The way you examine business or commercial data can be completely changed by building an automated and interactive Excel Dashboard for a Shoe Brand. Using the Nike Zoom Fly 5 shoe as an example, we will examine how to construct such a dashboard in this article. In addition to improving your data visualization abilities, this procedure offers a thorough and transparent approach to effectively handle and comprehend business analytics.

Importance of Data Cleaning and Structuring
It’s critical to comprehend the significance of cleansing and organizing your data before creating the dashboard. Reliable analyses are built on the foundation of clean data. Logically arrange numerical and category data first. Make sure, for example, that the categories “Country” and “Year” are arranged in a way that makes sense for the analysis you’re doing. This first categorization aids in facilitating the data’s accessibility and ease of comprehension for subsequent processing.
Knaflic (2015) asserts that effective data architecture is essential to using data to make stories. Examining your data to find any flaws or discrepancies is the first step. For computations, for instance, translating non-numeric data into numeric representations can be essential. It is easier to read and manipulate data when categories are on the left and numerical data is on the right.
Converting Raw Data into Tables and Pivot Tables
The next step is to transform your clean data into tables and pivot tables. Excel tables are strong tools that facilitate fast changes and automation. Select your data and add a table format to build a table. This stage is crucial because it creates the framework for pivot tables, which present data in a way that is easier to understand.
You can do a variety of statistical analysis and create summaries with pivot tables. Pivot tables, for example, can be used to examine profit margins, overall sales, and sales by nation. These summaries offer a high-level overview of the information, which facilitates the identification of patterns and trends. Pivot tables, according to Burns and Burns (2008), are very useful in data analysis because they make it possible to summarize data dynamically and create reports that are easy to understand.
Customizing Visualizations for Enhanced Understanding
One of the most important aspects of developing your dashboard is making visualizations. Visualizations assist in converting unstructured data into insightful knowledge. Determine important indicators first, such as overall sales, sales by nation, and profit margins. Utilize these measurements to produce graphs and charts that provide the data a clear visual representation.
Equally crucial is tailoring your visualizations to the needs of your intended audience. Think about what your viewers should quickly see. For example, a big, noticeable representation of the total sales might give context right away. Few (2012) states that clear communication of the data story and customization to the audience’s needs are essential components of good visualizations.
Using Slicers for Dynamic Filtering
Use slicers to add interactivity to your dashboard. Slicers give users the ability to dynamically filter data, giving them a more individualized perspective of the information. Users can see how the data changes by clicking on various slicers, making the experience more interactive and interesting. This feature is especially helpful for presentations since it lets the presenter draw attention to select data points depending on questions from the audience.
Ensuring Automated Updates
Automating changes is a major benefit of utilizing tables and pivot tables in Excel. Without human input, the dashboard ought to update automatically whenever the raw data does. Time is saved, and there is less chance of error, thanks to automation. Your charts and graphs will immediately update to reflect any changes made to the raw data when you link your visualizations to the underlying tables and pivot tables.
Cleaning and organizing data, transforming raw data into tables and pivot tables, personalizing visuals, and utilizing slicers for dynamic filtering are all essential elements in creating an interactive Excel dashboard. These methods will help you build an automated dashboard that is both comprehensive and improves your capacity to display and evaluate business data. In addition to enhancing data visualization, this procedure guarantees that your research is precise, current, and catered to the requirements of your audience.