Want to develop an executive dashboard...

[Gruuuu]

I've been tossing the idea of a customizable dashboard around in my head for some time lately. I've done a bit of reading, and I'm sure I could do some more regarding concepts and practices.

What I'm interested in now is figuring out what technology and software to use. The vitally important goals include: Customization, Stability, Speed
Customization: I want the users to be able to select what data they wish to see, and how they wish to see it
Stability: The system must work. This is an obvious pick
Speed: Does not need to be sub-second return time, but less than 5 seconds is, I think, reasonable

I'm fairly certain that using just Excel, VBA, and Access Databases on a network folder, that this goal can be accomplished. I was really hoping to utilize the charting techniques common to dashboards, such as Sparklines and/or MicroCharts. However a quick foray into the world of minuscule charting has proven to be quirky and unstable, which violates goal #2.

Question 1: Am I just being a sissy, do these tools work fine if I just buckle down and learn to use them?

Question 2: Is my approach to delivering this data overly simplistic? Am I missing a step? Am I about to step neck-deep into unnecessary headache?

Ok, so that was 5 questions.

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

There are ways to make a workbook interactive with little or no VBA (macro) code, using Forms controls and several data validation lists.

These controls can be used to focus the data, for tables, charts and other reports.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[Tatertot45]

In my opinion, this could be like jumping off the deep end, not knowing of the pool is full. Here is my advice: Start with the End in Mind. know what you want to deliver, be specific. the tools you choose will depend on what you want to do. Do you want to open a cube of data for users to access, or do you want to present a few dashboards? Dashboards, to me, mean limited data manipulation by endusers, very limited. however, you mention letting users be able to choose the data they want to see. which is it, dashboard or database access? how much control do you want, versus how much freedom do endusers get?

I am a BA that specializes in this kind of stuff. If you are a programmer, this is going to hurt. you will get requests for every possible flavor of data. Trust me.

Tatertot45
CRCP
Network+
A+

 

[Gruuuu]

Skip: that's what I was hoping. And honestly I would expect to only use VBA to write dynamic SQL statements in order to cut down on any calculation time.


Tatertot, maybe I should communicate with the executives to determine what limits there should be?

i.e. VP dictates what his subordinates need to see, and that's that?

 

[GlennUK]

I agree with Skip, in that you can do an awful lot without using VBA. ( I try to tell that to people sometimes, and they think that only if I'm doing VBA for them are they getting their moneys worth, duh! )

Cheers, Glenn.

Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.