Last time we had discussed the use of SumProduct() to ease your life for calculation of consolidated revenues and depreciation. This time we would be using the sum function! Yes you heard it right – The Sum function.
But we would use the Sum function with a small trick! We would use it to calculate running cumulative sum! And believe me, you would need this function so many times – to calculate accumulated depreciation, cumulative debt, Profits to Retained Earnings and almost all the accounts that would consolidate into the balance sheet.
Using Sum function to calculate cumulative values
Most of the accounts in the Balance sheet are cumulative accounts (For example, cumulative debt, accumulated depreciation, etc.). In models, we need to have these as running numbers
You would encounter this problem of calculating running cumulative values often and Sum formula (Used with slight intelligence) does come in very handy for the purpose.
Using Sum() function for calculating running cumulative values
Sum function uses an array as an input. If used intelligently – starting element of the array with fixed reference and the second part of the array as moving, it can help you get a running cumulative value. [read more: Relative & Absolute References in Excel Formulas]
The basic trick is very simple. In the first cell in the sum function, I fix the first array argument using “$” and sum till the same cell.
Now when I copy this function to the right, the first reference remains constant, whereas the second one keeps moving (as it is relative). This results in a growing array and hence a cumulative sum for accumulated depreciation.
Where else can this function be useful in Finance?
As I had pointed our earlier, most of the balance sheet numbers are accumulated numbers (Balance sheet is like a bucket, which accumulates values) and hence you can find the application of this running sum in almost all such accounts. I have used it (Can’t remember how many times!!) for converting Profits to Retained Earnings (when there are no dividends paid out), Debt Raised to accumulated debt (when there are no repayments), Debt for Interest During Construction, etc.
How do you accumulate numbers?
There are obviously multiple ways of doing the same thing in excel. I have shown you one way to get accumulated values. Conceptually accumulation is very simple – New Accumulated value = Old Accumulated Value + New Value. You can use this concept (maybe I will demonstrate in my next tutorial) to get the accumulation.
How do you accumulate numbers in excel. I would encourage you to share your experience!
Templates to download
I have created a template for you, where the subheadings are given and you have use the functions to get the right values for you! You can download the same from here. You can go through the case and fill in the yellow boxes. I also recommend that you try to create this structure on your own (so that you get a hang of what information is to be recorded).
Also you can download this filled template and check, if the information you recorded, matches mine or not!
Join our Financial Modeling Classes
We are glad to inform that our new financial modeling & project finance modeling online class is ready for your consideration.
Please click here to learn more about the program & sign-up.
The article is written by Paramdeep from Pristine.
Chandoo.org has partnered with Pristine to launch a Financial Modeling Course. For details click here.
18 Responses to “Best Charts to Compare Actual Values with Targets – What is your take?”
Great post. I can't vote, though, because the answer I want to put down is "it depends". As with all visualisations, you've got to take into account your audience, your purpose, technical skills, where it will be viewed, etc.
I'm with Andy: It depends. Some I would use, some I might use, some I won't touch with a barge pole.
Naturally I have comments 🙂
The dial gauge, though familiar, is less easy to read than a linear type of chart (thermometer or bullet). It's really no better than the traffic lights, because all it can really tell you is which category the point falls in: red, yellow, or green.
By the same token, pie charts are so familiar, people don't know they can't read them. Remember how long it takes kids to learn to read an analog clock?
Bullet charts don't show trends.
With any of the charts that have a filled component and a marker or ine component, it makes more sense to use the filled component (area/ column) for target, and the lines or markers for actual.
[...] Best Charts to Compare Actual values with Targets (or Budgets … [...]
I voted for #6 even though I agree with the other comments that it depends.
The majority of the votes are for the #2, thermometer chart. I still have yet to understand what happens when you are above plan/goal, which was brought up in yesterday's post.
Also, I agree with Jon in that it would be better to flip the series and make the filled part the target or goal and the line or marker the actual.
I am also a fan of using text when appropriate if the data is among other metrics in a type of dashboard. Calling it out by saying actual and % achievement is a good option.
Another "it depends" vote. Are you just looking at one or are you comparing a number of targets with actuals? You didn't include a text box. The problem with sentences is that they can get lost in a page of gray text. A text box can call attention to the numbers and line them up effectively.
I'm with Jon: "Some I would use, some I might use, some I won’t touch with a barge pole" and I'm surprised that some of your readers voted for the last group.
Jon says:
With any of the charts that have a filled component and a marker or line component, it makes more sense to use the filled component (area/ column) for target, and the lines or markers for actual.
Why does this make more sense? I like 6 the way it is, although I would use a heavy dash for the plan/target marker.
"It depends" is also my take. What I usually try to drill into my clients dashboard design is the fu ndamental difference between spot results (am I on target for this month) and long term trends.. I always try to create 3 different set of graphs to represent real perormance:
- spot results vs objectives
- cumulative results vs objectives
- long-term trend (moving average) mostly) to see where we're going
[...] Best Charts to Compare Actual Values with Targets – What is your take? (tags: excel charts) [...]
[...] Related: Charting Principles, How to compare actual values with budgets [...]
[...] Excel Charting Alternatives to compare values [...]
Jon says:
With any of the charts that have a filled component and a marker or line component, it makes more sense to use the filled component (area/ column) for target, and the lines or markers for actual.
Why does this make more sense? I like 6 the way it is, although I would use a heavy dash for the plan/target marker.
I totally agree, Bob. I would normally favour a line for the target and a column for the actual, you can see quite easily then which columns break through the line, then.
[...] best charts to compare actual values with targets — den Status mal anders zeigen, z. B. als Tacho [...]
Thermometer charts: "Not appropriate when actual values exceed targets" - this is easily solved by making the "mercury" portion a different color from the border, then you can clearly see where the expected range ends and the actual values keep going.
People seem to knock gauges quite a bit in dashboarding, but trying to show comparison of realtime data between operating sites and targets for each site can easily be done with a bank of gauges that have the optimal operating points at 12 o'clock.
The human eye is great at pattern stripping, and any deviation of a gauge from the expected 12 position will quickly register with an operator and attract his attention. Using a colour background, or meter edge, will also indicate the sensitivity of a particular site.
[…] Best charts to compare actual with target values […]
[…] Best charts to compare actual with target values […]
[…] work laptop I have a favorites folder just dedicated to Excel charts. Its got things like “Best Charts to Compare Actuals vs Targets” and “Best charts to show progress“. I love me some charts […]
I am wondering how will the plotting work, for some of the targets which may have been achieved before time. E.g. for the month of Jul the target was 226 and the actual was 219. So the chart will show a deficit in meeting the target by 7 points but what if this 7 may have been completed earlier in month of June. So ideally it not a deficit.