Your document helps you gain insights. Choosing the right chart helps your audience understand the data quickly and accurately. Chart types are grouped to help you select the one that matches your goal.
Before you select a chart, consider these questions:
- Do you want to compare values or show trends over time?
- Do you want to show composition (parts of a whole) or distribution (how values spread)?
- Do you want to highlight relationships or correlations between data sets?
Your answers will help you choose the most effective chart for your message.
Charts are grouped by purpose and analysis type to help you quickly choose the most relevant visualization.
Chart types: Comparison
Use these charts to view the differences between values.
It provides a simple comparison of categorical divisions of measures. It's the default analysis type.
For example, you could use a bar chart to compare the differences in your sales revenue between different countries.
- Column, Bar, Combined Column Line (classic report element and new report element).
- Column with 2 Y-Axes, Line With 2 Y-Axes, Combined Column Line With 2 Y-Axes, 3D column, Waterfall (classic report element).
- Vertical Waterfall, Horizontal Waterfall, Stacked Combined Bar Line (new report element).
Chart types: Trend
Use these charts to show a trend in the data values. This analysis type is particularly useful for dimensions that are time-based, such as Year. It's useful to see progression of your data and possible patterns.
For example, you can use a line chart to view sales revenue trends of a product throughout a range of years.
Line, Area (classic report element and new report element).
Chart types: Proportion
Use these charts to show the proportion of a value in a whole. For example, you could use a pie chart to show the proportion of each quarter in a full year of sales revenue.
- Pie, Donut, Stacked Column, 100% Stacked Column, Stacked Bar, 100% Stacked Bar (classic report element and new report element).
- Pie with Depth, Funnel, Pyramid (classic report element).
Chart types: Distribution
Use one of these charts to show a summarized group of unorganized data. You can also use them for qualitative and quantitative data.
- Tree Map, Heat Map, Radar (classic report element and new report element).
- Box Plot, Tag Cloud (classic report element).
Chart types: Correlation
Use these charts to view the relationship between values. It's useful for comparing multiple measure values.
For example, you can view the correlation of two measures, and understand the impact of the first measure on the second one.
- Bubble (classic report element and new report element).
- Scatter Plot, Polar Scatter, Polar Bubble (classic report element).
- Scatter (new report element).
Chart types: Geographic
Use these charts to show a map of the country object. The data for dimensions sorted by country are shown on the map. This is useful to see the geographical spread of data.
Geo Choropleth, Geo Bubble, Geo Pie (classic report element).
Chart types: Indicator
Use to show the value of a key performance indicator. For example, you could use a gauge chart to show the year-to-date sales revenue together with the sales revenue target for the year.
- Speedometer, Linear Gauge, Angular Gauge, Tile, Tile with Deviation (classic report element).
- Bullet, Harvey Ball, Radial (new report element).
Chart types: Multiple
Use to display small multiple charts (trellis charts) for side-by-side comparison. Compared with other charts, you will have to select which dimensions will be used to multiply the charts.
Pie, Column, Column With 2 Y-Axes, Line, Line With 2 Y-Axes, Area, Scatter Plot, Scatter Matrix, Geo Bubble, Geo Choropleth (classic report element).
For more information about this topic, please read SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence User's Guide
Insert a Chart
To insert a chart, use the Quick Access, Build, and Main panels.
Chart Animations
You can add dynamic effects to charts by animating them when you open the document or switch report tabs. For example, Bar chart bars can grow progressively. Line charts can display lines gradually or fade them out.
Let's Summarize What You've Learned
- Select chart types based on your analysis goal: comparison, trend, proportion, distribution, correlation, geographic, indicator, or multiple.
- Use comparison charts to highlight differences, trend charts to show changes over time, and proportion charts to display parts of a whole.
- Choose distribution and correlation charts to reveal data spread and relationships; use geographic and indicator charts for location and key metrics.
- Animate charts to add dynamic effects and improve the viewing experience.