A key tool for monitoring sales activity is the sales dashboard. This allows for close monitoring of sales performance against set objectives. The various dashboards available are adapted to different levels of analysis and monitoring. At the sales management level, the dashboard encompasses all sales activity, often broken down by product or geographic area. For a specific point of sale, the dashboard allows for monitoring the point of sale’s activity and allocating it among sales representatives. These tools provide control and monitoring for sales managers (such as directors, sales inspectors, store managers, etc.) and help sales representatives assess their progress toward achieving set objectives. To simplify monitoring, sales dashboards incorporate benchmarks and measure deviations from these benchmarks. The frequency of monitoring and the time period on which these benchmarks are based vary depending on the industry (weekly, monthly, etc.). Sales dashboards are created using spreadsheets and are automatically updated via business management software or internal company information systems (where a recorded sale updates the dashboard). The composition and presentation of a sales dashboard must be tailored to the specific needs of its users. Various examples of sales dashboards are available, and entire books are dedicated to the subject.