This is an easy way to add a quick display to Executive Dashboard Template in Excel.

1. Presented by:

2.  Conditional charts can be very effective in
your Executive dashboard presentations

3.  As you build a Microsoft Excel dashboard, you might want
to highlight your data that exceeds your Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) as well as those that do not.
 Many businesses use Averages as a KPI breakpoint in their
executive dashboards. In Excel, use any Key Performance
Indicator line to highlight your dashboard data.
 More powerful than the average line would be to highlight
when the data is above or below the line by conditionally
changing the column colors in the Excel chart.
◦ If the data point is above the average then have excel
automatically color that column green.
◦ If the data point is below the average, color that column red.

4.  In a previous post, “How-to Hide a Zero Pie
Chart Slice or Stacked Column Chart
Section, you saw how to use the Excel
Function NA() to hide a slice of pie or a part
of a stacked column chart. Now let’s use the
NA() Function to hide columns in a chart.

5.  If you chart a range of data like this that uses the
NA() function in an Excel Column Chart:
 It will look like this with the #N/A values not being
plotted in the chart at all. That way we can make a
different chart series for every color or condition
that we want to display.

6.  1) Make a new chart area for the Conditional
Columns and change the data into 3 series.
◦ One for values below average.
◦ One for values equal to or above average
◦ One for the average line.
◦ Use the NA() Function in your formulas for this setup.

7.  2) Chart the 3 series. When you chart the 3
series, you will not see any columns that are equal
to #N/A. The #N/A values are hidden and that is
how to change the colors on the chart
conditionally.

8.  3) Change the average data series to a line chart:

9.  4) Change the colors of each series to suit your needs.
For instance, you can change the below average series
= Red, and the above average = Green.
 Format the rest of the chart and series and clean up
the presentation. Now you are done!

10.  Create a separate data area for the chart that will create what
we want.
 In E2, put in =A2 for your X-Axis Labels.
 In H2, put in =$C$2.
 In F2, put in the formula: =IF($B2>=$H$2,$B2,NA())
◦ What this formula does is that it compares the value in B2 to the
average per month. If B2 is greater or equal to the average, then
the formula will put in the number from B2 and if it is less than
the average it will put in #N/A in the worksheet cell. When we
chart these series, the #N/A will not show columns for these
values.

11.  Highlight and Copy E2:H2 then paste from E2 to H5

12.  Highlight the new chart data range - E1:H5 and
then Click on Insert Ribbon and Select a Column
Chart (2D).

13.  Right Click on the Average Data Series and Select Change
Series Chart Type to a Line Chart
 or Left click on the Average Series and then choose the
Change Chart Type from the Design Ribbon.

14.  Right Click on the Above Average Data Series and Select
Format Data Series… from the menu
 or Left click on the Average Series and choose the Change
Chart Type from the Design Ribbon.

15.  Change the Above Average Series to Plot on the Secondary
Axis. Now your data may look strange because the second
vertical axis min and max are probably not be the same as
the primary vertical axis. But don’t worry, we will fix this
issue in a future step.

16.  Select the Fill Sub Menu and Change the Fill option to a Solid
Fill and then choose Green as the color.

17.  Change the Below Average Series Red color by selecting the
series from the chart without closing down the Format Data
Series dialog box.

18.  Change the Average Series Line color to Blue by selecting the
series from the chart without closing down the Format Data
Series dialog box.

19.  Now you will see that your data looks off. That is because the
Primary and Secondary min and max values are not the same
for each axis. If you delete the Secondary Vertical Axis, the
data and columns will line up to the right levels.
 Select the Secondary Vertical Axis and Delete press the delete
key or right click on it and choose Delete from the menu.

20.  Now we are done and here is what your final Excel Dashboard
chart will looks like:

21.  Video Tutorial
◦ If you would like to see a video demonstration of this technique in Excel
Chart building, please visit our YouTube Channel at this link:
◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDA8mkabmTQ&context=C365ce01ADOEgsToPD
skKurwZJjUzhYGOXDcQAuCmQ
 Free Sample Download Tutorial File
◦ We have a FREE download sample tutorial file that has detailed instructions
and the base formulas that you can try on your own at this URL:
◦ http://www.exceldashboardtemplates.com/?p=891 (Link at the bottom)
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