This course expands the topic of automating monthly, quarterly, and yearly financial reporting processes to building automated AND interactive financial reports for report users. In Part I, we discovered how to set up automated financial reports in Excel based on a system report or system data, and how to transcribe them into formal financial reports.

In this second course, we introduce some advanced Excel skills for building interactive dashboards with clickable buttons for detailed drill-down. In addition, we discuss 3 crucial elements in financial report modeling: Parameters, Validation, and User Guide. We culminate by introducing ways to auto-update narratives in financial reports. This course serves as a review for accounting and finance professionals who need to sharpen their Excel skills in building interactive monthly/quarterly/yearly financial reports.

Course Series

This course is included in the following series:

3 CoursesAutomate Excel

  1. Automating Financial Reporting in EXCEL (Part I): From Data to Report in ONE Click
  2. Automating Financial Reporting in EXCEL (Part II): Self-Service Reporting for Executives
  3. Automating Financial Reporting in EXCEL (Part III): Fully-Integrated Annual Filing, Board Book, and Board Deck
Learning Objectives
  • Identify key elements in building an interactive dashboard in Excel with clickable buttons for detail drill-down
  • Recognize 3 elements that are essential in financial modeling
  • Identify basic components in building auto-updated narratives
  • Identify ways of setting up auto-updated pivot tables and pivot charts in the Dashboard
  • Recognize the key feature of Slicers and Timelines in controlling multiple pivot tables and pivot charts

 

Last updated/reviewed: March 12, 2024
33 Reviews (111 ratings)

Reviews

4
Anonymous Author
The courses is good, but definitely fast if you are not familiar w/ these formulas or excel. So, prerequisites should definitely have some Excel experience. I will have to review this much slower to be able to apply the knowledge provided and possibly research the formulas a lil more. Maybe the slides can provide a little more info on the formulas for the nonadvanced users. I am glad this part has the dashboard on the excel doc because it didn't on part 1. I like the dashboard a lot, hope I can create something like it. For a nonadvanced user, this course could use more time and with more time I am sure he would be able to fill in the gaps well.

5
Anonymous Author
Finally a course for an advanced Excel user to truly take their skills to the next level. The course is fast paced which kept my attention and included excellent examples to support the topics. I will be utilizing these materials immediately in my job.

5
Anonymous Author
I have put together a Infographic slide that is the opening slide for our P&L reporting package. This would have been very helpful in simplifying the various charts in this infographic. Showing a linked image would have saved me time.

Anonymous Author
There are various tips that are helpful but it appears that some of the items discussed made the task longer than simplifying it. Also, for some of the selected topics, a longer time is needed.

5
Member's Profile
This is really a refresher course where Lenny reviews prior courses but he puts it all together, showing how various features can be utilized to build a robust dashboard.

5
Member's Profile
I work in Excel every day. I am thoroughly surprised that a course was actually able to provide useful tools and best practices. Great job!

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent course with abundant useful information. Would lije to see a pdf version for easier reference and application in the workplace.

5
Anonymous Author
Great information. Learned several new tricks and techniques for creating interactive dashboards that can be used immediately.

4
Anonymous Author
This one was much more interesting than part 1. I almost skipped it but I'm glad I didn't. I learned several new tricks.

Member's Profile
Good information. Would like to have more detail on slides so that can use later when setting up spreadsheets.

5
Member's Profile
Lots of great ideas for someone who is good at Excel but wants guidance on automated dashboard reporting.

3
Member's Profile
Very dated material. Parts were useful. But it talks about excel 2003 and 2007….

5
Anonymous Author
I really like this course! It was clear and encouraging to always do more.

5
Member's Profile
Great course! Learned new techniques in creating interactive dashboards.

5
Member's Profile
Even being a experient excel user I always learn with Lenny Wu courses.

5
Anonymous Author
Great ideas and information on how to build an interactive dashboard.

5
Member's Profile
Excellent ideas. Now I just need to get this translated to PowerBI.

5
Anonymous Author
Very helpful. Learned many new techniques for building reports.

5
Anonymous Author
Very helpful tips that directly related to financial reporting

5
Member's Profile
I like more on setting up dashboards for financial reporting.

5
Anonymous Author
Outstanding course! Learned a ton in a short amount of time.

4
Member's Profile
The training delivery and materials are simple and clear.

4
Anonymous Author
The Course give you an excellence experience in Excel.

5
Anonymous Author
Great techniques and formulas in building dashboards.

4
Member's Profile
I learned new elements of dashboard reporting.

5
Anonymous Author
Great use of tools to automate report tasks

5
Member's Profile
Lots of good tips for automating reports

5
Anonymous Author
Crisp & Effective

5
Anonymous Author
Very informative.

Member's Profile
Good overview

4
Anonymous Author
Great course!

4
Anonymous Author
Good course

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent!

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Advanced

No Advanced Preparation or Prerequisites are needed for this course. However, it is recommended to take the other courses in the series prior to completing this one.

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Course Questions and Answers(2 Questions)
Member's Profile

Great course to see a lot of what can be done in Excel. May be a little too programmer oriented for most CPA practitioners.

Member's Profile

Lenny knows his stuff.

Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW
  Warming-up1:26
Basic
  Basic: CONCATENATE()2:39
  Basic: TEXT()3:16
  Basic: CHAR()2:26
  Basic: IFERROR()2:11
  Basic: OFFSET()3:16
  Basic: Number Formatting3:05
  Basic: Conditional Formatting3:12
  Basic: Picture Lookup4:27
INTERMEDIATE
  Intermediate: Financial Modeling Essentials4:38
ADVANCED
  Advanced: Road to “Self-Service Reporting; Pivot Tables & Pivot Charts8:55
  Advanced: Slicers and Timelines5:41
  Advanced: Dashboard Cards9:24
  Advanced: Automated Narratives5:21
CONCLUSION
  Summary – Self-Service Reporting0:57
Continuous Play
  EXCEL in Automated Financial Reporting: From Data to Report in ONE Click Part 2 Advanced1:02:13
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Self-Service Reporting for ExecutivesPDF
  Self-Service Reporting for Executives Glossary/IndexPDF
  Part II WorkbookXLSM
REVIEW and TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam