About the Author -- About the Technical Editor -- Contents at a Glance -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- What You Need to Know -- What You Need to Have -- Conventions in This Book -- How This Book Is Organized -- About the Companion Web Site -- About the Power Utility Pak Offer -- Reach Out -- Part I: Moving from Spreadsheets to Dashboards -- Chapter 1: Introducing Dashboards -- What are Dashboards and Reports? -- Establish the User Requirements -- A Quick Look at Dashboard Design Principles -- Key Questions to Ask Before Distributing Your Dashboard -- Chapter 2: Developing Your Data Model -- Building a Data Model -- Data Model Best Practices -- Excel Functions for Your Data Model -- Working with Excel Tables -- Part II: Excel Chart Basics -- Chapter 3: Introducing Excel Charts -- What Is a Chart? -- How Excel Handles Charts -- Parts of a Chart -- Basic Steps for Creating a Chart -- Working with Charts -- Chapter 4: Understanding Chart Types -- Conveying a Message with a Chart -- Choosing a Chart Type -- Excel's Chart Types -- Creating Combination Charts -- Creating and Using Chart Templates -- Chapter 5: Working with Chart Series -- Specifying the Data for Your Chart -- Adding a New Series to a Chart -- Deleting a Chart Series -- Modifying the Data Range for a Chart Series -- Understanding Series Names -- Adjusting the Series Plot Order -- Charting a Noncontiguous Range -- Using Series on Different Sheets -- Handling Missing Data -- Controlling a Data Series by Hiding Data -- Unlinking a Chart Series from Its Data Range -- Working with Multiple Axes -- Chapter 6: Formatting and Customizing Charts -- Chart Formatting Overview -- Adjusting Fills and Borders: General Procedures -- Formatting Chart Background Elements -- Formatting Chart Series -- Working with Chart Titles -- Working with a Chart's Legend -- Working with Chart Axes.

Working with Gridlines -- Working with Data Labels -- Working with a Chart Data Table -- Part III: Going Beyond Tables and Charts -- Chapter 7: Using Pivot Tables -- Introducing the Pivot Table -- Customizing Your Pivot Table -- Examples of Filtering Your Data -- Chapter 8: Using Pivot Charts -- Getting Started with Pivot Charts -- Working with Pivot Charts -- More Pivot Chart Examples -- Creating a Frequency Distribution Chart -- Chapter 9: Using Excel Sparklines -- Introducing Sparklines -- Creating Sparklines -- Customizing Sparklines -- Chapter 10: Chartless Visualization Techniques -- Dynamic Labels -- Linking Formulas to Text Boxes -- Excel's Camera Tool -- Formula-Driven Labels -- Part IV: Creating Advanced Dashboard Components -- Chapter 11: Components that Show Trending -- Trending Dos and Don'ts -- Comparative Trending -- Emphasizing Periods of Time -- Other Trending Techniques -- Chapter 12: Components that Group Data -- Listing Top and Bottom Values -- Using Histograms to Track Relationships and Frequency -- Emphasizing Top Values in Charts -- Chapter 13: Components that Show Performance against a Target -- Showing Performance with Variances -- Showing Performance against Organizational Trends -- Using a Thermometer-Style Chart -- Using a Bullet Graph -- Showing Performance against a Target Range -- Part V: Automating Your Dashboards and Reports -- Chapter 14: Macro-Charged Reporting -- Why Use a Macro? -- Introducing the Macro Recorder -- Enabling Macros in Excel 2010 -- Excel Macro Examples -- Chapter 15: Adding Interactive Controls to Your Dashboard -- Getting Started with Form Controls -- Using the Button Control -- Using the Check Box Control -- Using the Option Button Control -- Using the Combo Box Control -- Using the List Box Control -- Part VI: Working with the Outside World.

Chapter 16: Importing Microsoft Access Data into Excel -- The Drag-and-Drop Method -- The Microsoft Access Export Wizard -- The Get External Data Icon -- Microsoft Query -- Chapter 17: Sharing Your Work with the Outside World -- Securing Your Dashboards and Reports -- Linking Your Excel Dashboards to PowerPoint -- Distributing Your Dashboards Via a PDF -- Index.