3.3 Conditional Formatting as a Superpower

Beyond Basic Color Scales

• Formula-driven rules:

  excel

• =AND(B2>100000, B2=MAX(B$2:B$100))  // Highlight only category leaders  

• Heatmaps with custom icons:

  • Traffic lights for SLA compliance

  • Arrows for MoM changes

KPI Dashboards That Auto-Update

Components:

1. Key Metrics Card (Big numbers with YoY delta)

2. Trend Sparklines

3. Stoplight Status (RAG ratings)

Enterprise Example:

• Live inventory risk dashboard highlighting:

  • Stockouts (red)

  • Excess stock (yellow)

  • Optimal levels (green)

Assignment:

• Build a HR attrition dashboard showing:

  • Dept-wise turnover rates

  • Tenure trends

  • Flight risk predictions