Choose the Right Chart for the Job
Recall chart choices that fit common Excel analysis jobs.
Trend or composition? Pick the chart that matches the relationship being judged. Can we use a pie chart with nine categories? Your line A sorted bar chart will make the category differences easier to compare. Pie slices become hard to compare as categories multiply. It shifts the conversation from decoration to perceptual accuracy. Best chart for actual vs plan by category? A bar chart with variance labels or a variance bridge. The audience needs comparison and magnitude, not just trend. When is a scatterplot useful? When you need to inspect the relationship between two numeric variables. Examples: discount vs margin,…
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