Collaboration with KPMG produces automated insights to help inform timely outlook and analysis

April 27, 2021 (Vancouver) – Today, the Business Council of British Columbia launched the BCBC Economic Dashboard a new innovative, interactive data visualization tool developed in collaboration with the KPMG in Canada’s Lighthouse team. The Dashboard compiles economic data from a variety of sources to quickly provide insight into economic conditions and important trends in the province.

As British Columbians and Canadians continue to face disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on human and business activity, the BCBC Economic Dashboard is a platform where people can obtain a quick snapshot alongside analytical context on the provincial recovery and explore developments in more detail.

The Dashboard, available at www.bcbc.com/dashboard, is populated with data from Statistics Canada and near real-time data from organizations such as Google Mobility, Geo Tab and Covid19Tracker.ca. Several daily updates regularly refresh the Dashboard’s data. Users can drill down and explore metrics in different industries and make performance comparisons across provinces. In time, the Dashboard will be enriched with more data feeds to better inform users.

“The BCBC Economic Dashboard is a publicly available platform which will become an invaluable tool for business leaders, public policy makers, and individuals looking for a convenient and reliable data source and common fact base to better understand the impact of the global economy and government policies on our shared economic and social well-being,” said Greg D’Avignon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of British Columbia. “While the Dashboard is designed to provide insights in the context of the economy’s recovery and eventual waning of COVID-19 impacts, the tool will have lasting value as a resource for up-to-date and accessible data on the health of the B.C. and Canadian economies and citizens.”

“In an era where there is no shortage of data, there is tremendous value from collecting, organizing and analyzing the vast amounts of information at hand to derive meaning and insights,” said Walter Pela, Regional Managing Partner for KPMG in the Greater Vancouver Area. “Working alongside BCBC’s economic and policy team, KPMG Lighthouse applied data science, analytics and digital development capabilities to create a centralized and automated repository that provides timely insights at a pivotal time when citizens, business and government are all looking for more visibility on where we are and where we are headed.”

“Our goal at the outset was to create a tool of value to a broad audience, people who don’t necessarily spend much time tracking economic data as well as analysts and others who work with economic information on a daily basis,” said Ken Peacock, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at the Business Council of B.C. “The KPMG Lighthouse team has made economic data accessible and interesting and informative – a Dashboard that is valuable to a broad array of users.”

“Over time, the Dashboard will be expanded to incorporate more own-source, real-time digital metrics and more information on the labour market, transportation trends, exporting activity and other information from other partners operating in B.C.,” added D’Avignon. “We encourage users to visit the Dashboard regularly to track emerging trends in our economy.”

Economic analysis and insights based on data and information presented in the Dashboard and written by the Business Council of B.C.’s policy and economics team can be found at www.bcbc.com/dashboard.

The BCBC Economic Dashboard is the result of a collaboration between BCBC and KPMG, who provided data, analytics and dashboard development support to BCBC’s economic and policy team.

About the Business Council of British Columbia

Now in its 55th year as the premier business organization in British Columbia, the Business Council of B.C. is a non-partisan organization made up of 250 leading companies, post-secondary institutions and industry associations from across B.C.'s diverse economy. The Council produces exceptional public policy research and advocacy in support of creating a competitive economy for the benefit of all British Columbians.

About KPMG

KPMG LLP, a limited liability partnership, is a full-service Audit, Tax and Advisory firm owned and operated by Canadians. For over 150 years, our professionals have provided consulting, accounting, auditing, and tax services to Canadians, inspiring confidence, empowering change, and driving innovation. Guided by our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Courage, Together, For Better, KPMG employs nearly 8,000 people in over 40 locations across Canada, serving private- and public-sector clients. KPMG is consistently ranked one of Canada's top employers and one of the best places to work in the country.

The firm is established under the laws of Ontario and is a member of KPMG's global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International, a private English company limited by guarantee. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. For more information, see home.kpmg.ca

Media Contacts:
Colin Wong
604-764-8605
colin.wong@bcbc.com

Jenny Flojo
604-691-3422
jennyflojo@kpmg.ca