Build an AI‑Powered KPI Dashboard: Excel + Looker Studio Guide

Why KPI Dashboards Matter

KPIs help small businesses monitor performance, deploy resources smartly, and detect issues early. Firms that track KPIs consistently outperform peers in efficiency and growth.

KPI Dashboards

Step 1: Define Your Metrics

Choose 5–7 KPIs like:

• Total Revenue

• Customer Acquisition Cost

• Inventory Turnover

• Gross Margin

• Retention or Churn Rates

Then split by customer type, region, or product line using a data table in Excel.

Step 2: Build in Excel

• Create table with:

  • rows = KPIs,

  • columns = months

• Use SUM, AVERAGE, or COUNTIFS functions

• Add sparklines to visualize trends

• Highlight deviations with Conditional Formatting (e.g., red below threshold)

Step 3: Automate with Looker Studio

• Connect dashboard to your Excel or Sheets file

• Use Scorecards for snapshot metrics, Time Series for trend lines, Table charts for segmented insights

• Allow filters by region or product to enable deeper analysis

Step 4: Add AI Forecasting

With historical KPI data:

• Use Google Looker Studio with Connected Sheets for predictive trendlines

• Or use Excel’s Forecast Sheet feature (based on Prophet algorithm)

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Try This Today

Plug in your last 3 months of data, connect to Looker Studio, then set a monthly calendar reminder to review your dashboard and forecasts.