Advanced data visualization (charts, graphs, dashboards, fever charts, heat maps, etc.) It is a graphical representation of numerical data. The right data visualization tool can present a complex data set in a way that is simple to understand. A spreadsheet, which displays data in rows and columns, is very useful for displaying small data sets. When the data set gets too large, however, it can be difficult for the viewer to quickly grasp the relative significance of the data A bar graph is a pictorial rendition of statistical data in which the independent variable can attain only certain discrete values. The most common form of bar graph is the vertical bar graph, also called a column graph. Bar graphs can also be displayed horizontally.
In a pie chart, the independent variable is plotted around a circle in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The dependent variable (usually a percentage) is rendered as an arc whose measure is proportional to the magnitude of the quantity. Each arc is depicted by constructing radial lines from its ends to the center of the circle, creating a wedge-shaped "slice." A Pareto chart is a vertical bar graph in which values are plotted in decreasing order of relative frequency from left to right. Pareto charts are extremely useful for analyzing what problems need attention first. A fever chart is a graphical representation showing change of a variable over time. Fever charts, which are also called line graphs or point-by-point graphs, are useful for illustrating data that changes continuously, such as stock prices. Specific values of a function are plotted as dots on a coordinate plane.
A spark line is a small embedded line graph that illustrates a single trend. Sparklines, which are often used in reports, presentations, dashboards and scoreboards, do not include axes or labels. Their context comes from the related content. A histogram uses rectangles to show the frequency of data items in successive numerical intervals of equal size. In the most common form of histogram, the independent variable is plotted along the horizontal axis and the dependent variable is plotted along the vertical axis. The data appears as colored or shaded rectangles of variable area. A pictograph uses picture symbols or icons to represent data sets. Pictographs are useful for illustrating simple data sets in an eye-catching manner.
A heat map is a two-dimensional representation of data in which values are represented by colors. A dashboard, which somewhat resembles an automobile dashboard, displays key performance indicators (KPIs). (Data visualizations can be) at best confusing, and at worst misleading, but the good ones are an absolute revelation. The best data visualizations are ones that expose something new about
the underlying patterns and relationships contained within the data. Understanding those relationships and being able to observe them is key to good decision making. Visualizations for Exploration & Discovery Imprecise Allows for quick iteration and experimentation Enable user to find the signal within the noise Software and automation are enablers Great for detecting the underlying patterns and relationships the data may have Visualization for Influence Organizations are beginning to invest significant resources in providing interactive visualizations to their customers and the public Allows viewers to better understand the company's business, and interact in a self-directed manner with the company's expertise Visualization for Explanation Clean think less is more Easily digestible - pare down the information to its simplest form for efficiency Relevant when you understand what the data is telling you and you want to communicate it to someone else Used in presentations and sales reports Infographics are a subset Top Reasons to Use Data Discovery and Visualization to Make Better Decisions Visually Insightful - Quickly spot trends, patterns, and outliers. Fast - Quick response times facilitate speed-of-thought analyses. Easy - Intuitive UI (user interface) and actions make analysis simple and fun. Do-It-Yourself - Build dashboards in minutes without help from IT. Any Data - Explore any data including Excel spreadsheets, Salesforce.com, and corporate databases including Hadoop.
Smarter Than Excel - Understand your Microsoft Excel data faster with the power of visual business analytics. Big Data Analytics - Unlock insights trapped in vast databases. Mobile - Get answers at your fingertips, anywhere, anytime. Collaboration - Share discoveries with your colleagues via web, email, mobile, and social media.