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Manage Data Sources and Routing Map

Keep connected sources clear, well-labeled, and easier for DashboardGenius to use correctly.

Manage Data Sources and Routing Map

Once your first sources are connected, the next job is keeping them understandable.

This guide is for admins and source owners who want DashboardGenius to route questions more cleanly as the source catalog grows.

The Two Management Views

DashboardGenius gives you two complementary views:

  • Sources for reviewing connected sources, basic metadata, and source-specific actions
  • Routing Map for documenting what each source covers and how it should be interpreted

Use Sources for operational upkeep.

Use Routing Map for source clarity.

What Good Source Management Looks Like

Healthy source setup usually means:

  • each source has a clear business name
  • overlapping sources are distinguishable
  • your team knows which source is best for which workflow
  • source descriptions use business language instead of only technical labels

The goal is not perfect taxonomy. The goal is fewer wrong starts.

What to Review in Sources

In the Sources view, review each connection for:

  • name
  • source type
  • whether it still belongs in the org
  • whether the business purpose is obvious

Use rename and cleanup early. Confusing source names create confusion in prompts, reviews, and onboarding.

What to Define in Routing Map

Use Routing Map to clarify the role of each source.

Useful routing details include:

  • short description
  • business domains covered
  • common aliases your team uses
  • what the source is best for
  • what the source should not be the first choice for
  • priority when multiple sources overlap

You do not need to fill every field on day one. Start with the minimum needed to prevent repeated confusion.

When Routing Map Adds the Most Value

Routing Map becomes especially useful when:

  • you have more than one Power BI dataset
  • one plant uses multiple trackers for similar workflows
  • Snowflake and Google Sheets both cover part of the same process
  • teams use shorthand names that do not appear in the source title
  • new users keep picking the wrong source family

If source choice still feels obvious to everyone, keep it light.

Simple Example

A healthy setup might look like this:

  • Plant A - Snowflake - Ops Best for: production, downtime, throughput, quality history
  • Corporate - Power BI - Executive KPI Best for: leadership rollups and curated scorecards
  • Supply - Sheets - Shortage Tracker Best for: shortage risk, demand exceptions, action tracking

That is much easier to work with than:

  • warehouse
  • pbi
  • sheet final

Naming Rules That Age Well

Use names that survive team changes:

  • plant or business lane first
  • source type second
  • workflow or domain third

Examples:

  • Plant 2 - Snowflake - Quality
  • Network - Power BI - Service Review
  • Supply - Sheets - Demand Signal

Avoid names tied to one person, one meeting, or one temporary project unless the source really is temporary.

Multi-Source Hygiene Tips

Use these rules when your org has several sources:

  • one clear purpose per source whenever possible
  • one clear owner per important source
  • clear distinction between live sources and one-off uploads
  • consistent plant, line, and domain naming across sources

If two sources appear to answer the same question, document when each one should win.

Review Cadence

Most teams do not need constant upkeep.

A practical rhythm is:

  1. Review new sources during onboarding
  2. Clean up names after the first few weeks of real use
  3. Revisit Routing Map whenever a new source is added or team confusion appears
  4. Remove stale or duplicate sources during quarterly admin cleanup

Signs You Should Edit Routing Details

  • users repeatedly ask which source to use
  • follow-up questions keep restating the source manually
  • similar questions work well in one thread and poorly in another
  • teammates cannot tell whether a source is for operations, finance, quality, or planning
  • new sources were added and now the catalog feels crowded

Common Mistakes

  • documenting every edge case before the team has real usage data
  • keeping vague source names because changing them feels annoying
  • writing routing details in technical language only
  • letting duplicate uploads sit beside durable live sources with no distinction
  • treating Routing Map as a one-time setup instead of lightweight maintenance

Next Guide

Continue with How to Ask Better Questions.