Project Management with a Bit of Magic
Plan, manage, and deliver projects efficiently. Merlin Project for macOS and iOS
Strategic Business Cockpit
Keep Your Business on Track with Merlin Project
Running a business means keeping many moving parts under control at the same time: strategy, projects, routines, marketing, sales, and development. Especially in smaller teams, this information is often spread across emails, notes, meetings, and to-do lists. That makes decision-making harder and priorities less clear.
We designed the Strategic Business Cockpit exactly for this challenge. It provides a central visual business dashboard in Merlin Project that brings all key business areas together in one clear view.
What is the Strategic Business Cockpit?
The Strategic Business Cockpit is a project template based on the Kanban view in Merlin Project. It helps organize and visualize both strategic and operational work within one shared structure.
Instead of manually collecting information from multiple sources, the cockpit brings all relevant tasks and initiatives into one central system, including:
- Routines
- Strategic topics
- Development tasks
- Marketing activities
- Sales activities
- Projects
- On-hold items
- Completed tasks
This creates a clear workspace where teams and managers can immediately see what matters most, where bottlenecks are emerging, and what has already been completed.
How does the Business Cockpit work in Merlin Project?
The template uses the Kanban structure of Merlin Project to display complex business processes in a simple and visual way. Each task is represented as a card that can move through the columns depending on status and progress.
Clear column structure for better visibility
The columns reflect typical business areas and workflow phases. From Backlog and Strategy to Projects, On Hold, and Done, the full workflow becomes easy to follow.
This structure makes it easier to connect operational tasks with strategic goals and manage priorities more effectively.
Color codes make priorities visible instantly
A key feature of the Strategic Business Cockpit is its color-coded cards. They show the urgency and importance of a topic at a glance:
- Green for normal priority
- Yellow for increased attention
- Red for critical tasks
This helps teams identify bottlenecks and urgent decisions quickly.
Responsibilities and context directly on each card
In addition to priorities, team responsibilities can be displayed directly on the cards. Tags or labels make it clear who owns or leads a topic.
You can also attach emails, checklists, risks, appointments, and supporting information to each card. This keeps every task connected to its context instead of isolated in a separate system.
Flexible and customizable for your business
The template is highly flexible. Columns, tags, logos, priorities, and visual markers can all be adapted to match the needs of your business. Whether you run an agency, a software team, a consulting firm, or internal operations, the Strategic Business Cockpit can be configured to fit your workflow.
What are the benefits of a Strategic Business Cockpit?
A well-designed business cockpit is more than a task board. It helps reduce complexity and improves your ability to act with confidence.
1. More clarity in day-to-day work
All key topics are visible in one shared view. This saves time, reduces searching, and improves team alignment.
2. Better focus through clear limits
Deliberate limits, such as the number of parallel routines or projects, help prevent overload and keep attention on what truly matters.
3. Faster decisions
Because priorities, responsibilities, and status are visible at a glance, decisions can be made more quickly and with more confidence.
4. Strategy and operations in one system
One of the biggest strengths of this template is that strategic planning and operational execution are managed in the same structure rather than in separate tools.
Who is this template for?
The Strategic Business Cockpit with Merlin Project is especially useful for:
- Executives at small and medium-sized businesses
- Teams handling many parallel topics
- Organizations that want to connect strategy and execution
- Companies looking for a clear Kanban dashboard
Smaller businesses in particular benefit from having a practical overview without needing to implement a complex or expensive management system.
Why use Merlin Project as the foundation?
With its flexible Kanban view, customizable project structures, and strong visualization options, Merlin Project provides an excellent foundation for a strategic dashboard.
This template uses those strengths to turn classic project management into a tool for business management, prioritization, and transparency.
Download the Strategic Business Cockpit for free
The Strategic Business Cockpit is available free of charge, together with many other templates.
Download the template, try it in your own work environment, and adapt it to your needs. It is a practical way to create more clarity, better focus, and smarter business decisions.
Download our fact sheet for more details about the proposal.
Conclusion: A clearer view of strategy, projects, and daily operations
The Strategic Business Cockpit combines Kanban, project management, and business oversight in one clear visual system. Built on Merlin Project, it helps bring routines, strategy, projects, and operational work together in a single structured view.
If you want to prioritize faster, make better decisions, and keep the bigger picture in sight, this template offers a practical and ready-to-use solution.
If you have any questions about this blog article or would like to discuss it, we look forward to your contribution in our forum.
