iPads are popping up everywhere. Now the focus is shifting to HOW do I get useful information onto the device. This presentation covers one process - developing key dashboard reporting for the iPad. A sample dashboard report is highlighted, using Panera Bread as an example. BI is a BIG opportunity!

1. iPad - Executive Dashboard
Development
iPad Consulting

2. Why Dashboards?
Typical Business Challenges
 Disparate processes
 Poor visibility into information and key
metrics
 Lack of consistent reporting among
executives monitoring business
 Technology challenge – multiple
systems/platforms that generate reporting
information
iPad Consulting

3. Why Dashboards?
 Well designed executive dashboards can help
you monitor business performance and key
metrics
 Eliminates the “clutter” from financial reports,
enabling an executive or management team to
quickly keep a pulse on the business
 Enables easy report view and standardization of
management information, simplifying report
digestion
 Easy to distribute across multiple platforms –
iPad is ideal due to interface
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4. iPad Considerations
 Planning is important!
 Dashboard reporting should be customized
for screen size
 Navigation considerations – should be tap
driven
 Bigger fonts and larger objects are preferred
 Less is More – key metrics and data. Resist
the urge to include everything!
iPad Consulting

5. MS Office For Executive Dashboards?
 Numerous applications exist to simplify creation
of dashboards – determining which is best for
your purpose is cumbersome
 Microsoft Office provides great tools for
developing and reporting beautifully presented
dashboard information – AND already available
 Techniques needed to create quality dashboard
are straight forward and relatively easy to use.
However, they may not be obvious
iPad Consulting

6. MS Office For Executive Dashboards?
 If you are reasonable proficient in using Excel
and Powerpoint, you can develop a
sophisticated model fairly quickly
 The opportunities to leverage this capability
will expand as you work through the process
– very flexible
iPad Consulting

7. Getting Started – Steps to Success
 Identify project
 Define goals and key metrics
 Operational reporting, as well as summary
reporting
 Build model, review, and refine
 Distribution and user adoption
 Model maintenance and keeping content
current
iPad Consulting

8. Identify Project
 Determine data to include in dashboard
reporting?
 Start simple; create executive “buy-in”
 Identify audience and key users of
dashboard?
 Identify parties responsible for maintaining
and refining dashboards going forward
iPad Consulting

9. Define Goals and Key Metrics
 Visualize the project
 A brain storming session is great for this
 Determine what you want to measure
 Short-term metrics to monitor business?
 Longer term metrics for strategic business
analysis?
 What processes need to be put in place?
 Information flow to streamline effort
 This can be a time consuming effort
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10. Build Model, Review, and Refine
 Dashboards DO require upfront time to
setup, but, if properly built, require little
time to maintain and use long term
 Leverage Excel’s advanced capabilities to
streamline the data and chart updating
 Data input in Table format
 PivotTables to simplify chart data development
 Macros to streamline worksheet updating and
navigation
 Automate dashboard “printing” – directly to PDF,
etc.
iPad Consulting

11. Build Model, Review, and Refine
 Powerpoint is useful to provide flexibility in
sizing objects and properly arranging and
formatting on a page. Objects should be
linked from Excel and navigation hyperlinks
included for easy iPad use
 “Publish” to PDF. Make sure that links “stick”
in final documents
 Review and test process – mistakes can
happen!
iPad Consulting

12. Dashboard Distribution and User Adoption
 Set up a seamless distribution process – cloud
file synchronization services are perfect for this
 On mobile platform, user should access files
directly from the device
 GoodReader app works well and we highly
recommend!
 Educate users – accessing reports, navigation
and annotation capabilities
 User adoption will be greater if it is SIMPLE!
Ease of use is very important
iPad Consulting

13. Case Study – Panera Bread Co.
 Public company – data is largely pulled
directly from the internet (Yahoo, Google
Finance, MSN Money). Web queries can be
used to simplify.
 Key company financial data is accumulated
and entered into an Excel spreadsheet - pivot
tables, charts, macros, etc. help simplify
ongoing maintenance effort
iPad Consulting

14. Case Study – Panera Bread Co.
 Formatting is next - develop objects for
Dashboard report
 Take the time to do this right – it will save you
hours each month on maintaining the effort!
 Sample report images are on following
pages. Report is comprehensive and
updating is easy
iPad Consulting

15. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Touch
navigation
buttons
Report date
updates
automatically
based on when
report is
generated
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16. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Button format
changes
based on
current screen
– easy to
identify!
Website links
open up directly
in browser – tap
to access
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17. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Highlights key SEC
filings for quick
access – list
ALWAYS current
Links open up
document directly
– easy to navigate,
etc. – see slide 15.
iPad Consulting

18. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Hyperlinked Table of
Contents – just tap to
navigate to desired section
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19. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Flexible
navigation
menu – in this
case, when
“Financials”
are selected,
the top
navigation
menu changes.
Charts easily
accommodated
– updating is
automatic as
underlying data
changes
Additional navigation
buttons provide more
flexibility
iPad Consulting

20. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
Rolling data
(Table and
Chart) updates
automatically
as underlying
Excel
spreadsheet
changes.
iPad Consulting

21. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
iPad Consulting

22. Case Study – PNRA (Report Pages)
In this case,
direct links to
website data is
connected to
Objects.
Tapping object
opens up report
from Panera
Investor
Relations
website.
iPad Consulting

23. Dashboards – Key Considerations
 Design and proper development is key!
Spend the time up front to do it right.
 Distribution to users (Board, executives,
management) can be seamless if received on
the iPad
 Update and Review is essential – mapping
errors, etc. may occur.
iPad Consulting

24. Dashboards – Key Considerations
 Start with a small project to develop and
understand process. Executive buy-in will
lead to bigger wins and fuller understanding
of potential.
 Payoff for report users is huge – easy to use,
always available, always current!
iPad Consulting

25. Dashboards – Last Thoughts...
The example reviewed in this presentation was a public
company, but there are numerous instances where this
process is relevant –
 Private company monthly reporting – high level report
containing summary information, key metrics, charts, etc.
 Peer analysis review – easily compare and analyze other
companies that operate in your industry. Identify key
performance metrics and compare to your company.
 Professional services firms – easily monitor your public
company clients and have updated information always at
your fingertips!
 Asset Management firms – easily monitor performance
of key metrics of companies invested in
 The potential is significant….
iPad Consulting

26. If additional information is desired or you would like to better understand our
firm’s capabilities, please contact me:
Don Tomoff, CPA, MBA
Principal, Business Advisory
drtomoff@thornhillcpa.com
Thornhill Website (http://www.thornhillcpa.com)
LinkedIn Profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/dontomoff)
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