How to create a Pace Chart in Tableau?

Pace charts are an alternative to bullet graphs that normalize progress-to-goal visualizations across KPIs, even when these KPIs have different data formats, scales, and/or seasonal trends. They are useful for providing an apples-to-apples, pace-to-goal comparison in businesses with KPIs spanning various categories, such as revenue, social media followers, attendance, and more.

Because of their versatility, pace charts can be an effective solution for analyzing performance indicators that don’t normally share a common basis for comparison.

In this #Skillpill, we will explore how to create a pace chart and apply it to your KPIs for clearer, more actionable insights!

Step 1: Create a new data set 

→ Create a random data set with the current value and the goal

Step 2: Connect to the dataset 

→ In Tableau Desktop, connect to the random data sample

→ Create a new sheet named Pace Chart

Step 3:   Create the new chart 

→ Create a new calculated field named % of Goal with the next formula: SUM([Current]/SUM(Goal))

→ Bring to Column the new calculated field % of Goal

→ Bring to Row the field named Measure

→ Sort the value from the biggest to the smallest value

→ Right-click on Axis and click on Add Reference Line

→ Set in the Line zone, the Value to be Constant which will be 1

→ Create a new calculated field named  Pace that will divide the year into 52 intervals(weeks), and multiply the number of weeks which passed(we will consider 42 weeks)

→ The calculation formula will be (1/52)*42

→ Bring the calculated field Pace on the Detail Mark

→ Right-click on the axis and click on Add Reference Line

→ Set in the Line are, Values to be Sum(Pace)

→ Create a new calculated field named Pace Score which will show you the KPI to be On Pace or Behind Pace, these things can vary, but we will consider for our example to be 100 % – On Pace and what is between 90% and 99% to be Slightly behind Pace, the rest that is less than 90% is Behind Pace

→ The formula for Pace Score will be: 

If [% of Goal]/[Pace] >=1 then “On Pace” 

ELSEIF [% of Goal]/[Pace] >= .9 then “Slightly Behind Pace” 

ELSE “Behind Pace” 

END 

→ We will add the calculated field Pace Score to the Color Mark.

Here is the dashboard in Tableau Public:

Watch the video tutorial here:

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With Tableau Software – the best data visualization platform – you can always understand your business or your job better. Using Tableau, you will make intelligent and strategic decisions and quickly understand the data flow, numbers, and the results it produces. See other #skillpill video tutorials here:

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