Tableau Software Skill Pill – Bump Chart (EN)

A bump chart is used to visualize products, for instance, by ranking their sales volume, thus we reduce the variations of sales to a variation in rank. This type of chart is useful for tracking market share across products or brands; it is useful for analyzing campaigns by detecting the fluctuations in ranking for products or it can be used to track when a new product has cannibalized the old product, thus ensuring user adoption and giving a signal to stop production of the old product.

Step 1: Create a Line Chart

1. In Tableau Desktop connect to the Global Superstore data source, available on Tableau’s website.
2. Create a Line Chart, by dragging Sum(Profit) on rows and Order Date (Month) on columns.
3. Drag Market on Color.

Step 2: Modify the Line Chart into a Bump Chart

1. Add again the Sum(Profit) on rows.
2. Right click on Sum(Profit) and chose Dual Axis.
3. Right click on one of the axis and select Synchronize Axis.
4. Change the graph type, from the Mark shelf, for the second axis from Line Chart to Circle.
5. Right click on Sum(Profit) from the first axis and select Quick Table Calculations – Rank.
6. Right click on Sum(Profit) from the second axis and select Quick Table Calculations – Rank.
7. Right click on Sum(Profit) from both axis and select Compute Using – Market.
8. Add Labels for the second axis and modify the Alignment from Automatic to Middle.

Step 3: Create a Tree Map

1. Select the Category, Sub-Category and Profit fields while holding the CTRL button.
2. Open Show Me and select Tree Map.
3. Also add the negative values, by clicking on Negative values and selecting Use Absolute Values.

Step 4: Create the Dashboard

1. Add the work sheets that contain the two graphics and drag the Tree Map on top of the Bump Chart.
2. Select the Tree Map and click on the Filter button, to filter the whole Tableau dashboard based on the selection you make in the Tree Map.
3. The Bump Chart is automatically filtered based on the selection you made in the Tree Map.

By Bogdan Secareanu

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