Tableau Visualization -- How to build lollipop Chart

Lollipop chart is a fancy and cute chart that has become pretty popular. It is named such way because the shape of the graph consist of a bar attached to a circle, forming a shape of Lollipop. This chart can be useful to provide visualization for your measure numbers in terms of 'how long' it occupies the horizontal axis and the precious location of the measure numbers on the horizontal axis as a dot. The length of the bar is determined by the size of the measure number and the location of the dot on the axis is also determined by the same measure number. Lets take a look at this graph that I start with:

Here, I have sales from the measure which I put on the column section along with Region as the dimension. In the row I have Product, another dimension.

Now, right-click on either 'sales' field and check 'Dual-Axis':

Now chart transformed:

Notice on the left side where i highlighted, there are 2 'sales' under marks windows. Click on each of those 2 highlighted icons, it will open up marks options that you can set for the displays of each of 'sales' field.

So first one is to set the first 'sales' as bar display:

And second 'sales' as circle display

Adjust the size of each of the fields, it changes the graph into looking like a lollipop by making the size of the bar smaller and size of the circle bigger:

Now, let's create another field called profit ratio, which is calculated by taking Sales and dividing it by profit:

After that, drag and drop profit ratio into color windows:

Now we have create a Lollipop chart that gives you 2 different visualization of the sales and also displays the color divergence based on the profitability. If you move the mouse over to any point on the graph, it will display the detail numbers on the chart including regions, product, sales and profit ratios.

Thanks, until next time

Read More

Tableau Visualization -- How to build Dot chart

Dot chart is a pretty typically statistical graph where each data point on the graph are marked in a circle shape. Making dot chart in Tableau is pretty simple and standard.

Lets start with sample data set and we put 'state or province' as dimension then 'sales' and 'profit' as measures all into the row section of the report and set the display under 'Mark' as circle:

Then, drag and drop both sales and profit from rows into the highlighted vertical axis on the graph:

After this action, you will see that 'Measure name' and 'Measure value' appears on the row and column section automatically, we will put 'measure name' in to color window under 'Marks':

Now the graph becomes like the following, which we will move the 'measure value' into column section:

Now we get the following view:

Pivot the graph and we get the final view:

This view displays the sales and profit of each state on the graph separated by 2 dots in different colors

Thanks

Until next time

Read More

Tableau Visualization -- How to build Pareto chart

Pareto chart can be very good for highlighting certain items from a very large set of factors based on certain criteria, Tableau has a very powerful way of creating pareto chart.

We will start with a simple dimension (product name ) in Column and measures (sales) in rows, in order for the chart to make sense, there should be a lot of products:

Now in our particular example, we are comparing the running total and percent of total of the sales per product. So we create table calculation on sales. In this case, percent of total is the secondary type calculation after running total:

The graph changes afterwards to the following:

Now in this example, we are trying to compare the running sum of sales and total sum of sales, if when Total Sum/running is greater than 0.8, we should recognize those product item as above 80%  of all. So in this case we will create a new calculated item called In Top 80% with the following formula: RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Sales])) / TOTAL(SUM([Sales]))<= 0.8

Unlike writing in SQL where we may have to put it in a case statement, here in Tableau since the condition is expecting a binary output: yes or no, and nothing else, the above formula is a simpler way to do so. It will divide the entire set with either > 0.8 or <=0.8

Now move it over to color box under marks, this will automatically divide the entire product list into 2 colored groups based on whether the divided value is greater than or less than 0.8

like so:

Now change the fitting from normal to entire view in order to see the big picture:

Entire picture:

Now lets add a reference line in the graph by right clicking on the vertical Axis, and we set the line value at 0.8 and make it constant.

This will drop a line at the graph at around 80% area on the graph and it will stay constant:

Now, let's sort the graph by product in ascending order by sales:

Now the Pareto chart is done:

Thanks

Until next time

Read More

Tableau Visualization -- How to build thermometer chart

Thermometer is a cool visual that allows audience to visually look at different matrix that the difference can be visually indicated by the different color, size in one chart as if it was like Thermometer.I experimented a few ways to build a basic thermometer chart using tableau, this is a pretty cool visual.

1. Lets start with 2 dimensions and 2 matrix. Here I am using customer segment and region as dimension and sales and profit as matrix by putting the dimensions in column section and matrix in row section. The report will automatically look like the following:

2. Drag and drop both matrix columns into the Y (Vertical axis) of the chart:

The chart will automatically transform to the following view after dropping both matrix. You will notice that 'Measure Names' and 'Measure Values' automatically appear in the following highlighted area

3. Move 'Measure Names' to Color windows under 'Marks':

The chart will look at the following after done:

This time drop measure name under size windows:

And you get the following chart that the 2 bars stack on each other:

4. Now unstack the bars by going to analysis--> stack marks --> off

Now you get your thermo chart:

Thanks

Until next time

Read More

Tableau visualization - How to create sparkline chart

Having had some time working with Tableau, i have found some of the charting features that Tableau provides is very impressive and easy to use once you get used to it. Sparkline chart is one of those charts. Here is how to create your basic sparkline chart for beginners of this tool.

We will start with sample data set (superstore subset) that comes with Tableau installation:

In the worksheet, we will bring 1 dimension and 2 measures to the 'Row' section. The report will look like the following as soon as I am done with dragging region and sales (drag twice) over:

Then bring the date over as well by dragging Order Date over to the column section. By default, it automatically adds year function to order date and the graph shows 2 identical lines per region because of the 2 sales measures

Then click on one of the measure and do 'Add table calculation'. Here we are setting it as 'Moving Calculation' in the calculation type and choose Average for aggregation. I selected previous 5 months and check the box 'Include current value'. This is to calculate the moving average of sales for the previous 6 months including current month.

Then drag each of the measures and drop then under the axis section of the graph as you can see it gets highlighted when you move the cursor over.

After that the graph automatically becomes the following. You can change the formatting, hide the axis labels if you wish or change the colors of the 2 lines as you wish. In my case, i changed the Date function from year to Month, because that's my intended moving calculation.

This graph will provide user with visuals that displays the sales per region per month as well as it's moving 6 month average on the same chart as sparklines. 

Thanks 

Until next time..

Read More