Adding comments to a dynamic chart

This week I’ve been adding a new feature to one of the dashboards I’ve created for Three.  I’ve created a way for people to log events and comments for specific periods and to add them to the chart as part of the series.  I’ve also added a comments table with scrollbar so that you can view a long history of events in a small footprint.  I’ve uploaded a quick video on my Youtube channel, here, that shows it working:

Three dashboard improvements

I've been working on improving a weekly spreadsheet that I maintain and update at Three.  Currently:

• Data comes from a number of automated reports that are copied and pasted in. 
• I then need to go through a large number of sheets, refreshing pivot tables and copying down formulae.  
• Then I need to change a large number of charts data source to extend the timeframe.
• In another spreadsheet, I need to manually calculate a number of values and type them into a summary sheet.
• Finally, I need to copy and paste a large number of charts and the summary sheet into a powerpoint presentation and email it to a huge mailing list.

Time: approx 1 hour a week.


My new and improved version:

• Data comes from a number of automated reports that are copied and pasted in. 
• I select the Data Entry Menu from the Dashboard Home page and click Update button.  The macro refreshes all pivot tabels, which in turn fires code that copies down all relevant formulae.
• Done.

Time: approx 2 mins a week.

The advantage of the Dashboard is that the easy to use navigation meansthat there is no longer a need for a static powerpoint presentation.  The data is easy to find, and is also dynamic, so the charts can be altered to look at different dates etc.  The charts are also linked to a dynamically altering data set that changes each week, so there is no longer the need to reselect the data source to map the expanding timeframe.  I've added a comments system so that key events can be logged and shown on the charts as a new series, rather than adding a static text box on a slide that will need to be moved the following week.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow :)