The same KPI can be clear or useless depending on the chart. A gauge answers "are we on target right now?" A line answers "are we getting better?" A bar chart answers "who is behind?" This lesson shows how KPI Atlas picks charts, and how to choose between them.
See the best charts
Open a KPI and scroll to Best charts. Each KPI has two to four charts, ranked. The first, marked ★ Best, is drawn large; the others sit under it.
Every chart is drawn with sample numbers shaped like that KPI: its unit, its typical value, and a trend moving the good way. So you see a churn chart with churn-like numbers, not a stock picture.
Read the reason
Under each chart is one line saying why it fits. That line is the argument you will need when someone asks for a pie chart. For OEE, the waterfall comes first because it shows where the time was lost: availability, speed, or quality.
Under the reason is the chart's name in Power BI, such as Line and clustered column chart or Waterfall chart, so you know which visual to drag onto the canvas.
Match the chart to the question
Most KPI charts answer one of five questions:
| Question | Chart |
|---|---|
| Where are we now? | KPI card, gauge |
| Are we on target? | Bullet chart, gauge |
| Are we getting better? | Line, column, control chart |
| Who or what is behind? | Sorted bar chart, table with colour rules, map |
| Why did it change? | Waterfall, Pareto, stacked column |
Pick the question your reader asks first. The atlas ranks charts in that order, but your dashboard may need the second one if your audience asks a different question.
Find KPIs for a chart
Sometimes you start from the chart: there is space for a row of bullet charts, and you want KPIs that suit it. Choose the chart in the Chart filter. Open All KPIs first to search every area.
The next lesson takes the KPI into your report.