ALYSSON LISBOA NEVESResearcher and professor| UFMG | ETC NegóciosBelo Horizonte, Brazil
I watched the class about Requirments and I have a question. After creating a dashboard, how can I update the status and evolution and share it with my team? Should I do this directly in the Cloude, or do I need to export the dashboard to Excel online? Which approach is better?
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
In my case, we are using Azure Devops then dashboards are updated automatically and are published for all the people. If not, you can use AI (not generative AI) to create automation tools to do that. In fact, Microsoft provides free of use tools to do that. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
This is a very good question, because it goes beyond tools and touches how teams actually use information to make decisions.
Before choosing the format, it helps to clarify one principle. A dashboard only creates value if it is treated as a living artefact with a single source of truth. The moment we rely on manual exports and parallel files, we introduce noise, delay, and loss of trust in the data.
Regarding the two options.
Updating the dashboard directly in the cloud is usually the strongest approach when the dashboard supports ongoing tracking and shared visibility. It enables consistent updates, simultaneous access by the team, and reduces manual effort. More importantly, it keeps the dashboard aligned with agile and hybrid ways of working, where transparency and fast feedback matter.
Exporting to Excel Online can still be useful in specific situations. For example, when the team already works heavily in Excel, when exploratory analysis or simulations are needed, or when the original tool has collaboration limits. The trade-off is important to acknowledge. Each export creates a static snapshot, which can quickly diverge from the real project status if governance and update discipline are not very clear.
A simple decision rule helps. For continuous, shared monitoring and decision-making, keep the dashboard in the cloud whenever possible. For one-off analysis or deeper exploration, Excel Online can be appropriate, as long as it is clearly not treated as the official project status.
One final, often overlooked point. A dashboard does not replace conversation. It supports it. Real value emerges when the team looks at the same data, at the same time, and discusses implications, risks, and next decisions. That alignment between tool, purpose, and governance is what separates reporting from leadership. Saving Changes...
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Great question. Short answer: keep it in the cloud whenever possible. If the dashboard is meant to track status and be shared regularly, updating it directly in the cloud gives you a single source of truth, real-time visibility, and far less manual effort. It also avoids version confusion. Exporting to Excel Online can be useful for one-off analysis or simulations, but it should be treated as a snapshot, not the official status. Rule of thumb:
Ongoing tracking & team visibility: Cloud dashboard
Ad-hoc analysis: Excel (clearly marked as temporary)
And one last point: dashboards support decisions, but they don’t replace conversations. The real value comes when the team reviews the same data and talks through what it means. Saving Changes...
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