Balanced Scorecards and Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel [Paperback]

Ron Person (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0470386819 | ISBN-13: 978-0470386811 | Edition: 1

Created in Excel, balanced scorecards enable you to monitor operations and tactics, while operational dashboards is a set of indicators regarding the state of a business metric or process—both features are in high demand for many large organizations. This book serves as the first guide to focus on combining the benefits of balanced scorecards, operational dashboards, performance managements, and data visualization and then implement them in Microsoft Excel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This title is a guide to how an organization can create competitive advantage by successfully executing strategy and accelerating performance."  (Accountancy Ireland, October 2010)

From the Back Cover

Create Balanced Scorecards and operational dashboards that drive success

Balanced Scorecards help organizations clarify their strategy, translate strategy into action, and successfully execute their strategy. Operational dashboards are critical for monitoring and managing high performance.

This book is a guide for those who define and build these business performance tools: executive sponsors, operational managers, facilitators, and Excel developers. Based on years of experience, these step-by-step methods will help you develop Balanced Scorecards and operational dashboards that drive strategic execution and operational performance.

• Write a strategic Destination Statement that clarifies your vision

• Build a Strategy Map illustrating strategic objectives and the causal links that drive success

• Map operational processes to identify leverage points with the greatest impact

• Identify the "critical few" metrics that drive and measure success

• Gain buy-in with Tactical Action Plans and Implementation Plans

• Build impressive, dynamic Excel scorecards and dashboards using only spreadsheet functions

• Build powerful charts and analyses that aid business decision making

• Develop portable Balanced Scorecards that are secure and easy to maintain

Companion Web site

Download free Excel sample files at www.wiley.com/go/scorecardsanddashboardswithexcel. You can also find additional resources on Balanced Scorecards and operational dashboards at www.torconsulting.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470386819
• ISBN-13: 978-0470386811
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Information Management

More About the Author

Ron Person is a Sr. Consultant for Business Optimization Services at Sitecore, an acknowledged leader in customer engagement and web content management. Ron travels internationally helping Sitecore customers optimize their online marketing.

Prior to joining Sitecore, Ron spent 27 years as an independent consultant dedicated to improving business performance. Ron was one of Microsoft's first twelve consultants and was known as the original "Mr. Excel". He has published 26 books, all involving business and software best practices. Four of his books were international best sellers.

If you'd like to tap into 30 years worth of business improvement tips, tools, and tutorials on topics like Excel, Project Management, and Balanced Scorecards, sign up for the newsletter at,

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All That C.V. Stuff:
Ron is certified as a Balanced Scorecard consultant through the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative founded by Drs. Kaplan and Norton, founders of the Balanced Scorecard, and he is a member of the California Awards for Performance Excellence Board of Examiners, 2008 (California's Malcolm Baldridge Award). Ron's clients have spanned a wide range of industries in the U.S. and internationally. They range from Medtronic to the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ron Person hits a home run with this practical guide to dashboards March 10, 2009

By M. Thomas

Format:Paperback

I've been a big fan of Tufte and Few over the years. Today. most dashboards being created in business are gaudy, 3D, visually distracting junk. In this book, Ron takes you through the process of creating practical, useful, cost-effective dashboards using the most ubiquitous analysis tool available today: Microsoft Excel.

Ron provides a strong theoretical foundation in the first part of the book with his excellent summary of Balanced Scorecards. In the second part of the book, he describes how to create metrics for your business. In the third part, he provides practical examples of how to build dashboards in Excel. He has a clear command of Excel and includes numerous samples and lots of formulas for creating useful dashboards. I found Chapter 26 to be especially useful because he describes MicroCharts from BonaVista Systems. This software add-in allows you to create Tufte's sparklines and Few's bullet graphs. This makes creating powerful dashboards in Excel easy.

Ron hits a home run with this book. The only criticism I have is that he promotes his consulting business a little hard. In his defense, a lot of what he describes in the book is hard to build into the culture of an organization without external guidance. That said, I strongly recommend this book.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ESSENTIAL office reference for those who create dashboards! June 6, 2010

By Susan L. Adams

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

We are currently converting to creating dashboards for our clients. Needing to get up to speed quickly, I've been reading every dashboard reference book I can find. "Balanced Scorecards & Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel" is by far the best reference I've found for my needs. Ron Person describes the construction process in great detail. Practice files are available from the author, and he has a great website, as well. He also includes theoretical information on "why" to construct a certain way, not just "how" to do it. In my office, this has proved very important as I'm constantly defending the "right way" to make a dashboard against people who need me to prove it to them. I also had opportunity to chat via email with the author and found him to be quite friendly and helpful. If you're new to creating scorecards and dashboards, and you have a moderate level of Excel expertise, this is the book for you.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Treatise on Balanced Scorecards with valuable Excel Pointers January 28, 2009

By P. Whatley

Format:Paperback

Ron Person has a profound grasp of the subject of Balanced Scorecards (BSCs) and Operational Dashboards. The first half of this book will give you an excellent understanding of BSCs in a unusually readable and understandable format. Ron includes valuable insights, pointers, examples and cautionary tales. In addition, he provides recommendations for external references for more information or to obtain sample BSCs and dashboards.

The second half of the book covers the use of MS Excel for the development of BSCs and operational dashboards in Excel 2007 and older versions of Excel. However, he also discusses the use of other tools and explains advantages and disadvantages of each. "Balanced Scorecards & Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel" is worth the price just for the powerful and creative Excel graphing techniques and presentation ideas and pointers. The book is an excellent primer and reference. You won't be disappointed.