How to Create an Ordered Column Chart?

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A column chart is a type of visualization that shows the values of a variable using vertical bars. An ordered column chart is a column chart that sorts the bars by their values in ascending or descending order.

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How to Create an Ordered Column Chart
How to Create an Ordered Column Chart

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To create an ordered column chart in Tableau, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to your data source and drag the variable you want to use as the bars to the Columns shelf. For example, if you want to create a column chart of sales by product category, drag Product Category to Columns.
  2. Drag the measure you want to use as the values of the bars to the Rows shelf. For example, drag Sales to Rows.
  3. Change the mark type from Automatic to Bar. This will create a column chart with different heights based on the values of the measure.
  4. To sort the columns by their values, click on the axis header and select Sort. In the Sort dialog box, choose Ascending or Descending as the Sort Order and Field as the Sort By option. Then select Sales as the Field Name and Sum as the Aggregation.
  5. Optionally, you can add labels, tooltips, filters, legends, titles, and other formatting options to enhance your visualization.

You have now created an ordered column chart in Tableau!

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An ordered column chart can be useful for businesses in many ways. Here are some examples of how businesses can benefit from using this type of visualization:

  • An ordered column chart can help compare different categories or groups based on a common measure. For example, a business can use an ordered column chart to compare sales by product category or region and identify which ones are performing well or poorly.
  • An ordered column chart can help identify trends or patterns based on a measure over time. For example, a business can use an ordered column chart to track sales by month or quarter and see how they change over time.
  • An ordered column chart can help highlight outliers or exceptions based on a measure across categories or groups. For example, a business can use an ordered column chart to spot products or regions that have unusually high or low sales compared to others.

An ordered column chart is one of the most common and versatile types of visualization that businesses can use to analyze and communicate their data effectively.


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Published by Rahul Bhattacharya

Rahul is a journalist with expertise in researching a variety of topics and writing engaging contents. He is also a data analyst and an expert in visualizing business scenarios using data science. Rahul is skilled in a number of programming languages and data analysis tools. When he is not busy writing, Rahul can be found somewhere in the Appalachian trails or in an ethnic restaurant in Chicago.

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