Example: Use Bar Charts to Focus on Key Data Points

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Walks you through creating a bar chart that combines data filtering, breakdown, sorting, and setting limits to narrow the focus of an analysis.

Suppose that you want to create a visualization that shows the lowest performing sales regions in the United States. This walkthrough will show you how to use data-focusing techniques and narrow the focus of a chart on key data points. When you complete this walkthrough, the chart will look like:

This walkthrough will explain how to create a bar chart that visualizes prior quarter revenue broken down by sales region. You will:

Set up a filter on the data series in the chart. You will filter revenue to evaluate only United States sales regions.
Define a breakdown on the data series by the level dimension.
Sort and limit to show the lowest performing regions.

Prerequisites

This example uses the default version Working Budget and the following:

Revenue general ledger account
Level dimension with dimension members that includes United States sales regions

Your versions and data sources may be different than the ones illustrated in this example.

Navigation

Navigate to the perspective and dashboard select Edit to create a chart.

Create a Bar Chart

You will create a bar chart and change time settings. After completing this step, your chart will look like:

Bar Chart Set Up with a Revenue Data Series and Prior Quarter

Create the Chart

In the left panel, click to view a list of chart types. Drag to the design area to create a bar chart.
In the left panel, click to view a list of accounts. Drag a revenue account to the chart.
On the Appearance Setting tab in the right panel, rename the chart: Quarter Sales by Region

Change the Time

You will change the time settings to look like:

Relative Time Settings for Bar Chart

The time set in perspective context is November 2017, which falls in the third quarter. The time setting in the chart is set to relative time. The chart looks at data back one quarter based on the time set in the perspective context. The chart visualizes data for the second quarter representing July, August, and September.

Click to change time to prior quarter. Change the following settings:
- Stratum: Quarter
- Span: Single Period
- Data Range: no change required
Unpin time to set to relative time (a gray pin indicates unpinned). Do the following to set time to the prior quarter:
- Select Backwards from the drop-down
- Enter 1 (to go back one quarter)

Narrow the Data Focus

You will use filtering, breakdown, and sorting and limits to focus on the lowest performing sales regions.

Add a Data Series Filter

You will change the data settings to filter the revenue data series. You will filter using the Level dimension and United States sales regions. After completing this step, the chart will look like:

Bar Chart After Filtering on Selected Sales Regions

At this point, there may not be a significant change to the chart. The total value of the data series may be the only noticeable difference.

Do the following:

Select to edit the data settings.
Expand the Product Revenue account to change the settings on the data series.
Expand the Filter setting and navigate to Levels element. 1 Select each individual region that you want to include in the analysis. 2 The selections display in the Filter setting:

Select Each Sales Region Included in the Filter

Change the Breakdown

Use the breakdown to categorize (or group) data. You will group revenue by sales region using the Level dimension. After completing this step, the chart will look like:

Bar Chart with Filtered by Individual Sales Regions and Breakdown by Level

Do the following:

Select to edit the data settings and expand the Breakdown section.
Choose Dimension from the drop-down (Time is the default).
Expand the Dimension setting and select Level from the list.

Do not change the remaining breakdown settings.

Sort and Limit the Data

You can sort the data, such as by highest to lowest revenue. For this analysis, you are interested in poor performing sales regions. You will change the data settings to:

Sort by product revenue in descending order – from lowest to highest revenue.
Limit data to the three lowest performing regions.

After completing these steps, the chart will look like:

Bar Chart Filtered By Sales Region, Breakdown by Level, and Sorted and Limited to Lowest Performing Sales Regions

Select to edit the data settings and expand the Sorting and Limit section. Choose the following:
- Sort By: Product Revenue
- Sort Order: Ascending
To limit to the three lowest performing regions, select First N from the drop-down and enter 3 as the limit.

This completes this walkthrough.