Excel Data Visualization & Dashboards: Turn Raw Data into Executive-Ready Stories
Excel is the foundational tool for analysis, but simply having data isn't enough; you need to tell the story behind the numbers.
In this episode of What's New at CFI on FinPod, CEO Tim Vipond introduces the new Excel Data Visualization and Dashboards course. Learn how to transform raw data into clean, clear, and powerful visuals that drive business decisions, no matter your industry.
This course is a masterclass in building executive-ready dashboards from scratch, making it essential for FP&A, Marketing, Operations, and all analytical roles.
This episode covers:
- The Power of Excel: Why Excel remains the ultimate "blank canvas" for visualization and the foundational skill set for tools like Power BI or Tableau.
- Mastering the Visual Toolkit: Learn to build and use advanced charts like Waterfall Charts (for variance analysis), Combo Charts (for margin vs. revenue), Sparklines, and Football Field Charts (for valuation ranges).
- End-to-End Dashboard Creation: Gain the confidence to plan, set up, and build complete, beautiful dashboards that are clearly sectioned, titled, and formatted for maximum impact.
- Highlighting Insights: The critical skill of moving beyond just building a chart to actively using color, arrows, and annotations to highlight the specific insights that drive business change (e.g., maximizing margins or accelerating growth).
- Developing Taste: Tim shares career advice on how to develop "good taste" in data visualization by actively seeking out and being inspired by varied internal and external reports (pitch decks, board reports, operations decks).
