Founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2009, Flink Labs is an enterprise that develops business solutions by creatively using AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and design to produce easy-to-use dashboard applications. Over time, Flink Labs has developed a series of dashboard applications that rely on data visualization and manipulation user-end tools. Some of these are highly innovative and have been used across a range of sectors. On their Web site, the company describes the different phases of the development of a dashboard application (both for desktop and for mobile use) as follows.
Stage 1: Research At the outset, Flink Labs tries to ask the right questions, such as who the target audience for their applications is and which specific needs it must consider.
The company also conducts in-depth research to determine aspects of the customers' interests, such as goals, objectives, and intended outcomes, all of which feed into the dashboard application in development.
Stage 2: Analysis Once needs and objectives have been clarified, the company utilizes advanced data mining techniques to collect, analyze, and parse all data of interest for a particular project. By using machine learning and AI, Flink Labs unearths hidden insights and narratives within the data that facilitate the visualization of relationships between them.
Stage 3: Design Once data have been collected and successfully parsed and structured, the company begins one of the fundamental tasks of any dashboard application, which is designing the app. During this stage, engineers develop concepts and ideas using drawings and several types of coding. Collaboration with the client is essential to ensure that the design of the dashboard application meets all needs and expectations.
Stage 4: Launch After the coding has been completed according to the design and the application has been tested, Flink delivers the final product to the client together with all the necessary user manuals, documents, notes, and training sessions to endure a perfect customer experience.
Flink's dashboard application projects that are already up and running include morphing maps, radial chart applications for credit reporting compliances, interactive diagrams for rail works satisfaction, pedestrian flow programs, and applications for political neural networks.

Questions for Case
1. What are dashboard applications developed for?
2. Why does Flink Labs place so much emphasis on research?