Box and Whisker Chart, Hierarchy Chart & Waterfall Chart in Excel

Introduction

Creating advanced charts in Excel allows users to visually represent complex data in a more meaningful and understandable way. Excel provides a wide range of charting tools and features that enable users to create dynamic, interactive, and visually appealing charts. In this introduction, we will explore some of the key concepts and techniques involved in creating advanced charts in Excel.

Excel offers a variety of chart types, including column charts, line charts, pie charts, bar charts, scatter plots, and more. These chart types can be customized and combined to create more advanced chart layouts. To create a chart in Excel, you typically start by selecting the data range you want to visualize and then choosing the desired chart type from the Insert tab in the Excel ribbon. Excel provides various formatting options to customize the appearance of charts. Users can modify chart elements such as axes, titles, data labels, legends, colors, and styles to enhance the visual impact and improve clarity.

How to Make an Organizational/ Hierarchy Chart in Excel?

Here's a detailed guide on how to make an organizational/hierarchy chart in Microsoft Excel:

An organizational/hierarchy chart is a visual representation of the structure and relationships within an organization. It displays the reporting relationships, positions, and roles of individuals or departments in a hierarchical manner. Microsoft Excel provides a user-friendly and accessible tool for creating organizational charts. In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of making an organizational/hierarchy chart in Excel, explaining each stage in detail.

Step 1: Prepare the Data

To begin, organize your data in a structured format. Create a table in Excel that includes the names or titles of individuals or departments and their corresponding reporting relationships. Each row should represent a separate position or entity, with additional columns indicating the reporting structure. It's crucial to ensure that the data is accurate and up-to-date.

Step 2: Select the Data

With your data prepared, select the entire table including headers. This will be the data range used to create the organizational chart.

Step 3: Insert the SmartArt Graphic

Excel provides a feature called "SmartArt" that allows you to create various types of graphics, including organizational charts.

• 3.1: Navigate to the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon.
• 3.2: Click on the "SmartArt" button. A gallery of SmartArt graphics will appear.
• 3.3: Select the desired organizational chart layout from the "Hierarchy" category. There are several options to choose from, such as "Organizational Chart" or "Hierarchy."
• 3.4: Click "OK" to insert the selected SmartArt graphic onto your Excel worksheet.

Step 4: Enter the Data into the SmartArt Graphic

Upon inserting the SmartArt graphic, a text pane will appear on the left side of the worksheet. This page allows you to enter the data for your organizational chart.

• 4.1: Enter the text for each position or entity, starting from the top level and moving downward.
• 4.2: Use the tab key to indent the text for subordinate positions or departments. This will establish the hierarchical structure of your chart.
• 4.3: Press "Enter" after each entry to add a new position or entity.
• 4.4: Continue entering the data until your organizational chart is complete.

Step 5: Modify the Layout:

Excel provides options to change the layout of the organizational chart. Click on the chart, and the "Design" and "Format" tabs will appear in the Excel ribbon. Here, you can select different layout options to adjust the appearance of your chart.

• 5.1 Resize and Position the Chart: Click and drag the edges of the chart to resize it as desired. Use the alignment guides that appear to align the chart with other elements on your worksheet.
• 5.2 Format the Chart: Excel offers various formatting options to enhance the appearance of your organizational chart. You can change the color scheme, font styles, and sizes, and apply effects to make the chart visually appealing and consistent with your organization's branding or design guidelines.
• 5.3 Add Shapes and Connectors: If needed, you can add additional shapes or connectors to the organizational chart. Select the chart and click on the "Design" tab in the Excel ribbon. From here, you can choose "Add Shape" or "Add Connector" to expand or modify the chart structure.
• 5.4 Modify the Text: Excel allows you to customize the text within the organizational chart. Double-click on any text box within the chart, and the "Text" pane will appear on the left side of the worksheet. Here, you can make changes to the text, such as formatting, alignment, or adding additional information.

Step 6: Add Visual Enhancements

To further enhance the clarity and visual appeal of your organizational chart, you can incorporate visual elements such as colors, shapes, and images.

• 6.1 Apply Colors and Themes: Excel provides a variety of color schemes and themes that can be applied to your chart. Select the chart and navigate to the "Design" tab in the Excel ribbon. Explore the available options to find a color scheme that matches your organization's branding or desired aesthetics.
• 6.2 Insert Images: If you want to include images, such as headshots or logos, within your organizational chart, you can do so by inserting pictures. Select the shape or text box where you want to add the image, click on the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon, and choose "Pictures." Browse and select the desired image from your computer, and it will be inserted into the chart.
• 6.3 Use Shapes and Lines: Excel offers a wide range of shapes and lines that can be added to the chart to highlight or annotate specific elements. Select the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon, click on "Shapes," and choose the desired shape or line. Draw the shape or line on the chart and customize its appearance using the formatting options in the Excel ribbon.

Step 7:

Once you have customized the organizational chart to your satisfaction, take a moment to review it and make any necessary adjustments or refinements.

• 7.1 Check the Data Accuracy: Verify that the data entered into the chart accurately represents the reporting relationships and hierarchy within your organization.
• 7.2 Ensure Clarity and Readability: Review the chart to ensure that the text, shapes, and connectors are visible and readable. Adjust font sizes or line thicknesses if necessary to improve clarity.
• 7.3 Test Interactivity (if applicable): If you are creating an interactive chart, such as a hierarchical chart with clickable links or additional information, test the interactivity to ensure that all links or actions function as intended.
• 7.4 Proofread and Edit: Take a moment to proofread the chart, checking for any spelling or grammatical errors. Make any necessary edits to ensure accuracy and professionalism.

Step 8: Save and Share the Organizational Chart

Once you are satisfied with the organizational chart, save your Excel workbook to preserve your work. You can share the chart by copying and pasting it into other documents or presentations, or by saving it as an image file (e.g., JPEG or PNG) for insertion into reports or emails.

Remember to update the organizational chart whenever there are changes in your organization's structure or reporting relationships. This ensures that the chart remains current and accurately reflects the organization's hierarchy.

Microsoft Excel provides a versatile and accessible tool for creating organizational/hierarchy charts. By following the step-by-step process outlined in this guide, you can easily create a visually appealing and informative organizational chart that effectively represents the structure and relationships within your organization.

How to Create a Waterfall Chart in Excel?

Here's a detailed guide on how to create a waterfall chart in Microsoft Excel:

A waterfall chart is a powerful visualization tool used to track the cumulative effect of positive and negative values on a total. It is often used to analyze financial data, showing how various factors contribute to the overall change in a particular measure, such as revenue or profit. In Excel, creating a waterfall chart involves a series of steps that we will explain in detail.

Step 1: Prepare the Data

To begin, organize your data in a structured format. Create a table in Excel that includes the following columns: Category, Initial Value, Positive Change, Negative Change, and Final Value. Each row represents a different category or stage of the waterfall chart, with corresponding values for the initial, positive, and negative changes. Ensure that the values are accurate and properly calculated.

Step 2: Insert a Stacked Column Chart

Once your data is ready, select the entire table including headers. Then, navigate to the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon and choose the "Column" chart type. Select the option for a "Stacked Column" chart. Excel will generate a basic stacked column chart based on your selected data.

Step 3: Customize the Stacked Column Chart

Now that you have inserted the stacked column chart, it's time to customize its appearance to transform it into a waterfall chart.

• 3.1 Remove Unnecessary Elements: Click on the chart, then right-click and choose "Select Data." In the "Select Data Source" dialog box, remove any series that you don't need for the waterfall chart by selecting them and clicking the "Remove" button. This step ensures that only the relevant data series remain in the chart.
• 3.2 Adjust Data Series Overlap: Select one of the remaining data series in the chart and right-click to open the formatting options. Reduce the overlap between the data series by adjusting the "Series Overlap" value. A smaller overlap value will create a clearer separation between the columns in the chart.
• 3.3 Format Data Series Colors: To make the positive changes appear in a different color from the negative changes, select each data series individually and format their fill colors accordingly. Typically, positive changes are represented with a color like green, while negative changes are shown in red.
• 3.4 Format Axis Labels: Click on the horizontal axis labels to select them, then right-click and choose "Format Axis." In the "Axis Options" pane, set the "Axis Labels" position to "Low" to align the labels with the bottom of the chart. This adjustment allows more space for displaying the waterfall columns.

Step 4: Add Data Labels

Data labels provide valuable information about the values represented in the waterfall chart. By displaying the values directly on the columns, you can enhance the chart's clarity and understanding.

• 4.1 Click on any column in the chart to select the data series.
• 4.2 Right-click and choose "Add Data Labels." Excel will add default labels to the columns.
• 4.3 Format the Data Labels: Click on any data label, then right-click and choose "Format Data Labels." In the formatting options, select the position and format for the data labels, such as displaying the values inside the columns or at the top of each column.

Step 5: Create the Waterfall Effect

To create the waterfall effect, we need to adjust the values for each data point in the chart.

• 5.1 Click on any data point representing a positive change, then right-click and choose "Format Data Point." In the "Series Options" tab, change the "Gap Width" to a negative value. This step will make the positive change columns extend below the x-axis, creating the waterfall effect.
• 5.2 Repeat the process for the negative change data points. Right-click on any data point representing a negative change, choose "Format Data Point," and in the "Series Options" tab, set the "Gap Width" to a positive value. This adjustment will make the negative change columns extend above the x-axis.
• 5.3 Adjust the Initial Value: To ensure the initial value appears correctly in the waterfall chart, select the first positive change column, right-click, and choose "Format Data Point." In the "Series Options" tab, set the "Overlap" value to the same value as the positive change columns. This adjustment aligns the initial value column with the positive changes.
• 5.4 Adjust the Final Value: Similarly, select the final value column, right-click, and choose "Format Data Point." In the "Series Options" tab, set the "Overlap" value to the same value as the negative change columns. This alignment aligns the final value column with the negative changes.

Step 6: Customize the Chart Axes and Titles

To provide context and clarity to your waterfall chart, it's essential to customize the axes and add appropriate titles.

• 6.1 Format the Vertical Axis: Right-click on the vertical axis and choose "Format Axis." In the formatting options, adjust the axis scale, labels, and other settings to ensure they accurately represent the data in your chart.
• 6.2 Format the Horizontal Axis: Right-click on the horizontal axis and choose "Format Axis." Adjust the axis scale, labels, and other options to suit your chart's requirements. You may need to display the category labels or customize their appearance for better readability.
• 6.3 Add Chart Title: Click on the chart, then navigate to the "Layout" tab in the Excel ribbon. Click on the "Chart Title" button and choose a suitable location for the title. Enter a title that accurately describes the purpose or topic of the waterfall chart, such as "Financial Performance" or "Revenue Analysis."

Step 7: Finalize and Refine the Waterfall Chart

Once you have created the basic waterfall chart, take the time to review and refine its appearance and accuracy.

• 7.1 Customize Fonts and Colors: Adjust the font styles, colors, and sizes of the text elements in the chart, including axis labels, data labels, and titles. Ensure that the text is legible and visually appealing.
• 7.2 Gridlines and Background: Consider whether to include or remove gridlines based on your preference. Additionally, modify the chart background color or apply a gradient fill to add depth and visual interest.
• 7.3 Legend and Data Labels: If desired, you can add a legend to explain the meaning of different colors or data series in the chart. Additionally, consider enabling or disabling data labels to display the exact values or additional information for each data point.
• 7.4 Chart Size and Position: Adjust the size and position of the chart on the worksheet to optimize visibility and make efficient use of available space.

Step 8: Save and Share the Waterfall Chart

Once you are satisfied with the appearance and accuracy of the waterfall chart, save your Excel workbook. You can then share the chart by copying and pasting it into other documents or exporting it as an image file (e.g., JPEG or PNG) to be inserted into presentations, reports, or emails.

Remember to update the waterfall chart whenever there are changes in the underlying data or when new data becomes available. Ensure that the values, data labels, and formatting accurately reflect the most current information.

Creating a waterfall chart in Microsoft Excel involves preparing the data, inserting a stacked column chart, customizing the appearance and data labels, and adjusting the values and positioning to create the waterfall effect.

How to Create A Forest Plot in Microsoft Excel?

Creating a forest plot in Microsoft Excel allows you to visually present the results of multiple studies or trials in a systematic review or meta-analysis. A forest plot provides a comprehensive overview of the effect sizes and confidence intervals of each study, allowing researchers to compare and analyze the data effectively. While specialized statistical software is often used for creating forest plots, Excel can be utilized as a versatile alternative. In this guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a forest plot in Microsoft Excel, explaining each stage in detail.

Step 1: Prepare the Data

To begin, you need to organize your data in a structured format. Create an Excel spreadsheet and include the following columns: Study Name, Effect Size, Lower Limit, Upper Limit, and Line Label. Each row represents a different study or trial, with corresponding values for the effect size and confidence intervals. Ensure that the effect sizes and confidence intervals are calculated and entered correctly for each study.

Step 2: Insert a Scatter Plot

Once your data is ready, select the columns for Effect Size, Lower Limit, and Upper Limit by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on each column header. Then, navigate to the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon and choose the "Scatter" chart type. Select the option for a scatter plot with straight lines. Excel will generate a basic scatter plot based on your selected data.

Step 3: Customize the Scatter Plot

Now that you have inserted the scatter plot, it's time to customize its appearance to transform it into a forest plot.

• 3.1 Adjust Axis Labels: Double-click on the horizontal axis labels to open the "Axis Options" pane. In the "Axis Options" pane, set the "Axis Labels" position to "High" to align the labels with the top of the chart. This adjustment allows more space for displaying the study names and effect sizes.
• 3.2 Format Data Points: Click on any data point in the scatter plot, then right-click and choose "Format Data Point." In the "Marker Options" tab, you can select a marker style and adjust its size according to your preferences. Choose a color that is visually distinct and stands out against the chart background.
• 3.3 Format Error Bars: Click on any data point's error bars, then right-click and choose "Format Error Bars." In the "Error Bar Options" tab, select "Custom" for both "Fixed Value" and "Percentage." Enter the appropriate values for the lower and upper error bars based on the Lower Limit and Upper Limit columns in your data. This step ensures that the confidence intervals are accurately represented in the chart.

Step 4: Add Horizontal Line Labels

In a forest plot, horizontal lines are used to represent individual studies or trials. Since Excel does not provide an option to create customized lines, we will utilize error bars to achieve this effect. However, we need to create custom line labels to make the lines more visible and identifiable.

• 4.1 Add Line Labels: In the Line Label column of your Excel spreadsheet, enter the study names or labels for each row. These labels will be used to identify and associate each line with its corresponding study.
• 4.2 Format Line Labels: Select each line label individually and format it to improve readability. You can adjust the font size, style, and color to make the labels stand out. Consider aligning the labels with the corresponding data points or adjusting their position above or below the horizontal axis.

Step 5: Format the Chart Area

To enhance the overall appearance of your forest plot, you can format the chart area to create a visually appealing and professional-looking chart.

• 5.1 Click on the chart area to select it. Then, go to the "Format" tab in the Excel ribbon and choose a suitable fill color or pattern for the chart area. This formatting step adds visual appeal to the forest plot and helps differentiate it from the surrounding worksheet.
• 5.2 Adjust the chart's border by right-clicking on the chart area and selecting "Format Chart Area." In the "Line Color" tab, you can choose a border color and adjust the line thickness if needed. This step allows you to refine the appearance of the chart and define its boundaries.

Step 6: Add Axis Labels and Title

To provide clarity and context to your forest plot, it is essential to add axis labels and a title.

• 6.1 Click on the horizontal axis to select it. Right-click and choose "Add Axis Titles." Select the "Primary Horizontal Axis Title" option and enter a label such as "Effect Size" or "Mean Difference." This label will help viewers understand the information presented along the horizontal axis.
• 6.2 Click on the vertical axis to select it. Right-click and choose "Add Axis Titles." Select the "Primary Vertical Axis Title" option and enter a label such as "Study" or "Trial." This label indicates the variable represented on the vertical axis.
• 6.3 If desired, you can also add a chart title by clicking on the chart and selecting the "Chart Title" option from the Excel ribbon. Enter a title that accurately describes the purpose or topic of the forest plot, such as "Meta-Analysis Results" or "Forest Plot of Effect Sizes."

Step 7: Finalize and Refine the Chart

At this stage, review the forest plot and make any necessary adjustments or formatting changes to improve its clarity and visual appeal.

• 7.1 Customize Fonts and Colors: Consider adjusting the font styles, colors, and sizes of the text elements in the chart, including axis labels, titles, and line labels. Ensure that the text is legible and visually pleasing.
• 7.2 Gridlines and Background: Decide whether to include or remove gridlines based on your preference. Additionally, you can modify the chart background color or apply a gradient fill to add depth and visual interest.
• 7.3 Legend and Data Labels: If applicable, you can add a legend to the chart to explain the meaning of different markers or colors. Additionally, consider enabling or disabling data labels to display the exact values or additional information for each data point.
• 7.4 Chart Size and Position: Adjust the size and position of the chart on the worksheet to optimize its visibility and make efficient use of available space.

Step 8: Save and Share the Forest Plot

Once you are satisfied with the appearance and accuracy of the forest plot, save your Excel workbook. You can then share the forest plot by copying and pasting it into other documents or exporting it as an image file (e.g., JPEG or PNG) to be inserted into presentations, reports, or publications.

• Remember to update the forest plot if any changes occur in the underlying data. Ensure that the study names, effect sizes, confidence intervals, and line labels are updated accurately to reflect the most current information.

Creating a forest plot in Microsoft Excel involves preparing the data, inserting a scatter plot, customizing the scatter plot's appearance, adding horizontal line labels, formatting the chart area, and adding axis labels and a title. By following these steps and applying customization options, you can create an informative and visually appealing forest plot to present the results of your meta-analysis or systematic review.

Create a Box and whisker Chart

1. Step 1: Enter your data

Start by entering your data in a worksheet. You need a set of numerical values to create a box and whisker chart. For example, let's say you have a set of values in column A from A1 to A10.

2. Step 2: Calculate quartiles

To create a box and whisker chart, you'll need to calculate the quartiles for your data. Follow these steps to calculate quartiles:

• In an empty cell, enter the formula "=QUARTILE(range, quartile_number)".
  • "range" refers to the range of data you want to calculate the quartiles for.
  • "quartile_number" specifies which quartile you want to calculate. For example, quartile_number = 1 for the first quartile (Q1), quartile_number = 2 for the median (Q2), and quartile_number = 3 for the third quartile (Q3).
• Press Enter to calculate the quartile value.
• Repeat the above steps for each quartile.

3. Step 3: Create a box and whisker chart

Now that you have the quartile values, you can create the box and whisker chart. Follow these steps:

• Select the data range, including the quartile values and the column of numerical data.
• Go to the "Insert" tab in the Excel ribbon.
• In the "Charts" group, click on the "Insert Statistic Chart" button (represented by a histogram icon).
• From the drop-down menu, choose the "Box and Whisker" chart type.
• Excel will generate a box and whisker chart based on your data.
• Customize the chart as needed by adding labels, changing the axis titles, or formatting the chart elements.