MS Excel: Working with Dashboards Explained
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
An Excel Dashboard is a visual summary of key information, designed to present data clearly and quickly. Instead of scrolling through rows of numbers, a dashboard displays charts, totals, and performance indicators all in one place.
Dashboards help turn data into decisions.
What Is an Excel Dashboard?
A dashboard is typically a single worksheet that includes:
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Charts and graphs
PivotTables or summary tables
Slicers for interactive filtering
Clear headings and structured layout
It provides a high-level overview of important data.
Why Use Dashboards?
Dashboards are commonly used in:
✔ Finance reporting
✔ Sales performance tracking
✔ Budget monitoring
✔ Project management
✔ Operational reporting
They allow managers and teams to quickly understand performance without analysing raw data.
Key Components of an Effective Dashboard
1️⃣ Clean Data Source
Dashboards rely on well-structured data. This often comes from:
Excel Tables
PivotTables
Power Query
Good data structure ensures accurate reporting.
2️⃣ KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
KPIs are summary numbers that highlight performance, such as:
Total Sales
Total Expenses
Net Profit
Budget vs Actual
These are usually calculated using formulas like SUM, SUMIFS, or PivotTables.
3️⃣ Charts for Visual Impact
Common dashboard charts include:
Column charts
Line charts
Pie charts
Bar charts
Charts make trends and comparisons easy to understand at a glance.
4️⃣ Interactivity (Slicers & Filters)
Slicers allow users to filter data visually by:
Date
Department
Region
Category
This makes dashboards interactive and user-friendly.
Steps to Create a Simple Dashboard
Prepare clean source data.
Create PivotTables to summarise information.
Insert charts based on your summaries.
Add KPIs at the top of the sheet.
Insert slicers for filtering.
Format the layout neatly and consistently.
Keep the design simple and professional.
What Makes a Good Dashboard?
A strong Excel dashboard is:
✔ Clear
✔ Accurate
✔ Visually balanced
✔ Easy to read
✔ Focused on key information
Avoid clutter. Only show what matters.
Final Thoughts
Excel dashboards transform spreadsheets into professional reporting tools. They help communicate data effectively, support decision-making, and demonstrate advanced Excel capability.
Mastering dashboards is a key step toward becoming confident in data analysis and financial reporting.
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