Excel: Creating a graphical business dashboard

Overview

This is a short Microsoft Excel course designed for someone who already has an intermediate/low-intermediate level of Excel to refresh and consolidate their knowledge by performing a case study of creating a graphical data dashboard.

Syllabus

• Introduction to Dashboards
Understanding the purpose and benefits of dashboards
Overview of Excel's capabilities for dashboard creation
• Preparing Your Data
Data cleaning and organization
Importing and managing data sets in Excel
Utilizing tables for structured data handling
• Key Excel Functions for Dashboards
Review of essential formulas and functions
Using logical and lookup functions (e.g., IF, VLOOKUP)
Conditional formatting for dynamic visuals
• Designing Dashboard Layouts
Best practices for dashboard design
Planning and sketching the layout
Using Excel gridlines and alignment tools for design consistency
• Creating Chart-Based Visualizations
Choosing appropriate chart types for data representation
Building basic charts: bar, line, pie, and more
Enhancing charts with labels, legends, and styles
• Advanced Visualization Techniques
Creating dynamic charts with slicers and pivot charts
Utilizing sparklines for trend visualization
Integrating conditional formatting in charts
• Building Interactive Components
Introduction to Excel form controls: dropdowns, checkboxes
Using PivotTables for interactive data analysis
Linking controls to dashboard elements for interactivity
• Finalizing and Sharing Dashboards
Reviewing dashboard for usability and accuracy
Tips for optimizing performance and avoiding common pitfalls
Exporting and sharing dashboards in different formats
• Case Study: Building a Complete Business Dashboard
Step-by-step creation from data import to dashboard finalization
Troubleshooting and optimizing along the way
• Course Review and Q&A
Recap of key concepts and techniques
Open forum for questions and further discussion

Taught by

Ignacio Despujol

Subjects

Business