Sumboard

Embedded analytics: examples

Here are common ways SaaS products deliver analytics in‑product. Use these patterns as starting points for your own implementation.

Operational dashboards

Real-time metrics that help users understand current performance and take immediate action. These typically appear on home screens or dedicated dashboard pages within the product.

Examples:

  • E-commerce platforms: Today's sales, conversion rates, top-selling products, cart abandonment
  • SaaS tools: Active users, feature adoption, system health, API usage
  • Marketing platforms: Campaign performance, click-through rates, lead generation, budget spend
  • Customer support: Ticket volume, response times, satisfaction scores, SLA compliance

Strategic reports

Longer-term insights for planning and decision-making. These focus on trends, comparisons, and forecasts rather than real-time metrics.

Common formats:

  • Monthly business reviews: Revenue trends, customer acquisition, churn analysis
  • Cohort analysis: User retention, lifetime value, usage patterns over time
  • Performance benchmarking: Comparing current vs. previous periods, goals, or industry standards
  • Forecasting reports: Predictive analytics for sales, demand, or resource planning

Self‑service exploration

Tools that let users create custom views and answer their own questions without technical knowledge. The key is providing enough flexibility while maintaining data governance.

Features typically include:

  • Drag-and-drop builders: Simple interfaces for creating charts and reports
  • Saved views: Personal and team dashboards that can be shared or bookmarked
  • Governed data fields: Pre-defined metrics and dimensions that ensure consistency
  • Export capabilities: PDF, Excel, or CSV downloads for offline analysis

Contextual analytics

Charts and metrics embedded directly within workflows, providing just enough insight for users to make informed decisions without context switching.

Implementation examples:

  • CRM systems: Account health scores, deal probability, contact engagement history
  • Project management: Team velocity, burndown charts, resource utilization
  • Inventory management: Stock levels, reorder points, supplier performance
  • Financial platforms: Account balances, transaction trends, spending categories

Getting started

Most successful implementations start with operational dashboards for immediate value, then expand to strategic reporting and self-service as users become comfortable with the analytics features.

See the The complete guide to embedded analytics or our pricing comparison (2025) for vendor landscape and trade‑offs.