iPad – Executive Dashboard Development

Don Tomoff, MBA, CPA don@invenioadvisorsllc.com LinkedIn Profile | Company Facebook Page @invenioadvisors Download | Bus. Card | Company Overview

Why Dashboards? Typical Business Challenges Disparate processes Poor visibility into information and key

metrics Lack of timely, consistent reporting among

executives monitoring business Technology challenge – multiple

systems/platforms that generate reporting information

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Why Dashboards? Well designed executive dashboards help you

monitor business performance and key metrics Eliminates the “clutter” from financial reports,

enabling an executive or management team to quickly keep a pulse on the business

Enables easy report view and standardization of management information, simplifying report digestion and decision making

Easy to distribute across multiple platforms – iPad is ideal due to interface

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iPad Considerations Planning is important! Customize dashboard reporting for screen

size Tap-driven navigation Bigger fonts and larger objects required Less is More – key metrics and data. Resist

the urge to include everything!

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MS Office For Executive Dashboards? Numerous applications exist to simplify creation

of dashboards – determining which is best for your purpose is cumbersome

Microsoft Office provides great tools for developing and reporting beautifully presented dashboard information – AND already available

Techniques needed to create quality dashboard are straight forward and relatively easy to use. However, they may not be obvious

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MS Office For Executive Dashboards?

If you are reasonable proficient in using Excel and Powerpoint, you can develop a sophisticated model fairly quickly

The opportunities to leverage this capability will expand as you work through the process – very flexible

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Getting Started – Steps to Success Identify project Define goals and key metrics

– Operational reporting, as well as summary reporting

Build model, review, and refine Distribution and user adoption Model maintenance and keeping content

current

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Identify Project Determine data to include in dashboard

reporting? – Start simple; create executive “buy-in”

Identify audience and key users of dashboard?

Identify parties responsible for maintaining and refining dashboards going forward

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Define Goals and Key Metrics Visualize the project

– A brain storming session is great for this Determine what you want to measure

– Short-term metrics to monitor business? – Longer term metrics for strategic business

analysis? What processes need to be put in place?

– Information flow to streamline effort – This can be a time consuming effort

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Build Model, Review, and Refine Dashboards DO require upfront time to

setup, but, when properly built, require little maintenance effort

Leverage Excel’s advanced capabilities to streamline the data and chart updating

Distribute across mobile platforms with ease

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Build Model, Review, and Refine Powerpoint is useful to provide flexibility in

sizing objects and properly arranging and formatting on a page. Objects should be linked from Excel and navigation hyperlinks included for easy iPad use

“Publish” to PDF. Make sure that links “stick” in final documents

Review and test process – mistakes can happen!

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Dashboard Distribution and User Adoption

Set up a seamless distribution process – cloud file synchronization services are perfect for this

On mobile platform, user should access files directly from the device – GoodReader app works well and we highly

recommend! Educate users – accessing reports, navigation

and annotation capabilities User adoption will be greater if it is SIMPLE!

Importance of ease of use cannot be overstated!

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Case Study – Panera Bread Co. Public company – data is largely pulled

directly from the internet (Yahoo, Google Finance, MSN Money). Web queries can be used to simplify.

Key company financial data is accumulated and entered into an Excel spreadsheet - pivot tables, charts, macros, etc. help simplify ongoing maintenance effort

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Case Study – Panera Bread Co. Formatting is next - develop objects for

Dashboard report – Take the time to do this right – it will save you

hours each month on maintaining the effort!

Sample report images are on following pages. Report is comprehensive and updating is easy

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages) Touch

navigation buttons

Report date updates

automatically based on when

report is generated

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages) Button format

changes based on

current screen – easy to identify!

Website links open up directly in browser – tap

to access

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)

Highlights key SEC filings for quick access – list ALWAYS current

Links open up document directly – easy to navigate, etc. – see slide 15.

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages) Hyperlinked Table of Contents – just tap to navigate to desired section

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages) Flexible navigation menu – in this case, when “Financials” are selected, the top navigation menu changes.

Charts easily accommodated – updating is automatic whenever underlying data changes

Additional navigation buttons provide more flexibility

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)

Rolling data (Table and Chart) updates automatically as underlying data changes.

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)

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Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)

In this case, direct links to website data is connected to Objects. Tapping object opens up report from Panera Investor Relations website.

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Dashboards – Key Considerations

Design and proper development is key! Spend the time up front to do it right.

Distribution to users (Board, executives, management) can be seamless if received on the iPad

Update and Review is essential – mapping errors, etc. may occur.

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Start with a small project to develop and understand process. Executive buy-in will lead to bigger wins and fuller understanding of potential.

Payoff for report users is huge – easy to use, always available, always current!

Dashboards – Key Considerations

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The example reviewed in this presentation was a public company, but there are numerous instances where this process is relevant – Private company monthly reporting – high level report

containing summary information, key metrics, charts, etc. Peer analysis review – easily compare and analyze other

companies that operate in your industry. Identify key performance metrics and compare to your company.

Professional services firms – easily monitor your public company clients and have updated information always at your fingertips!

Asset Management firms – easily monitor performance of key metrics of companies invested in

The potential is significant….

Dashboards – Last Thoughts...

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