Essentials of the executive dashboard

Build in five steps your Executive Dashboard with Microsoft Excel

Essentials of the executive dashboard ISBN: 9782212540840 228 p Eyrolles

Market Management controllers and project managers, as well as a wider audience of decision-makers.

Content :Essentials of the executive dashboard

Résumé

The methodology suggested in this book uses the most recent principles of designing excutive dashboards to adapt them to the managers needs.
Rapidity and completion at low cost are the two top priorities.
Written by the author of the reference book on the subject, this practical guide will bring to the reader :

• a methodology for designing an executive dashboard in 5 steps and 14 tools,
• the keys for building a dashboard with Microsoft Excel in 5 phases and 14 pratical sheets.
• All the examples as well as a full executive dashboard, are available on the dedicated website of the author,
• invaluable points of reference with a list of Questions/Answers.

A chronicle about performance, complex projects, decision-making or not and about decision help shown in a rather wide dimension : real-life experience, fundamental thoughts, concepts into practice, technology, new tools and methods in action.

Author

As a projects manager, expert or consultant, Alain Fernandez lived on the inside through the evolution of the enterprise projects during the last 20 years in France and in Europe. During his career, he trained many projects managers. Nowadays he is an international consultant. He wrote several books.

Summary

Introduction

A methodology in 5 steps and 14 tools to quickly build an effective executive dashboard
How to use Microsoft Excel to build one's executive dashboard in 14 practical sheets

An executive dashboard for managing

Extended decision-making is a basic precondition of a performing company
Essential functions of an executive dashboard
A methodology in 5 steps and 14 tools

First part : Designing the executive dashboard en 5 steps

• Step 1 : Selecting progress axes
  Objective of the present step
  Strategy or the know-how to affirm one's difference
  Main tools
  • Tool 1 : Identifying main sources of income
  • Tool 2 : Placing the company on its own market
  • Tool 3 : Estimating client expectations
  • Tool 4 : Locating main levers
  • Tool 5 : Estimating and Selecting progress axes
• Step 2 : Determining the points of intervention
  Objective of the present step
  Some definitions : Activities and processes
  Main tools
  
  • Tool 6 : Identifying activities and critical prossesses
• Step 3 : Selecting the objectives
  Objective of the present step
  Some fundamental principles
  Main tools
  • Tool 7 : Selecting objectives
  • Tool 8 : Measuring risks
  • Tool 9 : Elaborating plans of action

• Step 4 : Selecting indicators
  Objective of the present step
  The executive dashboard is a personal instrument
  Main tools
  • Tool 10 : Choosing indicators
  • Tool 11 : Presenting the indicator on the workstation
• Step 5 : Giving structure to the executive dashboard
  Objective of the present step
  The four essential qualities of an efficient executive dashboard
  Main tools
  • Tool 12 : Building the executive dashboard (signalization)
  • Tool 13 : Organizing the executive dashboard (analysis and prospecting)
  • Tool 14 : Maintaining the executive dashboard

Second Part - Building one's executive dashboard with Excel

• Phase 1 : Booster shot
  A brief survey of Excel principles
  
  • Practical sheet 1 : Excel principle and structure
  • Practical sheet 2 : Using formulas and functions
• Phase 2 : Building the signalization worksheet
  • Practical sheet 3 : Building indicators
  • Practical sheet 4 : Professionalizing worksheets display
  • Practical sheet 5 : Defining accesses to details views
• Phase 3 : Building analysis worksheets
  • Practical sheet 6 : Using the right chart to display information
  • Practical sheet 7 : Using the mapping tool to analyse
• Phase 4 : Building prospecting worksheets
  • Practical sheet 8 : Using scenarios
  • Practical sheet 9 : Using Solver
  • Practical sheet 10 : Using dynamic pivot tables
• Phase 5 : Finalizing the executive dashboard
  • Practical sheet 11 : Using macros and personalized functions to automate and standardize the executive dashboards
  • Practical sheet 12 : Using the programmed indicators
  • Practical sheet 13 : Connecting an Excel worksheet to an external database
  • Practical sheet 14 : Using an OLAP database

Some answers to questions any designer is untitled to ask himself

• The strategic approach (Step 1)
• Identification of processes (Step 2)
• Specifying tactics (Step 3)
• Choosing indicators (Step 4)
• Building the executive dashboard (Step 5)

Bibliographical references

 

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