Excel dashboards are some form of visual reporting mechanism. Excel dashboards are completely different from your default spreadsheet report that is usually created in excel.
They require a different way of thinking about excel and the communication of data. They are resource intensive at the beginning as you are trying to establish the information requirements of your audiences. This can be at various levels such as strategic and operational. You also need to have a good data model – pivot tables are great for this job. There are many other principles you should keep in mind.
A single page
Don’t clutter your excel dashboard with unnecessary visual elements and data. If it looks too busy, then it will fail to communicate the data effectively. We are trying to communicate a message about the data. Don’t include every bit of data in a dashboard. The information should show progress towards key objectives and priorities. The other point here is that if something is out with your line of sight, then it can’t be viewed quickly or possibly missed altogether. When you print your dashboard, it should also fit to a single page.
Not complicated
An excel dashboard should help to visually identify trends and patterns quickly without confusion. This means that there should not be any visual competition or chart junk present. Fancy formatting distracts users from the key messages. This includes fancy 3D charts, logos, pictures and gauges, which don’t communicate key messages well and take up too much space. Visual reports should help managers decide if any further action or drilling down is required. The use of visual attributes should be used to aid visual perception.
Add interactivity
Adding extra interactivity to your dashboard, such as being able to select a certain region or being able to drill down can make a huge difference in the perceived usability.
New VBA interactive excel dashboard, complete with template and 50 page guide. Read more about creating an executive dashboard. You will never use excel the same way again!