We know that column charts are excellent for presenting information. But what if some of the columns are too tall and hijacking the rest. In a previous article, we discussed few of the approaches. Today let’s learn how to build a cropped chart (broken y-axis chart) using Excel, something like this:
Looks interesting? Read on.
Tutorial to create a cropped chart in Excel
Before we begin: Is this the best chart for this data?
Cropped charts or broken Y-axis charts can be misleading and confusing. That said, in some very rare cases, you may need to use them. My suggestion is simple:
- See if you can use a regular column chart
- See if you can use a regular column chart, crop the tall columns at a certain point and fade them using gradient fills. Then apply labels to them so people know which ones are too tall to show on the chart.
- See if there is any other alternative representation for this data (may be just the numbers in a table?!?)
- If your boss / client / spouse is adamant about broken y-axis chart / cropped chart, then make one.
Step 1: Arrange your data
Let’s say we have the numbers as shown aside.
We will have to set up some extra calculations to make this chart. We need to split each column in to 2 portions.
- Below crop
- Above crop
But we can do this only for columns that are too tall. Also, we need to know 2 things:
- At what point we should crop the value – let’s call this crop
- What is the size of crop – let’s call this size
We also need to print a cropped symbol (2 zigzag or slant lines) at the location of crop, if we crop a column.
First, take a look the the calculation setup.
The formulas for 3 extra columns are:
Remember, our data starts from cell B10.
- Crop: =IF(B10>crop+size,crop,B10)
- Above: =IF(B10>crop+size,B10-crop-size,0)
- Marker: =IF(B10>crop+size,crop,NA())
Step 2: Create a stacked column chart
Select both Crop & Above columns and create a regular stacked column chart. We should get something like this:
Step 3: Add marker series as a line to the chart
Add the marker series (select all the values, copy and paste in to the chart – or use Chart > Select Data > Add option).
Marker series will be added as a stacked column by default.
Right click on it and select change series chart type option.
Change the series to line with markers.
Now, set the line properties to no line so that only markers show up.
At this stage, our cropped chart looks like this:
Step 4: Replace markers with crop symbol
Draw a crop symbol. Here is one I used:
- Draw a box. Fill it with pale white color and remove borders.
- Draw 2 horizontal lines and align them to top & bottom edges respectively.
- Select all three shapes (2 lines and one box) and group them (right click and group).
- Rotate this grouped object a bit.
Copy this object / symbol.
Select the markers on the chart. Press CTRL+V.
Excel replaces the markers with your symbol. (more: use shapes to enhance your charts)
At this stage, our chart looks like this:
Step 5: Format the chart
This is easy. Set both crop & above portions to same color. Adjust gap width between columns if necessary.
Play with both crop and size values until you get the perfect chart.
Step 6: Add labels to your chart
As you have cropped the columns, the axis is no longer relevant. We either need to replace the axis labels with two sets of values (before crop & after crop) or remove the axis & set data labels.
Setting different axis labels requires a bit more tweaking of the chart.
So, let’s go with data label route.
First remove the vertical axis. To set the labels:
- Select the bottom series of the column chart. Right click and choose data labels option.(Click here for a screenshot of this step)
- This adds default labels.
- Select the labels and press CTRL+1 to format them
- From label options pane, select “Value From Cells” as the source for labels. Note: This is available only in Excel 2013 or above. For older versions use XY Labeler add-in by Rob Bevey.
- Select the original data (in B10 cell onwards) as the source.
- Set up label properties (location, font, font size, color as you see fit)
- Done!
That is all. Your cropped chart is ready.
Download cropped chart template
Click here to download cropped chart example workbook. The workbook contains all the calculations, full chart and all intermediate steps so that you can learn more.
Awesome resources on charts
Raise above the rest with these awesome resources on charting:
- 5 Simple rules to make awesome column charts – podcast
- 6 Best charts to show progress against a goal
- Column / bar chart with lower and upper boundary
- Interactive sales chart using Excel
Struggle with charting? Excel School is for you:
If you are mystified by the Excel charts and spend way more time on them, then consider enrolling in our Excel School program. This will help you learn how to create awesome charts, interactive workbooks, complex dashboards in a structured way.
Visit Excel School to know more about this program and enroll.
28 Responses to “Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools using Excel [Part 2 of 6]”
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Part 3: Preparing a project time line [upcoming] Part 4: Time sheets and Resource management [...]
the templates are great (I bought the combo).
What I'm missing is a way to have the project gantt chart and reporting with the data per resource, in such a way that I can also show the occupation per resource on an extended gantt chart.
So with hours entered per person per project or sub-activity, to show a gantt chart of how many hours/days a person spent on which project (or plans to spend).
[...] from: Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools using Excel [Part 2 of 6] 25 Jun 09 | [...]
Hi Chandoo,
Funny I have a post on the value of MS project lined up which I will post when the current monster project I'm working on finishes and I get some free time!
I'm not sure this would help with any of the projects I've worked on, closing down a to do list seems like more effort than it's worth, but it might be useful for some things. I guessing it doesn't, but does the time stamp not update when you recalculate the work book?
keep up the good work!
Ross
@Ross.. Thanks for sharing your ideas... I think to do lists are a great way to keep up with project activities and ensure accountability from individual team members, when they are implemented right.
"I guessing it doesn’t, but does the time stamp not update when you recalculate the work book?"
Your guess is right. When you change the calculation mode to "iterative", excel takes care of the nittygritties and retains older values in circular references in formulas.
[...] Project Management in Excel [New Series] - Gantt Charts | To Do Lists [...]
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting - Create a Timeline to display milestones Part 4: Time sheets and Resource [...]
Hi Chandoo,
The template give me lot of convenience to monitor the thing to do. It simple. Thank You
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting - Create a Timeline to display milestones Part 4: Time sheets and Resource [...]
[...] make sure you have read the first 4 parts of the series - Making gantt charts [project planning], team todo lists [project tracking], project time lines chart [reporting] and Timesheets and Resource Management using Excel. Also [...]
Chandoo,
I really do not see any befit to this function in Excel unless it was somehow tied into some other chart. That is say a scheduled activities % complete is based on the to-do list.
The only way this chart would be useful is if no one was assigned none dependent task that could be done by anyone. The cases were both of these conditions are true are so few and far between it really makes this chart worthless.
@Brian... Once you have a todo list up and running, it is easy to get metrics out of it. I didnt propose it as it might look a bit too micro-management-ish.
I am able to understand what you meant by "The only way this chart would be useful is if no one was assigned none dependent task that could be done by anyone. The cases were both of these conditions are true are so few and far between it really makes this chart worthless."
Can you explain?
"Chandoo"
What I mean is this. Lets say you have 10 task which are part of one activity/WBS that is in your schedule. One there are very few cases were many people would be assigned to complete this one scheduled activity with no direction being given who should what of the 10 task. It is poor management, and the task 90% of the time would not get done in a timely manner if say 4 people were responsible. Secondly, you are assuming all 10 task are independent of each other. You might need to do task 1 thru 3 before you can do task 4, and to do task 7 you might need to do 4 and 6. Thirdly, the time it would take to compile and then fill out the to-do-list even in limited applications is really not worth it.
I just see almost no applications why a team would need to inform others separate from the schedule that they have completed a task on a to-do list unless anyone of the 4 people could of completed that task.
My point is, there might be a few very limited applications for this type of list but this list would be worthless as a Project Management tool in every other case.
However, change this from a to-do-list to a document change log and it is perfect. Instead of to-do it is the documents name or summary of what changed in the document. The person is who edited the document, and the time stamp is when they checked it in. But I do not know why you would use excel when there is free software you can use commercially that is 10 times better that does document management.
I think using excel to do Project Management over a real Project Management application is a bad idea. Unless you are running a very small, simple project, the time and effort is a lot more to use excel compared to the cost of the Project Management software.
This comes back to my point, I love your site, however, just because you can do something in excel does not mean you should do it. To often the time it takes to use excel is wasted 10 times over from the cost of doing it in an application designed to for the specific application.
@Brian: The todo list mentioned here is meant to keep track of all the tasks for which detailed planning is not necessary but some sort of tracking is needed. These are not be confused with project activities (a la gantt chart).
I like your suggestion about using this as a document tracker. Pretty cool use.
Coming to your point about excel as a real project management tool, well, I have my views, but in a serious project environment, it would surely payoff to have a dedicated project management application.
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting – Create a Timeline to display milestones Time sheets and Resource [...]
Chandoo,
Wonder how the timestamp column will maintain its previous data. Both Today() and Now() functions will update as and when the next timestamp happens.
[...] Preparing & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Part2: Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools Part3: Project Status Reporting – Create a Timeline to display milestones Part4: Time sheets and [...]
I've combined this with the issue tracker since I like the automatic date stamp, but one thing I'm noticing is that I can't replicate the chart that goes along with the issue tracker because the cells that are referenced have the formula that inserts the time stamp instead of a the actual date value. All the dates of the last 30 days display 0 when they should have a value.
Is there a way around this?
I have edited the chart so that my team members can update the percentage completion of the assigned tasks. When the cell is updated, i would like the time stamp to update. How would I manipulate the formula to update whenever the drop-down list is changed?
[...] … ??? To Do List [...]
Excel is great however sometimes you need to get a better idea of what tasks each person on your team is working on at any given time. We've developed a web app that can do just that! Each person has a list of tasks, listed in the order they have to complete them.
HII,
I want to expand the database through excel where i am working on 11 cities as of now and i want to expand it upto 50 cities and hence forth the data related to it will also expand so i want to make it precise where i can get updates also that this work is required to be done at that particular day or date
Thanks for making all of this information available for free. I am currently using excel to track everything for the first time. I later plan to output our information here with a more visual presentation. Wish me luck!
Can some one point me out to some additional direction on the "Who Finished it?" column? Something more 'basic' for a newbie excel guy? lol I got everything else working on this tutorial but that column. I can't seem to recreate it and I know a lot of it is due to lack of knowledge with VB code. I'd like to recreate this column very much 🙁
Dear Chandoo,
Thanks for the team to do list, kindly let me know how to set the column who " finished it " from another work sheet
Hi Chandoo,
Unable to download it - can you please check the link and confirm.
Great inhisgt! That's the answer we've been looking for.
Hi Team,
I know u all are the best programmers in the world!!! that's I am here to rectify my issues. here is my question please ans me as soon as possible before 8-3-2017 its really urgent.
I have a project named the production tracker.
1) I require the user form which shows the names of the Associates which are linked to the different tracks. when the user is selected the particular track related details and dropdowns should appear.
2) I need to track the associate needs how much of the time to complete the particular task. with start stop and pause and resume timer.
3) It should display the daily count of the production and save the data to the another Excel file.
this production tracker should save all the data no matter how many people logs in into it.
Please help me for this it will be very appreciated.
you can directly email me on my mail ID: tusharkch694@gmail.com