can the dashboard access external data in a SQL table/view

[MikeHargreaves]

I'm new to dashboard, and was thinking it would be a nice tool to display various stats from our Accela permitting system.  Can I access the SQL table directly, or do I first need to make a service out of it?

[JJChen]

I am using an enterprise geodatabase to get data is from Accela reporting database. Another solution is to use the Enable Enterprise Geodatabase tool to install ESRI's SDE on top of your existing Accela database. With an enterprise geodatabase, you can create sde tables and feature classes, publish them as a feature layer to ArcGIS Portal, create a web map, and finally use ArcGIS Dashboard or Experience Builder to create a web apps.

An example is the above URL. It is a web app showing Charlotte Fire Department's plan review data. The data is daily exported from Accela database to an enterprise geodatabase.