Data Visualization With Excel Dashboards And Reports

Large corporations like IBM and Oracle are using Excel dashboards and reports as a Business Intelligence tool, and many other smaller businesses are looking to these tools in order to cut costs for budgetary reasons. An effective analyst not only has to have the technical skills to use Excel in a productive manner but must be able to synthesize data into a story, and then present that story in the most impactful way. Microsoft shows its recognition of this with Excel. In Excel, there is a major focus on business intelligence and visualization. Data Visualization with Excel Dashboards and Reports fills the gap between handling data and synthesizing data into meaningful reports. This title will show readers how to think about their data in ways other than columns and rows. Most Excel books do a nice job discussing the individual functions and tools that can be used to create an "Excel Report". Titles on Excel charts, Excel pivot tables, and other books that focus on "Tips and Tricks" are useful in their own right; however they don't hit the mark for most data analysts. The primary reason these titles miss the mark is they are too focused on the mechanical aspects of building a chart, creating a pivot table, or other functionality. They don't offer these topics in the broader picture by showing how to present and report data in the most effective way. What are the most meaningful ways to show trending? How do you show relationships in data? When is showing variances more valuable than showing actual data values? How do you deal with outliers? How do you bucket data in the most meaningful way? How do you show impossible amounts of data without inundating your audience? In Data Visualization with Excel Reports and Dashboards, readers will get answers to all of these questions. Part technical manual, part analytical guidebook; this title will help Excel users go from reporting data with simple tables full of dull numbers, to creating hi-impact reports and dashboards that will wow management both visually and substantively. This book offers a comprehensive review of a wide array of technical and analytical concepts that will help users create meaningful reports and dashboards. After reading this book, the reader will be able to: Analyze large amounts of data and report their data in a meaningful way Get better visibility into data from different perspectives Quickly slice data into various views on the fly Automate redundant reporting and analyses Create impressive dashboards and What-If analyses Understand the fundamentals of effective visualization Visualize performance comparisons Visualize changes and trends over time

The go to resource for how to use Excel dashboards and reports to better conceptualize data Many Excel books do an adequate job of discussing the individual functions and tools that can be used to create an “Excel Report.” What they don’t offer is the most effective ways to present and report data. Offering a comprehensive review of a wide array of technical and analytical concepts, Excel Reports and Dashboards helps Excel users go from reporting data with simple tables full of dull numbers, to presenting key information through the use of high-impact, meaningful reports and dashboards that will wow management both visually and substantively. Details how to analyze large amounts of data and report the results in a meaningful, eye-catching visualization Describes how to use different perspectives to achieve better visibility into data, as well as how to slice data into various views on the fly Shows how to automate redundant reporting and analyses Part technical manual, part analytical guidebook, Excel Dashboards and Reports is the latest addition to the Mr. Spreadsheet’s Bookshelf series and is the leading resource for learning to create dashboard reports in an easy-to-use format that’s both visually attractive and effective.

Learn to use Excel dashboards and reports to better conceptualize data Updated for all the latest features and capabilities of Excel 2013, this go-to resource provides you with in-depth coverage of the individual functions and tools that can be used to create compelling Excel reports. Veteran author Michael Alexander walks you through the most effective ways to present and report data. Featuring a comprehensive review of a wide array of technical and analytical concepts, this essential guide helps you go from reporting data with simple tables full of dull numbers to presenting key information through the use of high-impact, meaningful reports and dashboards that will wow management both visually and substantively. Details how to analyze large amounts of data and report the results in a way that is both visually attractive and effective Describes how to use different perspectives to achieve better visibility into data, as well as how to slice data into various views on the fly Shows how to automate redundant reporting and analysis processes Walks you through creating impressive dashboards, eye-catching visualizations, and real-world What-If analyses Excel Dashboards and Reports, Second Edition is part technical manual, part analytical guidebook, and exactly what you need to become your organization's dashboard dynamo!

This book takes a hands-on approach to developing dashboards, from instructing users on advanced Excel techniques to addressing dashboard pitfalls common in the real world. Dashboards for Excel is your key to creating informative, actionable, and interactive dashboards and decision support systems. Throughout the book, the reader is challenged to think about Excel and data analytics differently—that is, to think outside the cell. This book shows you how to create dashboards in Excel quickly and effectively. In this book, you learn how to: Apply data visualization principles for more effective dashboards Employ dynamic charts and tables to create dashboards that are constantly up-to-date and providing fresh information Use understated yet powerful formulas for Excel development Apply advanced Excel techniques mixing formulas and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to create interactive dashboards Create dynamic systems for decision support in your organization Avoid common problems in Excel development and dashboard creation Get started with the Excel data model, PowerPivot, and Power Query

What’s the use of putting out reports that no one reads? Properly created dashboards are graphical representations that put data in a context for your audience, and they look really cool! How cool? You’ll find out when you see the dazzling examples in Excel 2007 Dashboards & Reports For Dummies. And, before long, everyone’s eyes will be riveted to your dashboards and reports too! This revolutionary guide shows you how to turn Excel into your own personal Business Intelligence tool. You’ll learn the fundamentals of using Excel 2007 to go beyond simple tables to creating dashboard-studded reports that wow management. Get ready to catch dashboard fever as you find out how to use basic analysis techniques, build advanced dashboard components, implement advanced reporting techniques, and import external date into your Excel reports. Discover how to: Unleash the power of Excel as a business intelligence tool Create dashboards that communicate and get noticed Think about your data in a new way Present data more effectively and increase the value of your reports Create dynamic labels that support visualization Represent time and seasonal trending Group and bucket data Display and measure values versus goals Implement macro-charged reporting Using Excel 2007 as a BI tool is the most cost-efficient way for organizations of any size create powerful and insightful reports and distribute throughout the enterprise. And Excel 2007 Dashboards and Reports for Dummies is the fastest you for you to catch dashboard fever!

Create dynamic dashboards and put your data on display with For Dummies No matter what business you’re in, reports have become a staple of the workplace, but what good is a report if no reads it, or even worse, understands it? This all new edition of Excel Dashboards & Reports For Dummies is here to help you make meaning of all your data and turn it into clear and actionable visualizations. Fully updated for the latest business intelligence and spreadsheet tools in Excel 2013, this book shows you how to analyze large amounts of data, quickly slice data into various views on the fly, automate redundant reporting, create eye-catching visualizations, and more. Helps you move beyond reporting data with simple tables, rows, and columns to designing high-impact reports, dashboards, and visuals Walks you through a wide array of technical and analytical concepts to give you the background you need to select the right tool for interpreting and displaying data Covers how to build a chart, work with pivot tables, group and bucket your data, represent trends, create What-If analyses, and increase the value of your reports Excel Dashboards & Reports For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the business analysis tool you need to transform your raw data into a powerful and effective presentation that is accessible to everyone.

Make the most of your data using the power of Excel When you think of data, do you think of endless rows and columns in spreadsheets? Excel Dashboards and Reports For Dummies, 3rd Edition shows you how to make the most of your data—and puts an end to mind-numbing spreadsheets by exploring new ways to conceptualize and present key information. There's often a gap between handling data and synthesizing it into meaningful reports, and this approachable text bridges this gap with quick and accessible information that answers key questions, like how to meaningfully capture data trends, how to show relationships in data, and when it's better to show variances than actual data values. As a leading spreadsheet application, Microsoft Excel is the go-to data software. This tool allows you to use dashboard reports that leverage gauges, maps, charts, sliders, and other visual elements to present complex data in a manner that's easy to understand. Using Excel dashboards effectively can improve your professional capabilities by leaps and bounds. Analyze and report on large amounts of data in a meaningful way Look at data from different perspectives, and better visualize the information you're presenting by quickly slicing data on the fly Automate redundant reporting and analysis functions, making your data analysis and reporting routine more efficient Create visualizations, dashboards, and what-if analyses that are as visually appealing as they are substantial Excel Dashboards and Reports For Dummies, 3rd Edition is a fantastic resource if you're looking to spice up your reporting!

The definitive reference book with real-world solutions you won't find anywhere else The Big Book of Dashboards presents a comprehensive reference for those tasked with building or overseeing the development of business dashboards. Comprising dozens of examples that address different industries and departments (healthcare, transportation, finance, human resources, marketing, customer service, sports, etc.) and different platforms (print, desktop, tablet, smartphone, and conference room display) The Big Book of Dashboards is the only book that matches great dashboards with real-world business scenarios. By organizing the book based on these scenarios and offering practical and effective visualization examples, The Big Book of Dashboards will be the trusted resource that you open when you need to build an effective business dashboard. In addition to the scenarios there's an entire section of the book that is devoted to addressing many practical and psychological factors you will encounter in your work. It's great to have theory and evidenced-based research at your disposal, but what will you do when somebody asks you to make your dashboard 'cooler' by adding packed bubbles and donut charts? The expert authors have a combined 30-plus years of hands-on experience helping people in hundreds of organizations build effective visualizations. They have fought many 'best practices' battles and having endured bring an uncommon empathy to help you, the reader of this book, survive and thrive in the data visualization world. A well-designed dashboard can point out risks, opportunities, and more; but common challenges and misconceptions can make your dashboard useless at best, and misleading at worst. The Big Book of Dashboards gives you the tools, guidance, and models you need to produce great dashboards that inform, enlighten, and engage.