Time Series Visuals: Line Charts, Column Charts, Area Charts

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Visual Presentation of Data
Time Series Visuals: Line Charts,
Column Charts, Area Charts
41%
52%
7% 7%
9%
15%
21%
15%
2%
12% 12%
2% 3%
13% 12%
23%
48%
52%
47%
15%
5%
28%
4%
7%
12%
7%
4%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

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In this deck, we will focus on the third Comparison Type—Time Series
Time Series Comparison Type
Composition
Item Comparison
Time Series
Frequency Distribution
Correlation
Rating
COMPARISON TYPE
BASIC GRAPH FORMS
Line Pie Bar/Column Dot Matrix Booz Ball
Item
Item
Item
Item
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Line Charts are typically the best choice for any time series analysis
Time Series Visual – Line Chart
OVERVIEW
Generally the best choice for time series analysis:
− Can handle multiple data series easily
− Easy to interpret
− Easy to add relevant details (labels, CAGRs, etc.)
Emphasizes trend across periods
Time is always plotted along the x-axis (time is the independent variable, except in the physics of
relativity theory)
Always need a CAGR (for each value item and for total)

Time Series Visual – Line Chart Examples
REAL EXAMPLES FROM CONSULTING PROJECTS
35% 35% 34%
36%
39%
41%
31%
35%
26%
31%
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
CDN Costs Payouts for content rights
Delivery Costs & Content Rights Costs (as % of
Total OpEx), UK, Year 1-Year 5
6
5
4
3
22
2.7
2.4
2.3 2.1 2.05
3
2.3
2.1
1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
MPEG 2 MPEG 4
Evolution of MPEG Compression Standard,
1995-2006

Time Series Visual – Line Chart Examples
REAL EXAMPLE FROM CONSULTING PROJECTS
41%
52%
7% 7%
9%
15%
21%
15%
2%
12% 12%
2% 3%
13% 12%
23%
48%
52%
47%
15%
5%
28%
4%
7%
12%
7%
4%
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Listen to Radio
Watch TV
Read Newspapers / Magazines
Use the Internet via Computer
Use a Mobile Phone
1. Use Mobile Phone
2. Watch TV
3. Use the Internet via
Computer
1. Use Mobile Phone
2. Watch TV
3. Use the Internet via
Computer
1. Watch TV
2. Listen to Radio
3. Read Newspapers and
Magazines
1. Watch TV
2. Listen to Radio
3. Read Newspapers and
Magazines
Activity that Would be Most Missed by Age, UK, 2006

For very simple time series, you can use a Column Chart
Time Series Visual – Column Chart
OVERVIEW
A Column Chart is just a vertically-aligned Bar Chart
Useful for very simple time series
− Single data set: less than 7-10 time periods
− When there is a significant variability in the data
Emphasizes the value within each period

Time Series Visual – Column Chart Examples
2.1
2
0.8
1
0.5
3 UK 3 Italy E-plus
Germany
Bharti India One Austria
Ericsson Alcatel-Lucent
Top Five Global Network Outsourcing Deals, 2004
– May 2007 (in €Bn )
-7%
-3%
Wireless CAGR
Wireline CAGR
European Fixed and Mobile Operators CAPEX
CAGR, (%), 2002-2006

Use an Area Chart for a time series where you want to illustrate how mix is
changing over time—e.g. which segment is growing the fastest
Time Series Visual – Area Chart (or Surface Chart)
OVERVIEW
Compares the performance of two or more interrelated factors over time and shows their relative
growth over the period
Shows the cumulative impact of a sum of items as well as each of the individual items impact
separately to provide a clear understanding of the underlying drivers
Generally the most useful graph type for mix over time:
− Easy to see both the relative contribution of each element and the absolute value
− Emphasis on “Who’s growing, who’s shrinking”
− Cannot read the absolute values of the individual elements in this type of graph
Can be forced to 100% to show mix without showing change in absolute value
Think about the order in which you plot the data
Order can affect both clarity and the “so what”
Order the data so that the largest is at the bottom and with changes to the original base data later on
in the time series additional to the top of the chart
Provide CAGR’s for the period shown, or for separate timescales following structural/ major changes
Highlight the areas of particular focus for the presentation slide

Time Series Visual – Area Chart Examples
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2006
x12
Communications
Media
x2.5
Estimated Time Spent on Communications and
Media per Week per Person in the UK (Hours)
1970 1980 1990 2000 2006
Monetisation
Gap
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Usage
(Hours per week)Consumer Spend
(% HH expenditure)
0%
6%
7%
8%
Usage and Revenues
Grow
Growth in
Usage
Revenues
Plateau1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
KEY
Usage
Consumer
Spend
TME Spending as % of Total Household Expenditure,
Weekly Communications and Media Time, Hours,
1970-2006, UK

Use an overlay of a Line Char on a Columns Chart when it is difficult to
illustrate your insight effectively on a single scale
Time Series Visual – Line-Columns Combination Chart
OVERVIEW
Primarily useful for time series analysis
Use to display simultaneous phenomena which cannot be shown effectively on a single scale
− E.g. one data set in dollars, the other in
Unit (volume, capacity, etc.)
Percent
− E.g. both data sets in dollars, but so far apart that a single scale does not work
Two main types of combination in Excel
− Line-line
− Line column
Use combination charts sparingly
− Sometimes contribute to a good insight…
− But often just confusing to everyone except (sometimes including) the analyst
Alternatives to combination chart
− Plot each data set separately and present them side-by-side
− Index both data sets to 100 and plot them on the same scale

Time Series Visual – Line-Columns Combination Chart Examples
4.9
0.13
1.93%
19%
14%
Subscribers (million)
As %ofglobal IPTV subscriber numbers
2006 2008E 2010E
IPTV Subscribers in China, (Million), 2006-2010E
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Revenues Opex Capex Profits
30
8
20
9
12
980
3
4
7
1 1
0
0
13
2
17
9 19
6
Break-Even Analysis for STB Based Internet
TV Service, UK, in € Millions

Time Series Visual – Line-Columns Combination Chart Example
REAL EXAMPLE FROM CONSULTING PROJECTS
The number of illegal
file transfers has
increased steadily,
but is forecast to
decline as fewer files
are transferred per
user
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2000 2004 2007 2011
Numberoffilesdownloaded/songsripped(m)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Filesharingpopulation/Deviceownerssharing(m)
Numbers of files downloaded from P2P (m) Total songs shared CD-to-Device (m)
Regular file-sharing population Device owners who share (m)
35 30 25 18
Number of P2P files downloaded per user
146 146 140 80
Number of files ripped from CD per user

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1
Flevy (www.flevy.com) is the marketplace
for premium documents. These
documents can range from Business
Frameworks to Financial Models to
PowerPoint Templates.
Flevy was founded under the principle that
companies waste a lot of time and money
recreating the same foundational business
documents. Our vision is for Flevy to
become a comprehensive knowledge base
of business documents. All organizations,
from startups to large enterprises, can use
Flevy— whether it's to jumpstart projects, to
find reference or comparison materials, or
just to learn.
Contact Us
Please contact us with any questions you may have
about our company.
• General Inquiries
support@flevy.com
• Media/PR
press@flevy.com
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Time Series Visuals: Line Charts, Column Charts, Area Charts

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Time Series Visuals: Line Charts, Column Charts, Area Charts