Choosing the Best Chart Type for the Data

When adding a chart to your SAP Analytics Cloud story or analytic applications page, choose the best chart type for your analysis.

You can add many charts to your story or analytic applications page, and you can have more than one chart on a page. Choose different chart types to display different aspects of your data.

Overview of Chart Types

The SAP Analytics Cloud Builder panel groups similar chart types together.

  • Comparison charts compare differences between values or show a simple comparison of categorical divisions of measures.
    • Bar/Column
    • Stacked Bar/Column
    • Combination Column & Line
    • Combination Stacked Column & Line
    • Waterfall
  • Trend charts show a trend in the data values (especially for dimensions that are time-based, such as Year) or the progression of your data and possible patterns.
    • Stacked Area
    • Line
    • Time Series
  • Distribution charts show distributions between several groups or sets of data.
    • Box Plot
    • Heat Map
    • Histogram
    • Radar
    • Tree Map
  • Correlation charts show the relationship between values or compares multiple measure values.
    • Bubble
    • Cluster Bubble
    • Scatterplot

    For example, you can view the correlation of two measures and understand the impact of the first measure on the second measure.

  • Indicator charts show a business's metrics.
    • Bullet
    • Numeric Point
  • More chart options:
    • Donut
    • Pie
    • Marimekko

Comparison Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Bar or Column

Builder panel group: Comparison

Bar Chart
Column Chart

Bar/Column: displays data as a series of vertical or horizontal bars. This type of chart is best suited for showing data for several sets over a period of time (for example, last year's sales figures for AZ, CA, OR, and WA).

Chart Orientation: select either Horizontal or Vertical orientation.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+

Color*

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

0+

Color*

0+

Trellis

0+

* When you have a measure in the Color parameter, you can have only one parameter. If you already had dimensions in the Color parameter or a different measure, the new measure will replace those parameters.

Stacked Bar or Column

Builder panel group: Comparison

Stacked Bar Chart
Stacked Column Chart

Stacked Bar/Column: includes at least three series of data, each series represented by a color stacked in a single bar (for example, sales for 2014, 2015, and 2016).

Tip

You only need one dimension for the stacked bar chart (as the Color parameter) and as many measures as you want.

Chart Orientation: select either Horizontal or Vertical orientation.

Show Chart as 100%: select when you want to show the Stacked Bar/Column chart as 100% stacked.

Note

If the stacked bar or column chart has only negative values, they will be shown in a 100% stacked chart. However, if the stacked chart has both positive and negative values, when shown as a 100% stacked chart the negative values won't be shown.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

0+

Color*

1+

Trellis

0+

* When you have a measure in the Color parameter, you can have only one parameter. If you already had dimensions in the Color parameter or a different measure, the new measure will replace those parameters.

Column & Line

Builder panel group: Comparison

Use a combination chart to compare two different types of data in the same chart.

Column and Line Chart
Stacked Column and Line Chart

Y Axes Overlap: Select when you want the bar and line axes to overlap.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional

If you do not include the second axis, you will not see the Line information.

Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Combination Column & Line

Combination Stacked Column & Line

Column Axis

1+

1+

Line Axis

0+

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Combination Column & Line

Combination Stacked Column & Line

Dimensions

1+

1+

Color

0+

0+

Trellis

0+

0+

Waterfall

Builder panel group: Comparison

Use a Waterfall chart to understand how an initial value is affected by a series of intermediate increase or decrease values.

Waterfall Chart

The initial and the final values are represented by columns attached to the baseline, while the intermediate values are denoted by floating columns. The columns are color-coded to show Increase, Decrease, and Total values.

You can have up to two dimensions in your chart:

  • The first (primary) dimension provides subtotals or interim totals (for example, sales per month).

  • The second (breakdown) dimension provides further details (for example, sales by product per month).

The initial and the final values are represented by columns attached to the baseline, while the intermediate values are denoted by floating columns. The columns are color-coded to show Increase, Decrease, and Total values.

For more information on waterfall charts, see Waterfall Charts.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 2 - maximum
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

2

Color

Version*
Restriction

* Waterfall charts support only the Version dimension in the Color parameter. If you don't have a version dimension (for example, Actual or Forecast versions), the Color list will be empty.

Return to chart overview list

Trend Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Stacked Area

Builder panel group: Trend

Use a Stacked Area chart to show percentage of total sales for a limited number of regions.

Stacked Area Chart
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

0+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+

Line

Builder panel group: Trend

Line Chart

A line chart is best suited for showing data for a large number of groups (for example, total sales over the past several years).
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Left Y-Axis

1+

Right Y-Axis

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+

Time Series

Builder panel group: Trend

Time Series Chart

Each point on a time series chart corresponds to both a time and a quantity. This chart type can be used to view sales revenue trends of a product throughout a range of years.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Time

1+

Color

0+

Return to chart overview list

Distribution Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Box Plot

Builder panel group: Distribution

A box plot chart displays data based on the five-number summary: the minimum, the maximum, the median, and the first and third quartiles.

Box Plot Chart

Use a Box Plot chart to summarize annual sales amounts according to geographical regions. For each country, plot a box that shows the range and distribution of the regional sales amounts within that country.

A box plot chart usually includes two parts: a box and a set of whiskers.

  • Box: the box is drawn from Q1 to Q3 with a horizontal line drawn in the middle to denote the median (Q2).

  • Whiskers (W): Lines drawn outside the box, terminating at the maximum (Q4) and minimum (Q0) data points.

Tip

SAP Analytics Cloud follows Excel's Quartile.INC() function behavior for computing quartiles.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Aggregation Level

1+

Dimensions

0+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+
Quartile Description
Q4

Maximum (100th percentile): the highest data point, excluding any outliers.
Q3

Third quartile (75th percentile): also known as the upper quartile; it is the median of the upper half of the data set.
Q2

Median (50th percentile): the middle value in the data set.
Q1

First quartile (25th percentile): also known as the lower quartile; it is the median of the lower half of the data set.
Q0

Minimum (0th percentile): the lowest data point, excluding any outliers.

In addition to the minimum and maximum values used to construct a box plot chart, another important element is the interquartile range (IQR). The IQR is the distance between the upper and lower quartiles (Q3-Q1).

Heat Map

Builder panel group: Distribution

Heat Map Chart

A heat map (or heatmap) is a data visualization technique that shows magnitude as color in two dimensions.

The variation in color in a heat map may be by hue or intensity, giving visual cues to the reader about how the phenomenon is clustered or varies over space.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

X-Axis

1+

Y-Axis

0+

Trellis

0+

Histogram

Builder panel group: Distribution

Use a Histogram chart to indicate the number of data points that lie within a range of values.

Histogram Chart
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Aggregation Dimension

1

Color

0+
Bin Properties

Parameter

Number

Number of Bins

1+

Radar

Builder panel group: Distribution

Radar Chart

The Radar chart places numeric values, increasing in value, from the center of the radar to the perimeter. Radar charts are particularly useful for determining how specific values relate to group data.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1+

Color

1+

Trellis

0+

Tree Map

Builder panel group: Distribution

Tree Map Chart

A Tree Map chart displays data as a series of hierarchical rectangles, where the surface area of each rectangle is proportional to the size of a value from the data object; the larger the rectangle, the greater the value that it represents.

In a tree map chart, the Label dimensions are shown as nested groups, with the first dimension as the outermost group.

Use the Size measure for size and color, or add a separate Color measure.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Size

1+

Color

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Label

1+

Trellis

0+

Return to chart overview list

Correlation Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Bubble

Builder panel group: Correlation

Use a Bubble chart to show the number of products sold in a certain region; the larger the bubble, the greater the number of products sold in that region.

Bubble Chart

When you have a measure in the Color parameter, you can have only one parameter. If you already had dimensions in the Color parameter or a different measure, the new measure will replace those parameters.

Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

X-Axis

1

Y-Axis

1

Size

1

Color

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

0+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+

Cluster Bubble

Builder panel group: Correlation

Cluster Bubble Chart

In cluster bubble charts (also called packed bubble charts), the size and the color of the bubbles are used to visualize the data.

The positioning of the bubbles is not significant; however, the chart is optimized for compactness.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1

Color

1

Trellis

0+

Scatterplot

Builder panel group: Correlation

Scatterplot Chart

The scatterplot chart allows the user to consider a larger scope of data for the purpose of determining trends. For example, if you input customer information, including sales, products, countries, months, and years, you would have a collection of plotted points that represents the pool of customer information. Viewing all of this data on a scatterplot chart would allow you to speculate as to why certain products were selling better than others or why certain regions were purchasing more than others.

When you have a measure in the Color parameter, you can have only one parameter. If you already had dimensions in the Color parameter or a different measure, the new measure will replace those parameters.

Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

X-Axis

1

Y-Axis

1
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+

Return to chart overview list

Indicator Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Bullet

Builder panel group: Indicator

Bullet Chart

A bullet chart is a variation of a bar chart, and is similar to progress charts. The bullet chart compares a single, primary measure (for example, current year-to-date revenue) to one or more other measures (for example, compared to a target), and displays the result as a threshold or set of ranges.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Measures

1+

Color*

1

For bullet charts, the Color element uses thresholds. You can compare a measure to a number range or to another number.

Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1+

Numeric Point

Builder panel group: Indicator

Numeric Point Chart
Numeric point charts require at least one primary value, but they can have multiple primary and secondary values. In both cases, only a single data point is displayed.

  • Primary Values display the numeric data point in a large font with the label displayed in a smaller font below the numeric value.

  • Secondary Values display the label and the numeric data point on the same line.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Primary Values

1+

Secondary Values

1+
Tip

To add more emphasis to your chart, add an existing threshold to the Color element.

Return to chart overview list

Miscellaneous (More) Charts

Suggested Chart Types Parameters

Donut or Pie

Builder panel group: More

Donut and Pie charts show the percentage of parts in a whole or values as ratios to a whole.

Donut Chart
Pie Chart

Both donut and pie charts display data as sections of a circle or donut, and both are usually used for one group of data, but can be used for multiple groups of data.

Donut charts display the total numerical value in the center and the dimensions as different sized colored sections of the donut, with the size of the section representing a percentage of the total.

For example, for a donut chart showing sales by region, the total number of sales (the numerical value) is in the center and the regions are the colored sections.

A pie chart displays data as a pie, each section or pie wedge filled with color or patterns. Each pie wedge represents a subset of a total value. For example, the percentage of total sales divided by regions.
Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Donut

Pie

Measures

1

1
Dimensions

Parameter

Donut

Pie

Color

1+

1+

Trellis

0+

0+

Marimekko

Builder panel group: More

Marimekko charts use varying heights and varying column widths to depict data.

Marimekko Chart

Show Chart as 100%: select when you want to show the chart as 100% stacked.

Number of required or optional parameters:
  • 1+ - minimum
  • 1 - maximum
  • 0+ - optional
Measures (Accounts)

Parameter

Number

Height

1+

Width

0+
Dimensions

Parameter

Number

Dimensions

1+

Color

0+

Trellis

0+

Return to chart overview list

Related Information