Both dashboards and scorecards are mechanisms for visually representing complex enterprise data which provides insight into business performance. The data types include summaries of key performance indicators (e.g. sales data) and other measures of business performance (e.g. number of customer service calls).
The distinction between these two reporting mechanisms has become increasingly blurry. The terms are often used interchangeably, reflecting a widespread belief by industry professionals that they are the same thing. Although they have a great deal in common, there are good reasons for keeping a clear distinction between the two. In particular, they embody two distinct approaches to the communication of enterprise data, each with its own virtues.