Chart cards add visual representations of your data to boards and worksheets in Anaplan. It's important to consider which type of chart best suits the data you want to display.
Charts can help you and your stakeholders see the meaning behind data.
Charts are a useful visual aid for identifying patterns or trends in your data.
Use the tables on this page to help you choose the best chart type for your page. To learn more about the structure and uses of individual chart types, see the list of chart types at the end of this page.
You can display your data in a chart card on either a board or a worksheet. Learn to configure a chart card.
Types of analysis
You can analyze data by looking at a comparison, a transition, a relationship, or the data composition. Each of these types of analysis illustrate different aspects of your data.
| Analysis type | What it shows | Example |
| Comparison | The highest and lowest figures of the dataset, often across a time period. | Year-on-year sales comparison. Or, to compare the performance of one area of an organization to another. |
| Transition | Changes in data over a period of time. | How fluctuations in sales contribute to total revenue. Or, to see how changes in the value of raw materials impact retail prices. |
| Relationship | A correlation between two or more variables. | A forecast of sales for next year based on the sales of the last two years. Or, to monitor the impact of a marketing campaign. |
| Composition | The constituent parts of a data value. | Analysis of the values contributing to the retail price of an item. Or, to check sales figures for individual areas within a region. |
These kinds of analysis are usually best displayed as charts. However, it's important to choose the best kind of chart for your data. For example, the volume of data needed for a comparison, a transition, a relationship, or the data composition analysis would be difficult to display as text in tables.
When to use each chart type
The table below provides an overview of the best kinds of charts for different kinds of analysis.
| Comparison | Transition | Relationship | Composition | |
| Analysis Type | Ranking Deviation | Time Distribution | Correlation | Part to whole Geospatial |
| Use it to identify... | Larger/smaller Greater than Less than Equal to Plus/Minus X Different to Relative to Variance | Change Growth Fluctuation Increase/Decrease Rise/Decline Trend Frequency Range Distribution Concentration | Increases with Changes with Varies with Relates to Is caused by Is affected by Follows | Ratio Count Constituent parts % of total Share Accounts for x% Location Region |
| Area | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Bar | Yes | |||
| Column | Yes | Yes | ||
| Combination | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Donut | Yes | |||
| Dot | Yes | |||
| Gantt | Yes | |||
| Line | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Map | Yes | Yes | ||
| Percentage | Yes | Yes | ||
| Pie | Yes | |||
| Scatter/Bubble | Yes | Yes | ||
| Stacked | Yes | Yes | Yes |
