The Excel KPI Dashboard Designer

Download the data files below and upload to Copilot Chat before running this prompt.

Prompt

Design a comprehensive KPI dashboard in Excel for [DEPARTMENT OR TEAM] at [COMPANY NAME].

I am uploading [DESCRIBE THE DATA: SALES / EXPENSE / OPERATIONS DATA].

**DASHBOARD STRUCTURE**
Build the following sections:
1. Executive Summary — top 5 KPIs with traffic light indicators (Red/Amber/Green)
2. Trend Charts — sparklines or mini charts for each KPI showing last [NUMBER] periods
3. Variance Table — actual vs. target vs. prior period for all metrics
4. Top/Bottom Performers — ranked list by primary metric
5. Alerts Panel — automatically highlight metrics more than [THRESHOLD]% off plan

**CHART RECOMMENDATIONS**
For each data series, recommend the optimal chart type and explain why. Include: combo charts, waterfall charts where appropriate, and conditional formatting rules.

**FORMULAS TO BUILD**
- Dynamic date range selector using data validation
- Variance calculations with directional arrows
- Running totals and YTD comparisons
- VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH for data joins if needed

**INSTRUCTIONS FORMAT**
Provide step-by-step Excel instructions a non-developer can follow. Include exact formula syntax and cell references using [COLUMN LETTER] notation.