Welcome to This Week’s Mr Dashboard Round‑Up
Every Monday we gather the most useful resources, templates, and tactics to help you stay ahead of the competition. This edition covers B2B marketing performance, procurement metrics, agile project management, Excel shortcuts, and proven time‑management frameworks. Grab a coffee, then dive in and add the actionable items to the checklist at the bottom.
B2B Marketing Performance Metrics You Can’t Ignore
Understanding the right metrics is the foundation of any successful B2B strategy. Track these core indicators:
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- Opportunity‑to‑Customer Conversion Rate
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- Lifetime Value (LTV) vs. CAC Ratio
- Pipeline Velocity
Need a ready‑made framework? Our Marketing Plan Template provides a step‑by‑step guide to embed these metrics into your quarterly plan.
Procurement Performance Metrics for a Competitive Edge
Strong procurement practices can shave weeks off your supply‑chain cycle and protect margins. Focus on:
- Cost Savings vs. Baseline
- Supplier Lead‑Time Variance
- Purchase Order Cycle Time
- Spend Under Management
- Quality Defect Rate
Explore a visual, Excel‑based dashboard with our Financial Dashboard Excel to monitor these numbers in real time.
Agile Project Management – Kanban & Definition
Kanban boards turn chaos into clarity. Use them to limit work‑in‑progress, visualize bottlenecks, and improve flow. For a deeper dive into the methodology, see our Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map Toolkit, which aligns agile execution with strategic objectives.
- Set up columns: Backlog, Ready, In Progress, Review, Done
- Apply WIP limits (e.g., no more than 3 items per column)
- Hold a daily stand‑up to review board status
Free Project Management Training Resources
Whether you are new to PM or a seasoned manager, continuous learning matters. Download our curated list of free courses and cheat‑sheets from the Free Project Management Training Resources page.
Excel Hacks You’ll Use Every Day
From protecting sheets to building powerful analytics, these tricks save time and reduce errors.
Unprotect an Excel Worksheet Without a Password
Use the built‑in VBA script to strip protection instantly. The full guide is available in our Unprotect Excel Worksheet guide.
Box & Whisker Plots in Excel
Visualize data distribution with a single click using our custom chart template – see Box and Whisker Plots Excel.
Automate Excel Reports
Leverage Power Query and macros to refresh reports with one button. Follow the step‑by‑step workflow in the Automate Excel Reports article.
Excel Functions Cheat Sheet
- VLOOKUP – Find data across tables (VLOOKUP in Excel Dashboard Reports)
- IF – Conditional logic (Excel IF Function Examples)
- MATCH – Locate position of a value (Excel Match Function Example)
- Conditional Formatting – Highlight trends (Conditional Formatting Formula Examples)
Excel Drop‑Down Lists for Dashboards
Turn static cells into interactive selectors. See our tutorial at Excel Drop Down List for Excel Dashboards.
Employee Performance Measurement
Quantify talent impact with clear KPIs. Start with these core metrics:
- Goal Completion Rate
- Quality Score (peer reviews)
- Utilization %
- Training Hours per Quarter
Our Employee Performance Measurement Examples include ready‑to‑use scorecards.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Every Function
KPIs drive focus. Use our How to Use KPIs in Business guide to choose the right ones for finance, marketing, HR, and manufacturing.
Business Budget Components
Create a master budget with revenue, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and cash flow projections. The Components of a Business Budget article walks you through each line item.
Manufacturing Capacity Planning
Forecast production capacity via Excel. Download the template from Manufacturing Capacity Planning in Excel Dashboard.
HR KPIs Scorecards
Track turnover, time‑to‑hire, and employee engagement with a single dashboard – see HR KPIs Scorecards in Excel.
KPIs for a Manufacturing Company
Focus on OEE, defects per million, and on‑time delivery. The detailed list lives at KPIs for a Manufacturing Company.
Statistical Tools in Excel
Linear Regression
Predict trends with the Linear Regression Excel guide.
Match & Index Functions
Combine MATCH and INDEX for flexible lookups – see Excel Match Function Example.
IF Function Mastery
Nested IF, IFS, and SWITCH – detailed examples at Excel IF Function Examples.
Team Collaboration & Strategy
Group Brainstorming Techniques
Use “SCAMPER”, “Crazy‑8”, and “Round‑Robin” to unlock ideas. Full guide: Group Brainstorming Techniques in Business.
Strategy Mapping & Balanced Scorecard
Align initiatives with vision using our Strategy Mapping Balanced Scorecard resource.
Time Management Matrix
Prioritize tasks with Eisenhower’s four‑quadrant matrix. Apply the model with our Time Management Matrix worksheet.
Time‑Management Techniques for Managers
Adopt the “15‑minute rule”, “time‑blocking”, and “daily review”. Detailed tips at Time Management Techniques for Managers.
Risk & Cost Analysis
Project Management Risk Assessment
Identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks with a simple matrix. See the template at Project Management Risk Assessment.
Risk Management Techniques
Use “Monte Carlo simulation”, “SWOT”, and “risk registers”. Full list: Risk Management Techniques.
Cost‑Benefit Analysis
Calculate ROI, NPV, and break‑even points. The guide lives at What is Cost Benefit Analysis?.
Weekly Action Checklist
Area | Action Item | Status |
---|---|---|
Marketing | Update lead‑to‑opportunity conversion rate in the Marketing Plan Template. | ☐ |
Procurement | Refresh supplier lead‑time variance dashboard. | ☐ |
Project Management | Add new risk items to the Project Management Risk Assessment sheet. | ☐ |
Excel | Run the Unprotect Worksheet macro on any locked reports. | ☐ |
Time Management | Block two 15‑minute slots for high‑impact tasks using the Time Management Matrix. | ☐ |
Tick each box as you complete the tasks – you’ll see progress across every function.
Next Steps
Ready to supercharge your productivity? Grab the Productivity & Time‑Management Strategy Pack and start implementing the techniques from today’s roundup.
Share your results in the comments or on social media – we love hearing how you put these tools to work!
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