Dashboard

The Dashboard Report, accessed via the "Dash" worksheet or *Output > Dashboard, comprises a series of charts and tables along with advice based on seven key ratios as follows:

By design and to prevent unnecessary "false alarms", some of these ratios are calculated only for the second year so as to ignore any initial trading losses encountered by start ups or rapidly growing businesses.

Initial and Main Warning Messages are automatically activated by the Initial and Main Triggers which can be changed to suit the circumstances of a business and to align with its sectoral norms.

The following table indicates possible actions to be taken in response to warning messages:

Ratio	Possible Actions
Net income before taxes as % sales	Reduce costs and/or overhead expenses. Increase sales volumes and/or prices.
Sales as % breakeven	Increase sales volumes and/or prices. Reduce overhead expenses.
Sales times total assets	Increase sales volumes and/or prices. Reduce current assets (especially accounts receivable and/or inventory). Improve utilization of fixed assets.
Net income before taxes as % total assets	Reduce costs and/or overhead expenses. Increase sales volumes and/or prices. Reduce current assets (especially accounts receivable and/or inventory). Improve utilization of fixed assets.
Net interest cover	Increase sales volumes and/or prices. Reduce overhead expenses. Reduce non-cash current assets (especially accounts receivable and/or inventory). Restructure debt and/or inject equity.
Current assets times current liabilities	Restructure debt and/or inject equity. Increase sales volumes and/or prices (without increasing accounts receivable or inventory).
Net debt as % owners' equity	Restructure debt and/or inject equity.

Use Exl-Plan to undertake sensitivity analysis to assess the impact of possible actions. Note that, for many business types, a small increase in prices will have a much greater impact on profitability than a substantial increase in sales volumes.