Steer Your Organization Right

There are any number of software companies who want help you manage your organization by using their business intelligence programs. Often referred to as executive dashboards, these programs help organizations focus on both successful and problematic aspects of their operations so they can make ongoing positive improvements by identifying what is wrong and applying the lessons from what is right.

While I’m sure some of these programs do a fine job, often their cost and complexity put those programs out of reach for many organizations, so the businesses don’t implement those excellent tools.

Businesses continue to operate without the benefit of these tools that are often referred to as executive dashboards.

That’s a real shame, because your organization doesn’t need highly complex, expensive software to get the job done.

Powerful Business Intelligence is Within Your Reach

You can build it yourself with the tools you already have: Excel and Monarch.

That’s right. With no additional cost, and just a few hours of your time, you can build a small system that you’ll use and rely upon to focus on the topics that are of utmost importance to your organization.

Your system will be quick to update with current data. It will convey meaningful trends and values with pin-point accuracy. It will be straightforward for your users to use and understand.

“How can this be?” you ask. “There’s no way.”

I assure you that not only can it be done but also that you’re the one who’s going to get it done. You don’t need a team of IT professionals. You won’t even need to write a single line of program code.

It’s Really Quite Simple

At this point I could begin describing the steps and tools you need to handle the data and present it nicely with Excel. But that wouldn’t be in my best interest (too much effort) or yours. You see, someone else has already done that.

Go visit Microsoft Excel MVP Charley Kyd’s web site, ExcelUser.com, and buy his excellent e-book “Dashboard Reporting with Excel“. Come back here when you’ve got it. Go do it now; it just takes a couple of minutes. I’ll wait.

OK, welcome back. Congratulations! You’ve just acquired in minutes the knowledge that many people took years to learn. Now you just need to read it!

Charley’s book will give you the specific Excel skills you need. Odds are that you already knew about many of those Excel features (and discovered some new ones), but you may not have used them in the manner that Charley describes.

In and of itself, Charley’s book is a great resource. It describes how to handle your data to achieve the end result you’re after. But you need the data in the first place before you can even get started with the Excel work.

Of course, that’s where Monarch comes in. There’s no better tool - a tool that everyone can use to generate the data required for a nice comprehensive dashboard report - than Monarch.

I won’t pull any punches now though. Getting the right end result in your dashboard report might take combining all of your finely tuned Monarch skills: extracting data, using calculated fields and filters, exporting data, project file management.

Finally brush up on your Monarch Summary building skills. Here’s a hint: get comfortable with laying out key fields values displayed across the screen.

Explicit Graphic Warning!

There’s a final tip to discuss on this topic, and that is in regard to the charts you prepare. In my opinion, Excel benefits you with a healthy range of charting tools. But it also punishes you with some of the worst default settings ever seen in modern software.

As is often the case in virtually all fields of specialty, there are a number of experts on the topic of what I’ll refer to as visual communication. Because of his easy to read style and well explained analysis, I’ll recommend that you visit the web site of Stephen Few .

If you follow Mr. Few’s advice, you’ll be certain that your charts will communicate their subject matter clearly and succinctly. While it may take a little more effort the benefits are significant.

Make it so, Number One!

My point here is simply this: You can do this.

All it takes is three things:

  1. A clear understanding of what your organization would benefit most from in terms of focused monitoring.
  2. Skills with Monarch to get the data you need to spotlight.
  3. Skills with Excel to pull it together and present it nicely.

I didn’t say it was easy. I said it was simple.

I think you’ve got what it takes to not only do this but do it right. Do you?

Tell us your story. I’d love to hear about your dashboard reporting accomplishments, and how you’ve learned to excel with Monarch.