Category: Visuals Blog

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Strip Plot for Power BI

In the Microsoft Power BI Blog post of March 2022 we got the opportunity to share some exciting updates in our Strip for Power BI. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

Most charts will force you to summarize or categorize data before it is displayed. This can hide important details and may be misleading. The Strip Plot shows all your data observations in one go without hiding important details. It shows each data point on a single continuous scale.

You gave us excellent feedback which allows us to further improve this visual. Based on your feedback we just released version 2 with several exciting enhancements.

You could already add numeric values, but now you can also use dates on the x-axis. The x-axis has also been enhanced with the optional Zoom-Slider.

Each visual in Power BI has three different panes: Fields, Format & Analytics. The Analytics pane allows you to add reference lines to your visual (like: fixed value, median, average, max, etc.) In version 2 you can use this functionality with the Strip Plot.

All functionality of the Strip Plot is available through the standard Power BI interface: NO need to learn any new interface.

Don’t hesitate and try the Strip Plot now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource.

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Merged Bar Chart for Power BI

In the Microsoft Power BI Blog post of February 2022 we got the opportunity to share some exciting updates in our Merged Bar Chart for Power BI. Microsoft has included this visual in the exclusive Editors Pick list. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

On the surface the Merged Bar Chart has a lot of similarities with small multiples. The key difference is the way these charts allow you to compare values. The Merged Bar Chart focusses on comparing multiple measures (like EBITDA & Marketcap in the example below) within one specific categorical variable (here Industries of S&P 500 stocks).

Based on your excellent feedback we have added several exciting features to this visual:

  • Conditional formatting: bars within a measure can change color (the example above shows the EBITDA/FTE in red when it concerns a negative revenue growth)
  • Data Labels: besides the bar you can show the data label. You can even change the location of the labels.
  • Partial highlighting: when your selection results in a partial match (in the example above this is the selection of Washington State) the partial highlight will display this with the highlighted color.

Do you want to compare multiple independent measures? Go Merged Bar Chart.

Try the Merged Bar Chart now by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Updated Shielded HTML Viewer

In the Microsoft Power BI Blog post of December 2021 we got the opportunity to share some exciting updates in our Shielded HTML Viewer. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

All HTML rendered through the Shielded HTML Viewer is sanitised to keep your data safe. But sometimes our sanitation process is too strict. Based on valuable feedback from our users we concluded the use of images became a victim of this strict sanitation process. So, we added support for images to the Shielded HTML Viewer! But without the need for risky external links.

As of version 2.0 the Shielded HTML Viewer (in the image above used in the tooltip of a dumbbell chart) supports inline SVG and Data URL images. This way you can include any inline images in your Power BI reports and dashboards. Version 2.0 also includes support for the NAV-tag: now you can include HTML navigation menus to your reports. More information on the NAV-tag can be found here.

Furthermore, all functionality is available through the standard Power BI interface, so no need to learn a new interface.

Don’t hesitate and try the Shielded HTML Viewer now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate the Shielded HTML Viewer within Power BI Desktop.

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Lollipop Bar Chart

Standard bar charts are ideal for showing a single measure per category. You can easily compare each of the categories with the rest. However, if you have larger number of categories (>10) in a bar chart it is possible the chart itself becomes “heavy”. The coloured bars will fill large part of the chart surface. To avoid this clutter one can use the Lollipop Bar Chart for Power BI as an alternative.

The Lollipop Bar Chart shows a marker (mostly a dot) per category. A subtle line connects the marker to the measure-axis origin. The marker combined with the line make it a Lollipop Bar Chart.

The Lollipop Bar Chart also contains an additional chart: the dot plot. Just hide the line connecting the marker to the axis.

The latest version of this chart contains several exciting enhancements:

  • Conditional Formatting (both the marker and the line)
  • Partial Highlighting
  • Data Labels
  • Marker shapes

Don’t hesitate and try the Lollipop Bar Chart now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Control Chart XmR for Power BI

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the July 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our Control Chart XmR for Power BI to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

Years ago, Stacey Barr introduced us to the magic of Control Charts. Magic it is, because it allows everyone to split their temporal data in two: random noise and real signals. And we all are looking for real signals, and don’t want to be distracted by random noise.

Stacey applies Control Charts based on the so-called Wheeler rules (as specified by Dr. Donald J. Wheeler). This is why our first release of the Control Chart XmR supports this set of rules.  Obviously, the Wheeler rules are not the only set of rules. A couple of months ago we were contacted by a large manufacturing organization. They use Control Charts to continuously improve their processes, and this helped them in obtaining the highest CMMI maturity level.

Control Chart XmR support for Nelson Rules

They required support for the Nelson rules. Now the Control Chart XmR supports both the Wheeler and Nelson rule sets: the user selects the most appropriate rule set.

Don’t hesitate and try the Control Chart XmR now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Dumbbell Bar Chart for Power BI

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the June 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our Dumbbell Bar Chart for Power BI to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

Data visualisations play a fundamental role in answering an important data question:”How does result A compare to result B?”. Typical examples of these questions are:

  • How does the sales of this month compare to the sales of last month?
  • What is the difference between the number of documents processed this year compared to 2020?
  • How does the number of planned-visitors compare to the number of unplanned-visitors at our locations?

Key in answering these kind of questions is clearly visualising the difference between the two results. This is the strength of the Dumbbell Bar Chart: showing both values and the difference between them.

The top chart shows the two values (Last Year and Current Year. This allows the user to identify the growing (ie. Adventure Works) versus the shrinking (ie Fabrikam) brands. Optionally the user can include the variance chart (second chart) to increase the emphasis on the difference between the two values.

Don’t hesitate and try the Dumbbell Bar Chart now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Cycle Plot for Power BI

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the May 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our Cycle Plot for Power BI to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

Time series are great to clarify changes over time in measures. The line chart is the favourite chart for this data. But displaying results with a normal line chart can also hide important patterns. This happens when the measure contains seasonality. The Cycle Plot is a special line chart developed to show seasonal time series. It helps you to visualise trends within seasonal data. It has the strengths of common line charts. But without hiding cyclical patterns.

Cycle Plot example

Let’s explain with an example. Say we are looking at items sold over a number of weeks. We expect to sell more on weekdays compared to the weekend. A line chart will show low values during the weekend and higher values during the week. However, it’s hard to tell if sales on Mondays are increasing or decreasing over the weeks. With the Cycle Plot a subplot can be created for each day. You can show the change in sales over time for that day. All the subplots together still show the seasonal pattern as well, as seen in the image above.

Don’t hesitate and try the Cycle Plot now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Power BI Visual: Merged Bar Chart

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the April 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our visual Merged Bar Chart to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

On the surface the Power BI Visual Merged Bar Chart has a lot of similarities with small multiples. The key difference is the way these charts allow you to compare values. The Merged Bar Chart focusses on comparing multiple measures (like Player Value, Monthly Wage, clause, etc. in the example below) within one specific categorical variable (i.e. Soccer players).

The small multiples focus on segmenting the bars by one or more categorical variables (here: Country of Birth).

If you want to compare a single variable over multiple categories, think small multiples. Looking for comparison of multiple independent measures? Go Merged Bar Chart.

Don’t hesitate and try the Merged Bar Chart now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Power BI visual: SMART KPI List

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the March 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our visual SMART KPI List to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

One important goal of any well designed dashboard is to inform its readers by creating one overview of all KPI’s. This requires a compact and effective way to display them all together. The SMART KPI List is created specifically for this purpose.

Why do we name it SMART? Because this visual allows everyone to create an overview of their KPI’s that is:

  • Specific: the red-dot highlights the KPI’s that need immediate attention;
  • Measurable: A value alone is a weak indicator of performance. A sparkline shows the trend to determine if you are moving towards your goal;
  • Achievable: By comparing each result with a target you can determine if your KPI has met expectations;
  • Relevant: Within the sparkline you can add a bandwidth of acceptable results which helps the user to identify “normal” and “abnormal” results in the past;
  • Time-bound: The sparkline adds the required historic context to each indicator to enrich the indicators signals;

Don’t hesitate and try the SMART KPI List now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate this visual within Power BI Desktop.

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Shielded HTML Viewer

Every month Microsoft publishes a summary of all the new features in Power BI within their Power BI Blog. In the February 2021 post we got the opportunity to introduce our Shielded HTML Viewer to the Power BI community. Here you have our contribution to the Power BI Blog.

Context is king in data visualization. This probably explains the popularity of Power BI visuals that allow users to add HTML formatted content to their reports and dashboards.

Showing HTML formatted content can add great value to your reports, but it may also form a potential security risk. This is why we created the Shielded HTML Viewer: the first and only HTML Viewer for Power BI certified by Microsoft.

The Shielded HTML Viewer (in the image above used in the tooltip of a Dumbbell Bar Chart) is based on a so called allow-list: only those HTML tags and attributes mentioned in this list will be interpreted and formatted accordingly. Anything else will be ignored, so no risk of running harmful HTML codes.

Furthermore, all functionality is available through the standard Power BI interface, so no need to learn a new interface.

Don’t hesitate and try the Shielded HTML Viewer now on your own data by downloading it from the AppSource. All features are available for free to evaluate the Shielded HTML Viewer within Power BI Desktop.