashboard for leadership is not a dump of operational stats. It’s a narrative: current pain → expected change → business outcome. I design dashboards that answer the questions execs actually care about: How will this reduce cost? How will it improve retention or revenue? How quickly will we see results? If your dashboard doesn't connect platform features to those outcomes, you won't move budget from other priorities.
Core categories to include
I group metrics into four categories so stakeholders can scan quickly and see the linkage to business goals:
Exact metrics to show (with definitions and targets)
This is the table I put front-and-center. Use it as a template; populate it with current values and conservative projections post-implementation.
| Metric | Definition | Why it matters to leadership | Practical target (12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) | Average satisfaction rating after interactions (1–5 or 1–10) | Direct measure of service quality; correlates with retention | Increase by 5–10% (or +0.3–0.5 on 5-point scale) |
| Net Promoter Score (NPS) | Likelihood of customer recommendation | Signals brand advocacy and long-term revenue impact | +3–6 points within a year |
| First Contact Resolution (FCR) | Percent of issues resolved on first interaction | Lower repeat contacts, reduced workload and happier customers | +10% relative improvement |
| Average Handle Time (AHT) | Average time spent per contact (including after-call work) | Immediate cost and capacity lever | Reduce by 8–15% using automation/self-service |
| Cost per Contact (CPC) | Total support cost divided by number of contacts | Direct budgetary impact; used in ROI calc | Reduce by 12–25% over 12 months |
| Self-Service Deflection Rate | Share of inbound issues handled by KB/chatbots/FAQs | Shows leverage from knowledge management and automation | Hit 20–35% depending on product complexity |
| Escalation Rate | Percent of cases escalated to higher tiers | Indicator of tooling gaps and agent enablement | Reduce by 20% with better routing and knowledge |
| CSAT by Channel | Customer satisfaction segmented by channel (phone, chat, email) | Shows where platform consolidation or improvement matters most | Bring low-performing channels up to company average |
| Time to Value for New Features | Avg time for product/support teams to implement new automations or KB articles | Highlights agility benefits of a modern platform (e.g., Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom) | Reduce cycle by 40–60% |
| Revenue at Risk (or Churn-linked Cases) | Value of customers who reported issues linked to churn or downgrade | Quantifies revenue impact of poor support | Decrease by measurable amount tied to retention initiatives |
How to present each metric to executives
For each metric I include three elements on the dashboard: current state, target, and impact narrative.
Visualizations that get attention
Leaders scan quickly. I use three visualization types that work every time:
Include callouts for anomalies (seasonal spikes, product launches) and a small table showing assumptions behind ROI calculations.
ROI and budget ask — how I quantify it
Numbers move budget. My ROI section is a short model: baseline cost, projected improvements, implementation cost, and payback period.
Example line: "Reducing CPC by 18% on a £2.5M support budget saves £450k annually. Project cost £150k — payback in 4 months." Those simple, conservative numbers close deals.
Data sources and governance
Leadership will ask where the numbers come from. I surface two things: data lineage and confidence band.
That transparency builds trust and avoids the "speculative magical gains" pushback.
Recommended roadmap to reduce risk
I never ask for full-platform spend in a single slide. My dashboard includes a phased ask:
Each phase links to a mini-dashboard showing expected metric deltas and decision gates. Executives like built-in exit and scale points — it reduces perceived risk.
If you want, I can generate a slide-ready dashboard mockup with your current numbers plugged in (I’ve done this for teams using Zendesk, Intercom and Freshdesk). That concrete, company-specific visualization is the single most persuasive tool in budget conversations.
