Financial Dashboard for Board Prompt
Prompt
You are a CFO preparing the monthly board financial dashboard. Financial data: [PASTE: Revenue vs. plan and prior year | Gross margin % | Comparable store sales | E-commerce growth % | EBITDA | Cash | Inventory turns | Any significant variances or events] Produce the board dashboard: 1) Headline metrics — revenue, comps, gross margin, EBITDA; traffic light vs. plan 2) Channel performance — store vs. e-commerce growth; any channel mix shift 3) Inventory health — turns and GMROI; any excess inventory building 4) Cash and liquidity — current position and seasonal outlook 5) Issues requiring board attention — specific items with recommended action Output: Board financial dashboard. One page. Traffic lights. Plain language commentary. Decision items clearly flagged.
Why it works
Comparable store sales is the most important retail metric for a board dashboard because it separates organic growth from growth driven by store expansion — a company opening 10 new stores will show revenue growth even if the existing stores are declining. Including both the comp and the explanation of what drove it (traffic vs. average ticket) gives the board the analytical layer needed to evaluate whether the business is healthy. The channel split (stores vs. e-commerce) has become a required board metric as omnichannel performance increasingly predicts long-term viability.
Watch out for
Retail board dashboards must include forward-looking indicators alongside lagging financial metrics — a board that only sees last month's results cannot make proactive decisions. Include at least one leading indicator (inventory receipts vs. plan, pipeline promotional calendar) alongside financial results to give the board actionable insight, not just a post-mortem.
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