Looking to learn how to create a dashboard in Excel?
Gathering data is an essential process to better understand how your projects are moving. And what better way to manage all that data than spreadsheets?
However, data on its own is just a bunch of numbers. đ
To make it accessible, you need dashboards.
In this article, weâll learn about Excel dashboards.
Weâll go over the steps to create one and also highlight a smoother alternative to the entire process.
This Article Contains:
- What Is A Excel Dashboard?
- 7 Steps To Create A Dashboard In Excel
- 3 Excel Dashboard Templates
- 3 Limitations of Using Excel Dashboards
- Create Effortless Dashboards With ClickUp
- Case Study: How ClickUp Dashboards Help Teams
- Help you Team Excel With ClickUp Dashboards
Letâs start.
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What Is A Excel Dashboard?
A dashboard is a visual representation of KPIs, key business metrics, and other complex data in a way thatâs easy to understand.
Letâs be real, raw data and numbers are essential, but theyâre super boring.
Thatâs why you need to make that data accessible.
What you need is a Microsoft Excel dashboard.
Luckily, you can create both a static or dynamic dashboard in Excel.
Whatâs the difference?
Static dashboards simply highlight data from a specific timeframe. It never changes.
On the other hand, dynamic dashboards are updated daily to keep up with changes.
So what are the benefits of creating an Excel dashboard?
Similar to Google Sheets dashboards, letâs a look at some of them:
- Gives you a detailed overview of your businessâ Key Performance Indicators at a glance
- Adds a sense of accountability as different people and departments can see the areas of improvement
- Provides powerful analytical capabilities and complex calculations
- Helps you make better decisions for your business
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7 Steps To Create A Dashboard In Excel
Hereâs a simple step-by-step guide on how to create a dashboard in Excel.
Step 1: Import the necessary data into Excel
No data. No dashboard.
So the first thing to do is to bring data into Microsoft Excel.
If your data already exists in Excel, do a victory dance đ because youâre lucky you can skip this step.
If that isnât the case, weâve got to warn you that importing data to Excel can be a bit bothersome. However, there are multiple ways to do it.
To import data, you can:
- Copy and paste it
- Use an API like Supermetrics or Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
- Use Microsoft Power Query, an Excel add-in
The most suitable way will ultimately depend on your data file type, and you may have to research the best ways to import data into Excel.
Step 2: Set up your workbook
Now that your data is in Excel, itâs time to insert tabs to set up your workbook.
Open a new Excel workbook and add two or more worksheets (or tabs) to it.
For example, letâs say we create three tabs.
Name the first worksheet as âRaw Data,â the second as âChart Data,â and the third as âDashboard.â
This makes it easy to compare the data in your Excel file.
Here, weâve collected raw data of four projects: A, B, C, and D.
The data includes:
- The month of completion
- The budget for each project
- The number of team members that worked on each project
Bonus: How to create an org chart in Excel & How to Make a Waterfall Chart in Excel!
Step 3: Add raw data to a table
The raw data worksheet you created in your workbook must be in an Excel table format, with each data point recorded in cells.
Some people call this step âcleaning your dataâ because this is the time to spot any typos or in-your-face errors.
Donât skip this, or you wonât be able to use any Excel formula later on.
Step 4: Data analysis
While this step might just tire your brain out, itâll help create the right dashboard for your needs.
Take a good look at all the raw data youâve gathered, study it, and determine what you want to use in the dashboard sheet.
Add those data points to your âChart Dataâ worksheet.
For example, we want our chart to highlight the project name, the month of completion, and the budget. So we copy these three Excel data columns and paste them into the chart data tab.
Hereâs a tip: Ask yourself what the purpose of the dashboard is.
In our example, we want to visualize the expenses of different projects.
Knowing the purpose should ease the job and help you filter out all the unnecessary data.
Analyzing your data will also help you understand the different tools you may want to use in your dashboard.
Some of the options include:
- Charts: to visualize data
- Excel formulas: for complex calculations and filtering
- Conditional formatting: to automate the spreadsheetâs responses to specific data points
- PivotTable: to sort, reorganize, count, group, and sum data in a table
- Power Pivot: to create data models and work with large data sets
Bonus: How to Display a Work Breakdown Structure in Excel & How to Use Excel for Capacity Planning
Step 5: Determine the visuals
Whatâs a dashboard without visuals, right?
The next step is to determine the visuals and the dashboard design that best represents your data.
You should mainly pay attention to the different chart types Excel gives you, like:
- Bar chart: compare values on a graph with bars
- Waterfall chart: view how an initial value increases and decreases through a series of alterations to reach an end value
- Gauge chart: represent data in a dial. Also known as a speedometer chart
- Pie chart: highlight percentages and proportional data
- Gantt chart: track project progress
- Dynamic chart: automatically update a data range
- Pivot chart: summarize your data in a table full of statistics
Step 6: Create your Excel dashboard
You now have all the data you need, and you know the purpose of the dashboard.
The only thing left to do is build the Excel dashboard.
To explain the process of creating a dashboard in Excel, weâll use a clustered column chart.
A clustered column chart consists of clustered, horizontal columns that represent more than one data series.
Start by clicking on the dashboard worksheet or tab that you created in your workbook.
Then click on âInsertâ > âColumnâ > âClustered column chartâ.
See the blank box? Thatâs where youâll feed your spreadsheet data.
Just right-click on the blank box and then click on âSelect dataâ
Then, go to your âChart Dataâ tab and select the data you wish to display on your dashboard.
Make sure you donât select the column headers while selecting the data.
Hit enter, and voila, youâve created a column chart dashboard.
If you notice your horizontal axis doesnât represent what you want, you can edit it.
All you have to do is: select the chart again > right-click > select data.
The Select Data Source dialogue box will appear.
Here, you can click on âEditâ in the âHorizontal (Category) Axis Labelsâ and then select the data you want to show on the X-axis from the âChart Dataâ tab again.
Want to give a title to your chart?
Select the chart and then click on Design > chart layouts. Choose a layout that has a chart title text box.
Click on the text box to type in a new title.
Step 7: Customize your dashboard
Another step?
You can also customize the colors, fonts, typography, and layouts of your charts.
Additionally, if you wish to make an interactive dashboard, go for a dynamic chart.
A dynamic chart is a regular Excel chart where data updates automatically as you change the data source.
You can bring interactivity using Excel features like:
- Macros: automate repetitive actions (you may have to learn Excel VBA for this)
- Drop-down lists: allow quick and limited data entry
- Slicers: lets you filter data on a Pivot Table
And weâre done. Congratulations! đ
Now you know how to make a dashboard in Excel.
We know what youâre thinking: do I really need these steps when I could just use templates?
Bonus: Create a flowchart using Excel!
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3 Excel Dashboard Templates
Excel is no beauty queen. And its scary formulas đ» make it complicated for many.
No wonder people look for a quality advanced Excel or Excel dashboard course online.
Donât worry.
Save yourself the trouble with these handy downloadable Microsoft Excel dashboard templates.
1. Excel KPI dashboard template
Download this Excel revenue and expense KPI dashboard template.
2. Excel Project management dashboard template
Download this Excel project dashboard template.
3. Sales dashboard template
Download this free sales Excel dashboard template.
However, note that most Excel templates available on the web arenât reliable, and itâs difficult to spot the ones thatâll work.
Most importantly, Microsoft Excel isnât a perfect tool for creating dashboards.
Hereâs why:
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3 Limitations of Using Excel Dashboards
Excel may be the go-to tool for many businesses for all kinds of data.
However, that doesnât make it an ideal medium for creating dashboards.
Hereâs why:
1. A ton of manual data feeding
Youâve probably seen some great Excel workbooks over time.
Theyâre so clean and organized with just data after data and several charts.
But thatâs what you see. đ
Ask the person who made the Excel sheets, and theyâll tell you how theyâve aged twice while making an Excel dashboard, and they probably hate their job because of it.
Itâs just too much manual effort for feeding data.
And we live in a world where robots do surgeries on humans!
2. High possibilities of human error
As your business grows, so does your data.
And more data means opportunities for human error.
Whether itâs a typo that changed the number â5â to the letter âTâ or an error in the formula, itâs so easy to mess up data on Excel.
If only it were that easy to create an Excel dashboard instead.
3. Limited integrations
Integrating your software with other apps allows you to multitask and expand your scope of work. It also saves you the time spent toggling between windows.
However, you canât do this on Excel, thanks to its limited direct integration abilities.
The only option you have is to take the help of third-party apps like Zapier.
Thatâs like using one app to be able to use another.
Want to find out more ways in which Excel dashboards flop?
Check out our article on Excel project management and Excel alternatives.
This begs the question: why go through so much trouble to create a dashboard?
Life would be much easier if there were software that created dashboards with just a few clicks.
And no, you donât have to find a Genie to make such wishes come true. đ§
You have something better in the real world, ClickUp, the worldâs highest-rated productivity tool!
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Create Effortless Dashboards With ClickUp
ClickUp is the place to be for all things project management.
Whether you want to track projects and tasks, need a reporting tool, or manage resources, ClickUp can handle it.
Most importantly, it is THE tool for quick and easy dashboard creation.
So how easy are we talking?
As easy as three steps that are literally just mouse clicks.
ClickUpâs Dashboards are where youâll get accurate and valuable insights and reports on projects, resources, tasks, Sprints, and more.
Once youâve enabled the Dashboards ClickApp:
- Click on the Dashboards icon that youâll find in your sidebar
- Click on â+â to add a Dashboard
- Click â+ Add Widgetsâ to pull in your data
Now that was super easy, right?
To power up your dashboard, here are some widgets youâll need and love:
- Status Widgets: visualize your task statuses over time, workload, number of tasks, etc.
- Table Widgets: view reports on completed tasks, tasks worked on, and overdue tasks
- Embed Widgets: access other apps and websites right from your dashboard
- Time Tracking Widgets: view all kinds of time reports such as billable reports, timesheets, time tracked, and more
- Priority Widgets: visualize tasks on charts based on their urgencies
- Custom Widgets: whether you want to visualize your work in the form of a line chart, pie chart, calculated sums, and averages, or portfolios, you can customize it as you wish
Donât forget the Sprint Widgets on ClickUpâs Dashboards.
Use them to gain insights on sprints, a must-have feature for your Agile and Scrum projects.
Itâs an easy way to enjoy full control and a complete overview of every happening in your Agile workflow.
You can even access ClickUp Dashboards on the go, right on your mobile devices.
We will soon release Dashboard Templates as well, just to add more convenience to whatâs already super easy.
Youâre welcome! đ
Need some help creating a project management dashboard?
Check out our simple guide on how to build a dashboard.
Hereâs a tiny glimpse of some of our cool features:
- ClickUp Views: enjoy different task view options, including Table view, Board view, Gantt Chart view, Activity view, etc.
- Automations: automate routine tasks with Triggers and Actions
- Team Templates: project templates for all teams, including sales, real estate, and event planning
- Multiple Assignees: assign tasks to more than one person or even an entire Team
- Permissions: protect sensitive data with custom permissions for both Guests and members
- Integrations: integrate easily with your favorite apps, including Slack, Harvest, Google Drive, and more
- Offline Mode: manage agile and scrum projects even when the internet is down
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Case Study: How ClickUp Dashboards Help Teams
ClickUp Dashboards are designed to bring all of your most important metrics into one place. Check out this customer story from Wake Forest University to see how they improved reporting and alignment with ClickUp Dashboards:
Whatever you need to measure, ClickUpâs Dashboard is the perfect way to get a real-time overview of your organizationâs performance.
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Help you Team Excel With ClickUp Dashboards
While you can use Excel to create dashboards, itâs no guarantee that your journey will be smooth, fast, or error-free.
The only place to guarantee all that is ClickUp!
Itâs your all-in-one project management and dashboard reporting replacement for Excel dashboards and even MS Excel spreadsheets.
Why wait when you can create unlimited tasks, automate your work, track progress, and gain insightful reports with a single tool?
Get ClickUp for free today and create complex dashboards in the simplest of ways!
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