Xcelsius 2008 Dashboard Best Practices (Business Objects Press)

Description

THE DEFINITIVE, COMPREHENSIVE, OFFICIAL GUIDE TO XCELSIUS 2008 DASHBOARDS Using Xcelsius, you can create powerful, interactive dashboards, gather data from spreadsheets or databases, and deliver knowledge that can be instantly understood and acted upon. Now there’s a definitive, authoritative guide to making the most of Xcelsius 2008, the newest version of this breakthrough product.   Loren Abdulezer, editor-in-chief of Xcelsius Journal, shares insider’s knowledge that goes far beyond any other book or online help resource. Abdulezer introduces Xcelsius 2008, reviews its core concepts, and demonstrates the wide range of dashboards it can create. After you know what’s possible, you’ll go deep inside Xcelsius, gaining hands-on experience with every feature you need to master. You’ll learn how to quickly represent any data with charting components; use dials, gauges, and speedometers; incorporate multiple layers in your dashboards and visualizations; use Xcelsius to perform more useful analyses and manage more interactively; work with maps, demographics, and segmented data; create “smart data” and alerts; and much more.   Abdulezer offers tips and tricks you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll learn how to work with data that isn’t rock-solid--and even how to create your own custom components that go beyond Xcelsius’s built-in features. Whether you’re a business intelligence or database professional, power user, developer, or consultant, this book will help you create superior Xcelsius dashboards--and make better decisions.   THE ONLY XCELSIUS 2008 DASHBOARDING BOOK YOU NEED Use Xcelsius 2008 to get better answers, identify emerging trends and opportunities, and manage more effectivelyLearn hands-on, through step-by-step examples using real business dataDiscover tips and tricks proven in real-world environmentsDeliver dashboard content in whatever format works best: as HTML pages, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, or Word documentsFully leverage the information in your Excel spreadsheets--and go beyond Excel to use XML source data, tooImplement Xcelsius best practices drawn from the hard-won knowledge of the entire global user community   ON THE WEB Registered owners of the book can find all this and more online:All sample files used in the bookAdditional guides and tutorials to help you build dashboardsTemplates and example files for new dashboard interfaces Introduction 1 Part I Xcelsius 2008 Fundamentals 1 Motivation for Using Xcelsius 2008     11 2 Showcase of Xcelsius 2008 Dashboards     33 3 Getting Familiar with Xcelsius 2008     43 4 Embedded Spreadsheets: The Secret Sauce of Xcelsius 2008     69 5 Using Charts and Graphs to Represent Data     127 6 Single Value Components: Dials, Gauges, Speedometers, and the Like     157 Part II Xcelsius 2008 Best Practices and Techniques 7 Using Multi-Layer Visibility in Your Dashboards and Visualizations     181 8 Managing Interactivity     203 9 Xcelsius and Statistics     229 10 Financial Analysis     257 11 Maps in Xcelsius     275 12 Smart Data and Alerts     297 13 Working with Less-Than-Optimal Data     315 14 Other Dashboard Techniques and Practices     337 Part III Advanced Features 15 XML and Data Connectivity     353 16 Creating Custom Components for Fun and Profit     371 Part IV Appendices A Supported Spreadsheet Functions in Xcelsius 2008     401 B Xcelsius Product Family Comparison     415 C Xcelsius Best Practice Techniques and Hip Pocket Tips     425 Index     431 Cover Contents Introduction Getting What You Need from This Book Locating Specific Techniques Quickly How to Read This Book Accessing Legacy Xcelsius Files Best Practices Versus Shortcuts What This Book Covers Conventions Used in This Book I: Xcelsius 2008 Fundamentals 1 Motivation for Using Xcelsius 2008 The Original Killer App The Spreadsheet as an Open-Source Dashboard From Excel to Xcelsius Where to Go from Here Closing Thoughts 2 Showcase of Xcelsius 2008 Dashboards Embedding Spreadsheet Smarts in a Dashboard Thinking Creatively with Colors and Visual Components Putting Your Data on the Map Rethinking Dashboard Interface Design Choosing the Data You Want to View Desktop Client Portals Viewing Multiple Sources of Information in a Single View Managing the Visibility of Components in Your Dashboards Embedding Visual Analytics in a Dashboard Interesting Approaches to Financial Analysis in Xcelsius New Features in Xcelsius 2008 Closing Thoughts 3 Getting Familiar with Xcelsius 2008 Learning to Build Dashboards Organizing the Xcelsius Workspace Using the Dashboard Design Facilities of Xcelsius Achieving a Uniform Look and Feel in Dashboards and Visualizations Closing Thoughts 4 Embedded Spreadsheets: The Secret Sauce of Xcelsius 2008 Spreadsheet Fundamentals Building Spreadsheet Models in Xcelsius 2008 Using Excel Functions in Xcelsius 2008 Mathematical and Statistical Functions in Xcelsius 2008 Making Dashboards Date and Time Aware Manipulating Text in Spreadsheet Formulas Using Selector-Style Spreadsheet Functions Closing Thoughts 5 Using Charts and Graphs to Represent Data Choosing the Right Components for a Dashboard Building on Your Visualizations Viewing Grouped Data with Stacked Charts Working with XY and Bubble Charts Working with Tree Maps Issues and Techniques Related to Scaling Putting Visual Data Analysis into Focus Closing Thoughts 6 Single Value Components: Dials, Gauges, Speedometers, and the Like Understanding the Single Value Components Working with Sliders and Progress Bars Working with Dials Working with Gauges Working with Spinners Closing Thoughts II: Xcelsius 2008 Best Practices and Techniques 7 Using Multi-Layer Visibility in Your Dashboards and Visualizations Taming Complexity and Usability by Making Presentations Compact Controlling the Visibility of Individual Components in a Dashboard Managing Multi-Layer Visibility Closing Thoughts 8 Managing Interactivity Interacting with Chart Data Data Animation Chart Label Size Drill Down Behavior Interacting with Selectors Interacting with Single Value Components, Maps, and Text Components Labels and Input Text Areas Art & Background Components: Using the Image Component Interacting with Web Connectivity and Other Components Closing Thoughts 9 Xcelsius and Statistics Understanding Statistics Understanding Probabilities Probability Distributions Closing Thoughts 10 Financial Analysis Some Basic Ideas in Accounting and Their Importance in Financial Analysis Value at Risk (VaR) Bringing Accounting into the Dashboard Equation Accounting for the Element of Time in a Financial Analysis Financial Ratio Analysis Closing Thoughts 11 Maps in Xcelsius Basic Ideas About Maps in Xcelsius An Augmented Map Framework Colorizing Maps Multiple-Region Map Selection and Tally Maps International Map Types Closing Thoughts 12 Smart Data and Alerts Understanding Alerts in Xcelsius Unconventional Uses of Conventional Components Going Beyond the Built-in Alerts in Xcelsius Closing Thoughts 13 Working with Less-Than-Optimal Data The Digitization of Data Fixing Problematic Spreadsheets Dealing with Improperly Structured Data Closing Thoughts 14 Other Dashboard Techniques and Practices An Important Preliminary Issue Simple Fixes in Visualizing Data Constructing ABC (Actual Budget Comparison) Charts Using a Candlestick Component as a Box Plot Closing Thoughts III: Advanced Features 15 XML and Data Connectivity Strategies for Packaging Dashboard Information The Xcelsius Data Manager Adding XML Maps to Xcelsius 2008 Connecting Your Dashboards to Web Services Setting Up Cross-Domain Policy Files Closing Thoughts 16 Creating Custom Components for Fun and Profit Understanding Custom Components Programming with Flex Builder Getting Ready to Build Custom Components Building Custom Components The Relationship Between a Custom Component and a Property Sheet Packaging and Deploying Your Custom Components Where to Go from Here Closing Thoughts IV: Appendices A: Supported Spreadsheet Functions in Xcelsius 2008 Supported Spreadsheet Functions in Xcelsius 2008 Logical Values and Spreadsheet Operators in Xcelsius 2008 B: Xcelsius Product Family Comparison Xcelsius Functionality Xcelsius Components C: Xcelsius Best Practice Techniques and Hip Pocket Tips Index A B C D E F G H I K-L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y-Z