| Perhaps the greatest gift of the unified GUI | | | | Not all of the various off-the-shelf Balanced |
| of the more recent versions of Windows® | | | | Scorecard software packages come with |
| is that transforming data into a format which | | | | spreadsheet output designed into them, but |
| is pleasing to the aesthetic tastes [eye and | | | | you don't have be in the Forbes' 500 to have |
| mind] of the individual viewing it is quite | | | | an IT person who can automate the population |
| easy. It is so easy to manipulate final | | | | of a spreadsheet with the raw data from any |
| presentation mode that most software for | | | | Balanced Scorecard management system, |
| Balanced Scoreboard Management programs | | | | including the home-brew type. |
| includes various presentation formats as | | | | |
| default options. | | | | One idea that seems to be universal in the |
| | | | field of management training is that every |
| One of the more popular, and often one of the | | | | organization is unique. While, in truth, |
| easiest to understand formats for | | | | nobody has the exact same measurements as the |
| presentation is the spreadsheet. Over the | | | | next person, most of us can still buy |
| years, almost all management types have | | | | ready-to-wear clothing and have a decent fit, |
| become used to seeing and using spreadsheets | | | | even if it requires a little alteration. Most |
| in the many various [computer] applications | | | | of the off-the-shelf Balanced Scorecard |
| that use the spreadsheet format as the final | | | | software packages allow for just such minor |
| presentation format. Many, even high-level | | | | alterations to make the product "fit" your |
| managers are so conversant with the | | | | specific, "unique" enterprise. The more |
| spreadsheet format that they are even | | | | expensive software packages often come with |
| comfortable converting spreadsheets into | | | | some amount of training included in the |
| charts and other diagrams for their own | | | | package price and some small amount of |
| presentations. | | | | individualization, built into the price. |
| | | | |
| The versatility of spreadsheet format is what | | | | Even if that individualization includes |
| makes it so acceptable as a presentation or | | | | something as simple as the design of the |
| intermediate tool. The thought of presenting | | | | spreadsheet presentation, remember to be |
| what might otherwise be complicated reporting | | | | careful to have your implementation team make |
| data from various sub-operations and using | | | | the decisions, and allow the software |
| various perspectives and metrics, fairly | | | | company's person to follow their lead only. |
| screams out for the spreadsheet as a delivery | | | | The more expensive route is the custom tailor |
| medium. | | | | job, and here we are approaching the scale of |
| | | | governmental departments and other large |
| The dashboards that are offered are sort of | | | | corporate entities with sprawling interests, |
| interesting for the person who wants to be a | | | | before these become cost effective. These |
| voyeur while the enterprise chugs along, but | | | | operations would ordinarily be on the order |
| the ability to take intermediate results on | | | | of business management consulting and the |
| spreadsheets, and compare yesterday's | | | | consulting firm would have the software built |
| production with today's or this morning's | | | | especially for your enterprise, although they |
| with this afternoon's is truly what | | | | are often using their own off the shelf |
| spreadsheeting is extremely good at. | | | | parts, and only making the smallest |
| | | | modifications. |