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The Ultimate Guide to Nahla AI Dashboard: 20+ Project Analytics Charts Explained
Master earned value analysis, WBS breakdown, resource planning, and DCMA schedule health checks. Create shareable reports in minutes.
Category: Feature Guide | Read Time: 15 min | Updated: January 2026 | Author: Nahla Team
Introduction
Every project manager knows the frustration: your schedule data is buried in Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project, but getting meaningful insights requires hours of report building, filter configuration, and manual calculations.
Nahla AI's Dashboard changes that. Upload your XER or XML file, and within seconds, access 20+ interactive charts covering earned value, schedule health, resource loading, and WBS performance—all in one place.
This guide walks you through every feature, tab, and chart so you can extract maximum value from your project data.
What is a Project Dashboard?
A project dashboard is a visual management tool that consolidates key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and analytics into a single view. According to PMI (Project Management Institute), effective dashboards should:
- Provide real-time visibility into project health
- Enable data-driven decisions without manual report generation
- Support stakeholder communication with shareable formats
- Highlight exceptions and risks that need attention
Industry Standard: The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that project dashboards should track the "iron triangle" (scope, schedule, cost) while providing drill-down capabilities for root cause analysis.
The Problem with Traditional Dashboards
Challenge 1: Manual Report Building
In P6 or MS Project, creating a comprehensive dashboard requires building custom layouts for each metric, configuring filters repeatedly, exporting data to Excel for visualization, and manually calculating EVM metrics. Time investment: 2-4 hours per weekly report.
Challenge 2: Static Reports
Traditional reports are snapshots—once generated, they're outdated. Stakeholders can't interact, drill down, or explore the data themselves.
Challenge 3: Fragmented Views
Schedule data in P6, cost data in spreadsheets, resource data elsewhere. Getting a unified view requires merging multiple sources.
Challenge 4: No Forecasting
Raw P6 data shows planned vs. actual, but doesn't automatically calculate Estimate at Completion (EAC), To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI), or forecasted completion dates.
How Nahla AI Solves This
Instant Analytics: Upload your file → Dashboard ready in 30 seconds. No configuration, no filters, no manual calculations.
20+ Interactive Charts: Every chart is clickable, filterable, and exportable. Drill down from project level to individual activities.
Live EVM Calculations: CPI, SPI, EAC, VAC, TCPI—all calculated automatically with 4 different forecasting methods.
Shareable Reports: Build custom reports from any chart combination. Generate a link stakeholders can view without login.
AI Integration: Ask questions in natural language. The AI understands your data context and provides instant analysis.
Dashboard Tab 1: Executive Summary
The Executive Summary provides your project's vital signs at a glance.
Info Ribbons
At the top, key metrics display in real-time:
CPI
Cost Performance Index
SPI
Schedule Performance Index
Key Charts
1. Earned Value S-Curve
The signature EVM visualization showing:
- Planned Value (PV): Blue line - what you planned to spend
- Earned Value (EV): Green line - value of work completed
- Actual Cost (AC): Red line - what you actually spent
- Forecast Line: Dashed projection to completion
Interpretation: If EV is below PV, you're behind schedule. If AC is above EV, you're over budget.
2. Project Progress (3 Sub-Tabs)
- Overview: Overall completion percentage with trend
- By Phase: Progress breakdown by project phase/WBS Level 1
- Milestones: Key milestone status (complete, on track, at risk, late)
3. Task Statistics (3 Sub-Tabs)
- Overview: Not started, in progress, complete counts
- By Priority: Distribution across priority levels
- Trends: How task status changed over time
4. Top 10 Worst Performer Milestones
Identifies milestones with the largest schedule variance—your highest risk items requiring immediate attention.
Dashboard Tab 2: WBS Breakdown
Drill into your Work Breakdown Structure to find where problems originate.
1. WBS Sunburst Chart
Interactive circular visualization of your WBS hierarchy. Colors indicate completion status:
- Green: On track (>90% of planned progress)
- Yellow: At risk (70-90% of planned progress)
- Red: Behind (<70% of planned progress)
Click any segment to drill down. Click center to navigate up.
2. WBS Progress Table
Expandable table showing WBS Code and Name, Planned vs. Actual Progress, Task counts (complete, in progress, not started), and Variance indicators.
3. Top 5 Best & Worst 5 WBS Performers
Quickly identify which WBS elements are exceeding expectations and which need recovery plans.
4. WBS EVM Breakdown
For cost-loaded schedules: CPI by WBS element, SPI by WBS element, and Cost variance by WBS.
Dashboard Tab 3: Analytics
Deep-dive analysis tools for schedule quality and performance diagnostics.
Schedule Health Section
DCMA 14-Point Assessment
Industry-standard schedule quality check used by defense contractors and major capital projects. Nahla automatically evaluates:
| Metric |
Description |
Target |
| Logic |
Activities with predecessors/successors |
>95% |
| Leads |
Negative lag usage |
<5% |
| Lags |
Positive lag usage |
<5% |
| Relationship Types |
Finish-to-Start usage |
>90% |
| Hard Constraints |
Must Start/Finish constraints |
<5% |
| High Float |
Activities with >44 days float |
<5% |
| Negative Float |
Activities with negative float |
0% |
| High Duration |
Activities >44 days |
<5% |
| Invalid Dates |
Forecasts before data date |
0% |
| Resources |
Activities with resources |
>80% |
| Missed Tasks |
Should be complete but aren't |
0% |
| Critical Path Length |
Single critical path |
Yes |
| Critical Path % |
Critical activities ratio |
15-25% |
| BEI |
Baseline Execution Index |
>0.95 |
Each metric shows Pass/Fail/Warning with specific counts and percentages.
Float Analysis
- Distribution histogram of total float values
- Critical path percentage
- Near-critical activities (0-10 days float)
- High float activities (>44 days) that may indicate disconnected logic
Schedule Risk Indicators
Automated flags for negative float, missing logic, date constraints overriding logic, and resource overallocation.
Earned Value Section
EAC Waterfall Chart
Visual breakdown showing how you get from BAC to EAC: Starting budget → Cost variance to date → Projected variance on remaining work → Final forecast.
Performance Indices Trend
Historical CPI and SPI values showing: Are you recovering or declining? When did problems start? What's the trajectory?
Resource Section
Manpower Histogram
Resource loading over time showing planned hours by period, actual hours (if provided), peak resource periods, and resource leveling opportunities.
Top 5 Resources by Planned Hours
Identifies your most utilized resources—critical for capacity planning.
Dashboard Tab 4: Reports
Pre-configured analysis views and comprehensive reports.
Executive Summary Report
One-page project status with key metrics, 4-week lookahead, top risks, and AI narrative
EVM Comprehensive Report
All 4 EAC methods compared, variance analysis, TCPI analysis
Two-Week Lookahead
Activities starting or continuing in next 14 days
Critical Path Report
All critical activities with sequence, dependencies, and risk indicators
Adding Actual Cost Data
For complete EVM analysis, upload your actual costs:
- 1Click "Upload Actual Costs" button
- 2Download the pre-populated CSV template (months already set from your schedule)
- 3Fill in actual cost values per month
- 4Upload the completed CSV
- 5All charts automatically recalculate with real CPI values
Without actual costs: CPI defaults to 1.0 (assumed on-budget). You'll see schedule performance but not cost performance. Upload actual costs to unlock true EVM insights.
EAC Forecasting Methods
Select your preferred forecasting method from the Earned Value tab on the Dashboard:
| Method |
Formula |
Use When |
| Typical |
BAC / CPI |
Current cost efficiency will continue |
| Atypical |
AC + (BAC - EV) |
Variance was one-time, future at plan |
| CPI-Based |
AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI |
Cost inefficiency affects remaining work |
| Combined |
AC + (BAC - EV) / (CPI × SPI) |
Schedule delays are also causing cost overruns |
Pro Tip: Compare all 4 methods to understand your forecast range. Reality usually falls between the most optimistic and pessimistic estimates. The EAC method selector is located in the Earned Value tab on the Dashboard—changing it updates all charts simultaneously.
Building Shareable Reports
- 1Browse charts on Dashboard or Analysis page
- 2Click "+ Add to Report" on any chart
- 3Navigate to "Preview Report"
- 4Drag to reorder sections
- 5Click "Generate Shareable Link"
- 6Share URL with stakeholders (no login required)
Reports include: All selected charts (interactive), AI-generated commentary, Export to PDF option, and Print-friendly formatting.
Pro Tips
1. Start with Schedule Health: Check DCMA 14-point first to ensure your schedule is reliable before trusting other metrics.
2. Compare EAC Methods: Don't rely on one forecast. The spread between methods shows uncertainty.
3. Focus on Critical Path: Most delays come from critical activities. Monitor them closely.
4. Use WBS Drill-Down: Project-level metrics hide problems. Drill into WBS to find root causes.
5. Weekly Reports: Build a report template once, then generate fresh links each week for consistent stakeholder updates.
6. Ask the AI: If you're unsure what a metric means or what action to take, ask Nahla AI in natural language.
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