The next step in the project is visualization. Now that we are ready with data, we can start developing the visualization through which data can be analyzed by the end users. End users, except the super user, might not have visibility of how data has been prepared; they will be more interested in analyzing the data and finding the facts from the data.

Let us start understanding the importance of visualization, but before that, let's look at some influencing quotes:

All the preceding quotes try to tell us that we should present our data in such a way that they tell stories. As a consultant, you should know how to turn the data into an insight which can be consumed by the end users to make important decisions.

The purpose of visualization is to give quick and meaningful insights of the data. It should be developed in such a way that users get to know what they should know, instead of providing them with too much of information.

When it comes to creating the analytical visualization, it is a good practice to follow the DAR (Dashboard, Analysis, and Reporting) methodology. It follows the way humans perceive information. It helps your data to speak up and shows you to the least level of information to take corrective actions.

Let us look at the what a dashboard should contain.

Dashboard: Dashboard is the starting point of analysis. It shows the overall picture of the business or a functional area. It helps users to get updates on day to day basis, by giving them high-level information. The key focus of the dashboard are the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These are the indicators which can easily tell you the health of the business. For example, percentage of sales achievement helps you to understand if you overall sales goal are on track or not. KPIs like these help to get immediate attention of business users to find anomalies in the business operations.

This is useful for the senior management of the company to get an overall picture, as they are hard pressed for time. This does not imply that the other data points do not matter, but they may not wish to spend time looking at things which are working smoothly. Instead, they would be interested in finding the areas which need attention. The KPIs on the dashboard can easily show them this.

Following is the dashboard screenshot from the demo application Consumer Sales (from https://demo.qlik.com):

You can see from the dashboard how KPIs can help in getting a snapshot of the business operations. Following are the points which a dashboard should have:

• Aggregated information
• KPIs not more than 10 in number
• Less filters on screen
• Color codes to highlight the outliers

Let us now understand what analysis sheets should contain.

Analysis: These are the sheets which help business users to investigate the problems found using the dashboard KPIs. These sheets are the most interactive sheets. They have detailed charts and graphs which show the breakup of the KPIs by various dimensions, and a wide list of filters which allow for the slice and dice of the data. It allows the users to drill down in the data and find the reasons behind the problem. These sheets can be created separately for each area of analysis.

These sheets will be helpful for the users who want to spend time in exploring the data.

Following is one of the screenshots from the demo application Consumer Sales:

Following are the points which an analysis sheet should have.

• More filters to slice and dice
• Should have information about one area in one sheet, like sales, inventory, procurement, and so on
• Should have graphical representation for easy understanding of data

Let us now look at what should reporting sheets contain.

Reporting: Reporting is a sheet which shows the least level of data, that is, the most granular data set. It contains more of tabular representation than graphical. It helps in taking the required action on the problem. Following is the report sheet from demo application Sales Discovery:

Reporting sheet should have the following things:

• Least level of information presented in tabular view
• Should include all the possible data available to find the relevant information to take action