A chart is a type of portfolio view you can use to analyze project data in a graphical format. You can view data in any one of the following chart formats:
Histogram
A histogram lets you analyze project data in a vertical bar chart format. You can select a project data field to display on the x-axis and another field to display on the y-axis of the chart; typically, the x-axis represents categorical data, and the y-axis represents individual data values.
For example,
you can create a histogram to analyze original budget based on project status.
To do this, customize the chart
to display Project Status on the x-axis and Original Budget on the y-axis.
When
the chart displays, each vertical bar represents a
single project status (e.g., Planned, Active, Inactive, What If); the length
of a bar represents the original budget value for all projects assigned
to the status.
Stacked Histogram
A stacked histogram is a more sophisticated version of the histogram. In this type of chart, categorized data can be grouped, or stacked, to assist with comparisons. A stacked histogram is useful when analyzing relative parts of a whole.
For example, you can create a stacked histogram to analyze original budget based on project status. You can take this type of analysis one step further and also compare the original budget for individual projects assigned to each status. To do this, customize the chart to display Project Status on the x-axis and Original Budget on the y-axis. Then, choose to group by project.
When the chart displays, each vertical bar represents a single project status (e.g., Planned, Active, Inactive, What If); the length of a bar represents the original budget for all projects assigned to the status; and the different colors of the bars, as indicated by the chart legend, represent individual projects.
Side-by-side Histogram
A side-by-side histogram is a more sophisticated version of the histogram. In this type of chart, categorized data can be grouped, side-by-side, to assist with comparisons. A side-by-side chart is useful when analyzing relative parts of a whole.
For example, you can create a side-by-side histogram to analyze original budget based on project status. You can take this type of analysis one step further and also compare the original budget for the individual projects assigned to each status. To do this, customize the chart to display Project Status on the x-axis and Original Budget on the y-axis. Then, choose to group by project.
When the chart displays, vertical bars representing each individual project are lined up, side-by-side, for each project status (e.g., Planned, Active, Inactive, What If); the length of a vertical bar represents the original budget for the project.
Pie chart
A Pie chart is a circular chart divided into slices, where each
slice represents a particular group; the size of the size of the slice
represents the value of the selected data field, specific to the
group. A pie chart is useful for analyzing relative
parts of a whole.
For example,
you can create a pie chart to analyze current budget for projects, based
on project status. To do this, customize the chart and select Current Budget
as the data field, then choose to group by Project Status.
When the chart displays, each slice represents
a single project status (e.g., Planned, Active, Inactive, What If); the size
of the slice represents the current budget value for all projects assigned
the project status.
Bubble chart
A Bubble chart lets you analyze three aspects of project data. The x-axis represents one data field, the y-axis represents a second field, and the size of the bubble represents a third field. A bubble chart is useful when you want to analyze three independent project variables at one time.
For example, you can create a bubble chart to analyze original budget, current budget, and current variance for each project. To do this, customize the chart to display Current Budget on the x-axis and Original Budget on the y-axis. Next, select Current Variance as the bubble size, then group by Project.
When the chart displays, each bubble represents a single project; the size of the bubble represents the current variance value for the project; the bubble's position on the x-axis represents the original budget value for the project; and the bubble's position on the y-axis represents the current budget value for the project.