Hello Mynda & My online training hub team 🙂
I have a quick question on dashboard structure. I'm currently starting to work on an interactive dashboard for talent and development. The intention is to display info about the training's that we will provide during this calendar year we have different metrics such as by region, gender, completion, and other metrics. However; I'm having trouble on how to structure the raw data so that then I can move forward with the pivot table and connect the dashboard with visuals. Do you have any recommendations on what would be the best structure to present it so that it will facilitate and let the audience see what they want to measure?
Once I have the document with more information I will share for your review. For now I just need guidance or if you have examples would be amazing!
Any recommendations and guidance will be greatly appreciate!
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris
When creating any dashboard, I have a few guidelines that I will follow:
1) Output will determine the input.
What your audience wants will determine the fields that you will require. So go talk to your audience.
2) Raw data must be in a tabular format and in an Excel Table.
This will allow any changes to be easily updated to the Pivot Table.
3) Use a Pivot Table to analyse the data and slicers to link and filter them.
4) Create Pivot Charts for the dashboard.
The planning stage (1 and 2) is the most critical as any changes/omissions will result in wastage of time to recreate the Pivot Table and dashboard.
Hope this helps.
Sunny
Thanks Sunny!
Mainly we want to measure: Region, Attendance, # of training's, category of training, Management level, gender, target, per quarter (Q1, Q2, etc), and only analyzing this current year. Any suggestions on the tabular table?
My second question, I just started the course, but is more related to the dashboard dynamic. How do you link the pivot table data with the one page dashboard? I'm kind of lost in that part. I have no problem in creating the pivot but how can you connect and also add slicers within the dashboard to make it more interactive and be able to display the results per quarter and the months that correspond to this specific time frame? Also, is it possible to add a feature within the dashboard that indicates you like important insight analysis of the info you are showing?
Best,
Chris
Hi Chris
How you create the dashboard is up to individual preferences.
I usually have "pretty formatting" on them like images etc as the boss like to see them. I know this practice is frown upon but the boss is always right 
Refer to my example attached for some ideas (without the images of course).
Basically I prefer creating my PT in different sheets (easier to refer to if I have many PT)
I then create the charts for each sheet, cut and paste them to the Dashboard sheet.
Then insert the slicers and link them to the PTs
If you are taking the Dashboard course, you will be taught all these.
But if you are in a rush then you can go to MOTH's blog and search for Slicers.
There are tons of detail there on this subject.
Not clear about "add a feature within the dashboard that indicates you like important insight analysis of the info you are showing"
What do you mean by that?
Good luck.
Sunny
Thanks Sunny!
This example is very helpful! I'm currently taking the dashboard course. As for the feature that displays insights, I want to know if its possible to put for each metric like main highlights?
Thanks for the assistance!
Something like this?
