How to create a dynamic excel dashboard?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: Define the dashboard objectives
• Step 2: Collect and organize data
• Step 3: Use Pivot Tables
• Step 4: Create Charts and Visualizations
• Step 5: Formatting and Customizing
• Step 6: Share and Collaborate
• Conclusion

Introduction

Dashboards are essential tools for monitoring performance, whether in the context of a company, a project or a specific process. They allow you to visualize key data in a simplified and understandable form, thus facilitating decision-making.
Excel remains one of the most accessible and versatile tools for creating dashboards. It offers a range of tools, functions, and charts to create personalized and interactive dashboards.

Step 1: Define the dashboard objectives

Before you start building your dashboard, it’s crucial to clearly define what you want to track. The dashboard’s objectives should be aligned with the key performance indicators (KPIs) you want to analyze. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What information is most important for your monitoring?
• What are the specific KPIs you need to monitor?

KPIs can vary depending on the context, but they typically represent important metrics like sales, operational performance, or budget tracking. A well-designed dashboard should directly address these needs and provide a holistic view of the most critical data.

Step 2: Collect and organize data

Once the goals are defined, the next step is to gather the necessary data. Having reliable and well-structured data is essential to ensure an accurate and effective dashboard. Here are some common sources of data:

• CSV or Excel files from other systems.
• Data entered manually.
• Imports from databases.

Once the data is collected, it should be organized into dedicated Excel sheets. Make sure that the columns and rows are named correctly and that the data is formatted consistently. This will make it easier to create the pivot tables and charts in the following steps.

Step 3: Use Pivot Tables

Pivot tables are powerful tools in Excel that allow you to quickly analyze and summarize large amounts of data. They are essential for grouping information, identifying trends, and calculating metrics in a flexible way. Here's how to create a pivot table:

• Organize your data by structuring it logically.
• Access the PivotTable tool in Excel.
• Select the data you want to analyze.
• Define the table layout by choosing what to display in rows, columns, and values.
• Customize your data analysis by adjusting filters and other options to get a view that suits your needs.

You can refine the analysis by adding segments and a timeline , which allow you to filter the data interactively. These tools improve the readability of the table and allow you to visualize specific information based on defined criteria (for example, results by year, by region or by product).

Step 4: Create Charts and Visualizations

To make your dashboard more visual and easy to interpret, charts are essential. Excel offers a wide range of charts (bars, columns, pies, lines, etc.) that can be used to represent your KPIs and other metrics.

Pivot charts allow you to display data dynamically and adjust it based on the segments or timeline you add. This interactivity makes it easier to analyze trends and makes the dashboard more relevant to users. Here's how to create a pivot chart:

• Add a PivotChart from the PivotTable you want to turn into a chart.
• Select the option to insert a PivotChart.
• Choose the chart type (bar, line, pie, etc.) that matches your data.

Step 5: Formatting and Customizing

The formatting of your dashboard is crucial to its readability and impact. Use tools like conditional formatting to highlight important values, deviations, or trends. For example, you can:

• Edit titles and captions.
• Apply font colors to emphasize high/low values.
• Add data bars to visualize performance against goals.

An example of a well-formatted dashboard is one that presents clear graphs and summarized data, with intuitive navigation to access the different KPIs.

Step 6: Share and Collaborate

A well-designed dashboard should be easy to share and collaborative. Excel offers several options for sharing your work with colleagues or partners:

• Save the file to a cloud space like OneDrive or SharePoint and invite other users to access it.
• Use the Share feature in Excel to give your colleagues the ability to view and, if necessary, edit the dashboard in real time.

Online collaboration allows multiple users to work on the same dashboard simultaneously, with live updates. This is especially useful for teams that need to track KPIs in real time and make quick decisions.

Conclusion

Creating a powerful Excel dashboard involves several steps, from defining objectives to customizing visuals, including automation and sharing. By following these steps, you will be able to design an interactive tool that is easily updated and adapted to the needs of your organization.