Using Graphs to get your message across visually and easily. By Ann Fabre
If you haven't tried before, you'll be delighted to see how quickly you can visualise your messages by using our graphing wizard inherent in “In the Know”
Using Graphs to present the Financial trend of the business can be a beneficial tool for presentations and/or meetings. In the following explanations, I hope to demonstrate how easy this is achieved.
The Graphing functionality has been designed to present any data within “In the Know” either comparing one of two “lines” of data, Actual versus Budget, or even Current Period to Prior Period (if data available).
Create a New Graph
Start the process of building your graph by locating your first series of data (through the view and department menus on ITK), and then clicking on any position on the row for that data set. The Cell outline will confirm that you have clicked on the correct line.
Then via the “In the Know” click on “Tools”, “Graph”, “Create New Graph” which you then will be prompted for a Title of the Graph as per the dialogue box below. If a message appears “Processing Terminated – Could not find file – Graphs.xls” please contacts us for assistance on getting this operational for you.
The title of the graph would be something that would be a meaningful representation of what you are illustrating. This title will be the name of the graph via the department menu whilst viewing Graphs. After clicking OK the system will then generate a graph of the trended financial data you have chosen. The graph will create an automatic axis reflecting the 12 or 13 month trended periods on the X-Axis, and the dollar, percentage or unit value for the row you selected in the trended workbook.
“In The Know” will respond with a “Graph Created” message box and show the graph with the first data set loaded. After clicking on the “OK” button, you will be returned to the department from where you chose your first data set.
Additional data sets are loaded into the same graph by then following the “Tools, Graph, Import Row Into Graph” logic as discussed below.
This newly created graph and any others can be reviewed at any time via the ITK Menu - “View” -“Graphs”. These graphs are dynamically linked to the source rows that you originally identified and therefore will reflect current information at any time.
When viewing the graph you have the ability to modify the chart type or to add or move legends using the Microsoft Excel Graph options. If you are unfamiliar with these options, please feel free to call the office for some over the phone training.
Import Row into Graph
This function enables you to insert additional data into an existing graph for statistical analysis. You must firstly View “Graphs” and choose the graph you wish to add to. Then via the View menu go to the line of data you want added. Click anywhere on that desired line then f rom the “Tools” Menu, click on “Graphs” followed by “ Import Row Into Graph”. This entry will automatically be added to the current graph and the legend will be adjusted automatically.
Once you click on the “Graphs Created” message box, the system will once again return you to the workbook and department where you chose the entry to import. Repeat this procedure for each entry that you desire to appear on the Active Graph. Remember that you can check the graph at any time by choosing “Graphs” from the “View” menu, but be wary of jumping between graphs (using the department menu). The last graph you selected from the “Department” menu is considered to be the active graph and any future imports will go to that graph. All created graphs, will be stored and updated automatically with any further imports until removed.
Remove Graph
This utility “Graph”, “Remove Graph” enables you to remove any previously created graphs. Please note this will permanently remove the Graph from the file.
Select the graph you wish to remove, then activate the function from the menu, where you will be asked to confirm your deletion. Note that this process is only available when you are “Viewing” graphs.
Change Legend Text
You will find that the legend text entry is generated for you directly from the line that you selected. In some cases, this text may not be specific enough to verify the items being graphed. In other cases, you may have chosen the same line from two similar sources (say the same row from and actual and its corresponding budget file). In order for you to distinguish between the two data sources, click on “Tools”, “Graph”, “Change Legend Text” from the menu and the following dialogue box will appear.
The spinner in the centre allows you to go through each of the legend text entries one by one until you select the correct one. It will always begin at the first entry, and by clicking on the “Up” arrow, the system will display the text for the next legend entry.
Once you have found the legend text you desire to amend, click into the edit box and over type the unwanted text with the appropriate entry. Remember particularly, that when you are presenting information derived from various departments, franchises or dealerships, it is worth your while to be as descriptive as possible.
In the detail outlined above, I trust that you have seen how quickly and easily it is to present graphs. You can include graphs into your “monthly report packs” for your managers (these can be included as automated output using our report wizard).
You can also use graphs on an ad-hoc basis to help make a point about an aspect of the business that may require management attention (for instance comparing Units in stock against Units Sold for the same period, compared to the previous year). Once your point is made, you can then opt to remove the graph if that graph has no future relevance.
As always, we are there to help you along with our product so feel free to contact us anytime to ask questions or for any other assistance. |
