Accounts Dashboard: Insights Made Easy

The Accounting dashboard provides a clear, real-time overview of financial performance. This will, in turn, help businesses track revenues, expenses, and key metrics.

This guide dives deep into how to create a dashboard in Power BI and also shows you all you need to know about the Power BI KPI dashboard. Newbies will be exposed to Power BI dashboard design, dashboard user interface design, and some executive dashboard examples.

There are sections in this guide that uncover things you should know about digital dashboards, business intelligence dashboards, and finance dashboards in Power BI.

What is An Accounting Dashboard?

Definition: An accounting dashboard is a visual tool that showcases key financial data like income, expenses, profits, and cash flow in one place. Business owners use it to monitor their financial health in real time, spot trends, and make informed, quick decisions.

Sankey Diagram:

Multi-Axis Line Chart:

Comparison Bar Chart:

Likert Scale Chart:

Why is the Accounting Dashboard Important?

• Improved Financial Planning

It showcases trends in expenses, revenue, and outstanding invoices. This way, business owners will be able to forecast more accurately. Early identification of overspending or potential shortfalls helps companies to adjust strategies before problems grow.

• Accuracy and Efficiency

Automating the reporting process through a dashboard reduces the chance of human error and saves time. Data is updated automatically and presented visually through KPIs, charts, and graphs. This allows financial teams to focus more on strategy and analysis rather than data entry.

• Better Decision-Making and Growth

A clear and organized view of financial data empowers businesses to make faster, smarter decisions. It helps identify profitable areas, prepare audits, and manage cash flows.

How to Use an Accounting Dashboard Template?

• Choose the Right Template

Select an accounting dashboard template that matches your business needs. Some templates focus on cash flow, while others highlight profit and loss, expenses, or revenue. Pick the right one that aligns with the financial areas you want to track.

• Customize Key Metrics

Adjust the template to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business needs. These metrics could be cash flow, net profit, revenue growth, and accounts receivable. You can modify graphs, charts, and KPIs to reflect these priorities.

• Input or Connect Your Data

You can manually input your financial data or connect your accounting software to the dashboard if integration is available. You can include key figures like expenses, assets, income, outstanding invoices, and liabilities.

• Review and Share Insights

Analyze the visual data to spot areas of concern, trends, and growth opportunities. Share the dashboard with relevant stakeholders to maintain transparency and alignment across the team.

How to Create and Analyze a Power BI Accounting Dashboard?

Here, we will explain the Sankey Diagram Maker, Multi-Axis Line Chart, Likert Scale Chart, and Comparison Bar Chart with datasets and examples.

• Log in to Power BI, enter your email, and click the “Submit” button.

• You’ll be redirected to a Microsoft account. Enter your password, and click “Sign in.”

• You can opt to stay signed in.

Create a dataset and select the data to use in the required chart

• The data table below will be used for this illustration.

• To add data to your report, click on the “Paste data into a blank report.”

• Paste the data table above into a blank table. Name it and click on the “Create a blank report” button.

• Click on “Expand All” to see the chart metrics. Check the dimensions and metrics.

• Click on “Get more visuals.”

• Search “ChartExpo” and select the Sankey Diagram. Add all these charts to your visuals. After all, you’ll use them in your account dashboards for different account insights.

• Click on the “Add” button.

• After adding all four charts to the visuals, you’ll see the charts icon in the visuals list. From left to right, Sankey Diagram, Multi Axis Line Chart, Likert Scale Chart, and Comparison Bar Chart by ChartExpo.
• All these charts will be used in the dashboard.

• To add the Sankey Diagram Maker (first one from left), click on the chart icon, and choose the dimension and measures as shown below:
• In Visualization’s properties, click on License Settings and add the key.

• After adding the key, you’ll see the Sankey Diagram.

• You can set the properties to customize the look and feel of the chart. First, change the title of the chart.

• You can set node colors for each level.

• Here’s the final look and feel of the chart.

• You can add the third chart (Comparison Bar Chart) to the report/dashboard.

• The following Approved Loans data will be used for the Comparison Bar Chart.

• Once the data is manually pasted in Power BI or exported from Excel, choose the dimension and measures as shown below:

• Before creating the chart, you have to remove the watermark by entering the key. You should set the properties to customize the look and feel of the Comparison Bar Chart. You can also change the title of the chart, just as the title of the first chart was changed.
• After that, sort the data columns.

• Next, prepend the “$” sign with numbers as a prefix.

• Here’s the final look and feel of the Comparison Bar Chart.

• You can add the final chart (Multi-Axis Line Chart) to the report/dashboard.

• The monthly revenue data table below will be used for the multi-axis line chart.

• After the data has been manually pasted in Power BI or exported from Excel, choose the dimension and measures as shown below.

• Before creating the chart, you have to remove the watermark by entering the key. You can set the properties to customize the look and feel of the Multi-Axis Line Chart. First, change the title of the chart. After that, sort the data columns.

• Next, you can change the data presentation to Bar, Line, and Area.

• You can change legend properties to set the shape type Column, Line and Circle, and Area.

• Here’s the final look and feel of the Multi-Axis Line Chart.

• You can add the second chart (Likert Scale Chart) to the report/dashboard.

• The following customer experience survey data will be used for the Likert Scale Chart.

• Once the data has been manually pasted in Power BI or exported from Excel, choose the dimension and measures as shown below.

• You’ll have to enter the key to remove the watermark. You can set the properties to customize the look and feel of the Likert chart. You can also change the title of the chart.
• At this point, change the text in the legend for smiley icons.

• Here’s the final look and feel of the Likert Scale Chart.

• Place the charts in the dashboard area. After placing the charts, the Account dashboard will look like the image below.

Insights:

The company has strong cash inflows from investments, revenue, and loans totaling $100,000, while outflows amount to $100,000, balancing available cash.

Monthly revenues and profits are stable and growing, and that indicates consistent financial health.

The overall financial processes appear efficient and trusted across stakeholders.

Benefits of Using the Accounts Dashboard Template in Power BI

• Real-Time Financial Data

It connects directly to accounting systems and provides up-to-date financial information.

• Enhanced Financial Analysis

It identifies trends, analyzes profitability, monitors cash flow, and forecasts future financial performance using Power BI’s advanced analytical tools.

• Improved Decision-Making

It provides clear and quick insights that support faster, smarter financial decisions at all organizational levels.

• Goal Tracking and Alerts

You can set financial goals and receive automated alerts when critical thresholds are reached. This gives room for proactive management.

What are the Tips for an Accounting Dashboard?

• Focus on Key Metrics

You have to select the most important financial indicators relevant to the business goals. Common examples are net profit, revenue, expenses, and outstanding receivables.

• Update Data Regularly

Real-time data updates ensure that your dashboard reflects the current financial situation. Automated data connections with accounting software help maintain accuracy without manual efforts.

• Set Up Alerts and Goals

The alert features notify you of financial thresholds being crossed. It could be high outstanding invoices or low cash reserves. You can also integrate financial goals into the dashboard to track progress.

• Keep the Design Simple

A clean and simple layout makes it easier to figure out the data at a glance. Always use clear labels, organized sections, and consistent colors. Too much information (or too many visuals) can overwhelm users and reduce the dashboard’s effectiveness.

FAQs

How to create an accounting dashboard?

To create an accounting dashboard, collect financial data, select key metrics (like expenses or revenue), choose visualization tools (like graphs or charts), and use software like Excel or Power BI for real-time tracking and insights.

Wrap Up

An accounting dashboard is a visual tool that tracks financial metrics like expenses, revenue, and profit. It plays a vital role in generating real-time insights, improving decision-making, and efficient financial planning and management.

The accounting dashboard helps in better collaboration and sharing, and also gives room for enhanced financial analysis. You can share dashboards securely with team members and stakeholders. This ensures everyone has access to the same real-time financial insights.

The accounting dashboard uses Power BI’s advanced analytical tools to identify trends, analyze profitability, monitor cash flow, and forecast future financial performance.

Now you know how to use visualizations to represent data. What metrics will you look for in your accounting dashboard?