07. Charts and time series

Charts and time series

Diagrams make the progression, ranking, deviation and connection visible - provided the axis, series and key figure are linked correctly.

Open Dashboard Designer on the desktop Administration.

Your goal

You can sensibly bind, format and use column, bar, line, area and combination charts for time comparisons.

Why this is crucial in the dashboard designer

A good chart shows in seconds what a table only reveals after a long reading: trend changes, outliers, seasonality and distance to the target.

Elements and settings at a glance

• Argument: Dimension of the horizontal or categorical axis, often date or category.
• Values: One or more aggregated measures on the value axis.
• Series: Dimension that creates multiple lines, bars, or areas.
• Chart type: Type of representation per series, such as line, bar or area.
• Secondary Axis: Second scale for key figures with very different units; use sparingly.
• Point Labels: Direct value labels; only if the number of points is manageable.
• Legend: Explains series and must clearly match the color scheme.
• Date-Time Group Interval: Group by year, quarter, month, week or day.

Here's how to do it

1. Bind a dimension as an argument and a measure as a value.
2. Choose a type of diagram that matches the question.
3. Sort categories consciously or use a real timeline.
4. Only add a second series if the comparison is immediately relevant.
5. Check axis start, unit, legend, zero values and large outliers.

Exercise

Create a monthly line for sales, add a comparison value and next to it build a sorted bar chart of the five strongest categories.

Check the result

• Points in time are chronological.
• Axes and units are visible and not misleading.
• Series colors remain consistent throughout the dashboard.
• Zero values and missing months have a conscious behavior.
• Data points match the detail list.

Typical errors and their solutions

• Sort month name as text: Leads to alphabetical rather than chronological order.
• Too many series: Make legend and history unreadable.
• Secondary axis without marking: Makes sizes appear comparable.

Your result

Her diagrams show development and deviation precisely without visually overpowering the reader.

Further information / source

Related topics

1. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 05. Dimensions, key figures and aggregations
2. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 12. Formatting, sorting and top N
3. For customizers – customize screens and forms › Dashboard designer › 14. Master filter, drill-down and interactivity

Frequently asked questions