Scorecards and Dashboards are custom-designed reports.  Instead or the typical columns of data, they are designed to provide a graphical representation of complex information, to allow the user to more quickly assess the "big picture" described by a scorecard or dashboard.  The most obvious metaphor is or course the automobile dashboard, where just a handful of analog dials and digital readouts provide enough information to safely operate your vehicle.  When the engine temperature exceeds a predefined threshold, the driver is quickly and effectively notified.  What caused the problem, or how to correct it is not necessarily revealed on the dashboard.

A scorecard for an organization provides a similar capability.  The user (most likely an executive and/or decision maker) can quickly assess the status of their organization.  The scorecard will display a set of KPIs that you've defined that when viewed together give the user a snapshot of the health of those parts of the organization for which they're responsible.  The KPIs are typically displayed graphically with a representation for the current value, a trend indicator to show if the KPI is increasing or decreasing, and a graphical representation of the acceptable range of values.  Also, colors can be used effectively to show if a KPI is on target, somewhat below target, or "in the red".

The real value of scorecards and dashboards is that they can be used easily and frequently, so that potential problems can be seen on the horizon, rather than waiting until they do irreparable harm.  To return to the car dashboard analogy, imagine driving your car each day without the benefit of knowing how much gas is in the tank, what speed you're going, and whether your engine oil and temperature are within acceptable range.  Not to mention safety indicators such as a door being ajar, or the emergency brake being on!

The data to support  KPI and Scorecards often resides in a Data Warehouse, so proceed to the next step in this thread to learn more.