What this book covers

Chapter 1, Getting Data from Dynamics GP 2013 to Excel 2013, looks at nine major ways to get data out of Microsoft Dynamics GP and into Excel as a source for our dashboard.

Chapter 2, The Ultimate GP to Excel Tool: Refreshable Excel Reports, will walk us through the time spent with one of the best and simplest options for getting information from Dynamics GP into Excel 2013 the Excel reports included with GP 2013, after looking at all the other options.

Chapter 3, Pivot Tables: The Basic Building Blocks, will discuss the basic building blocks of any dashboard that are pivot tables. These tables summarize and group data in ways that make analysis easier. They are the core that the graphical elements rely on.

Chapter 4, Making Things Pretty with Formatting and Conditional Formatting, will explain Excel's conditional formatting that provides ways to add additional context to pivot tables and other elements by adjusting the way things look based on the information. Nothing spices up a pivot table like adding some conditional formatting.

Chapter 5, Charts: Eye Candy for Executives, will enable us to use a picture that is worth a thousand words. The right chart could be worth millions if it helps executives make the right decision. Charts provide the connections and revelations that are to present with just text.

Chapter 6, Adding Interactivity with Slicers and Timelines, will provide guidelines on a static dashboard that is just a fancy report. Users need the ability to interact with the information to discover new insights. Slicers and Timelines provide that controlled interaction.

Chapter 7, Drilling Back to Source Data in Dynamics GP 2013, will walk you through the great thing about dashboards that often provokes more questions. Questions that require details. Adding the ability to drill back to the detail behind the numbers adds tremendous credibility. It's even better when that drill-back takes you right to the transaction in Dynamics GP 2013.

Chapter 8, Bringing it All Together, will help us to finish up our dashboard, tie up all the loose ends, and really make it look good.

Chapter 9, Expanding Pivot Tables with PowerPivot, will explain us that just because our dashboard is done doesn't mean that we're finished. PowerPivot is an advanced Excel 2013 feature that takes pivot tables to places you can't imagine. You might not use them for your first dashboard, but you'll want them for your second one.

Chapter 10, Slightly Crazy Stuff, will acquaint us with the nature of this book, building a dashboard together, means that some things didn't quite fit for a specific dashboard but are useful for other scenarios. Those items get covered here.