ANLY482 AY2017-18T2 Group32 : Project Findings / Final
| Interim | Final |
Contents
1.0 Revised Dataset
After Interim, our sponsor have provided us with 2 new dataset - Brand Target and Therapy Group, to be used when we build our dashboard.
1.1 Data Preparation and Cleaning
We looked through the new datasets and found that there are inconsistency in the brand name used in these 2 files as compared to the Invoice file. Hence, we have standardized spelling of brand names to ensure consistency with Invoice file.
1.1 Data Transformation
Using Qlik Sense, we have joined the datasets as follow.
2.0 Literature Review of Dashboard Design and Elements
In order to provide additional insights to our sponsor beyond the KPIs, this paper seeks to explore alternative ways of visualizing data that is not available in visualization dashboard software like Qlik Sense. The Sankey Diagram has been chosen due to their ability to provide users with more granular details than traditional bar graphs or pie chart.
Bullet Chart
The bullet graph is developed by Stephen Few as a replacement for the usual gauges and meters charts in dashboards because of its ability to convey a lot of information in a compact space. It displays a key measure, along with a comparative measure and qualitative ranges to represent if the measure is good, bad, or in some other state. The qualitative scale is color coded by using distinct intensities from dark to light of a single hue. The darker colour intensities are used for the poor states while lighter colour intensities are used for the favorable states. It is also easy to detect if the measure has met or exceeded the comparative measure, represented by the short line that intersects the bar as a cross shape is formed. Thus, it is perceived pre-attentively due to its prominent form.
Sankey Diagram
A Sankey diagram is used to capture the flow of measures between many dimensions within a network. Developed more than 100 years ago by Irish Engineer Riall Sankey to analyze how efficient steam engines were, Sankey has continued to play an instrumental role in visualizing the quantitative flow of information from one node (usually a dimension) to another. An early adaptation of it was French Engineer Charles Minard's depiction of the failed French invasion of Russia. The observer is able to detect the path of Napoleon's army and realize it was slowly dwindling, as seen from the thinning of brown line.
3.0 Analysis Methods
3.1 -
3.1.1 -
4.1.1 Process
5.0 Application
- 5.1 p
6.0 Findings and Analysis
- 6.1 Comparison
It was observed that
6.1.1 Analysis
Limitations
For Visualization on Qlik Sense
Limited visualization tools
Only basic visualization tools like Line, Bar, Pie charts are embedded in Qlik Sense. Other visualization tools (chart extensions) such as bullet charts and Sankey diagram have to be downloaded from Open Source.
Unable to modify colors
Qlik Sense limits the font size (Small, Medium, Large) for text and colors are mostly fixed automatically, so we cannot change them to our desired size and color. For diagrams that were integrated into Qlik Sense using charts extensions developed by other developers, the colors were fixed based on their designs. Hence, we were not able to apply proper color coding as recommended by the textbook to these diagrams.
High number of product
The TCE brand encompasses 44 products. Incorporating all of them into the charts like Sankey diagram would make them look very cluttered, preventing users from deriving any useful information. Hence, there is a need to show only the product categories to balance the granularity and simplicity of information it can give to them.
Conclusion | Key Takeaways and Considerations
Having a dashboard enables companies to visualize key sales information, allowing them to understand business performance instantly. The characteristic of Qlik Sense allows users to drill down to the specifics by clicking on a dimension will certainly allow multiple stakeholders of our sponsor to either get the big picture or narrow down to the products or channels they are in charge of. Nonetheless, creating a dashboard is not just about putting in bar graphs and pie charts. It involves striking a balance amongst business needs, visualization design elements as well as alternative diagrams that empower users to analyze cross-sectional data. However, dashboards should be intuitive and emphasis on clarity and user experience rather than advanced albeit complicated diagrams that not everybody can understand.
References
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Acknowledgement
We would like to thank Prof Kam Tin Seong (Associate Professor of Information Systems; Senior Advisor, SIS) and Instructor Meenakshi who have provided our team with valuable feedback and guidance throughout this entire project. We would also like to thank our sponsor for kindly providing us with dataset and support.
