Tableau Waterfall Chart is a form of data visualization helps to visualize Running total of any measure against the Dimension. Waterfall Charts in Tableau are very useful to compare Measures over a time period.
For instance, visualizing the Profits (Positive or Negative) of a Month or year to increase or Decrease our Production (Decision Making). In this article, we will show you, How to Create a Tableau Waterfall Chart with an example. For this Waterfall Chart demo, we are going to write the Custom SQL Query against the SQL Server Data Source.
Please visit Connecting Tableau to SQL Server article to understand the Tableau configurations. The custom SQL query we are going to use for this Tableau waterfall chart report is:
SELECT ProdSubCat.EnglishProductSubcategoryName,
Tery.[SalesTerritoryCountry],
Prod.EnglishProductName,
Prod.Color,
Fact.OrderQuantity,
Fact.TotalProductCost,
Fact.SalesAmount,
Fact.TaxAmt,
Fact.OrderDate
FROM DimProductSubcategory AS ProdSubCat
INNER JOIN
DimProduct AS Prod
ON ProdSubCat.ProductSubcategoryKey = Prod.ProductSubcategoryKey
INNER JOIN
FactInternetSales AS Fact
ON Prod.ProductKey = Fact.ProductKey
INNER JOIN
[DimSalesTerritory] AS Tery
ON Tery.[SalesTerritoryKey] = Fact.[SalesTerritoryKey]
Create a Tableau Waterfall Chart
In order to create a Waterfall chart in Tableau, first, Drag and Drop the Product Subcategory Name from Dimension Region to Columns Shelf and Order Quantity from Measures region to Rows Shelf as shown below. By default, tableau will generate the Bar Chart as shown below
As we all know, Waterfall chart is the modern name of the Running total chart so, we have to add Running total to the above specified chart.
In order to add, Please click on the Order Quantity from Row Shelf and select the Quick Table Calculation option and then select the Running Total as shown below
Once you select the select the Running Total, following screenshot will be displayed
Now, Please change the Mark type from Automatic to Gantt Bar. To do this, Please select the Mark Type option for the Order Quantity and select the Gantt Bar as shown below
From the below screenshot you can observe that, we are closer to the Waterfall Chart in Tableau. Now, we have to specify the size of each cell in Gantt bar. So, Let us add one more calculated filed.
In order to do this, Please select the Create Calculated Field option from the Analysis Menu as shown below
Once you select the Create Calculated Field option, a new window will be opened to write the Custom Expression. For this example, we need negative order Quantity so write the following expression
Next, Drag and Drop the newly created calculated field (Negative orders) from Measures region to Size filed present in Marks Shelf as shown below
From the below screenshot you can observe that Our Gantt Bar cells are sized by the negative order Quantity
Let us add some colours to our Tableau Waterfall chart. For now, we are using the Rank (Calculated Field) we created in our Tableau Bump Chart article to colour the waterfall chart.
Please Drag and Drop the Rank from Measures region to Color Field present in Marks Shelf as shown below
NOTE: You can us Profits Measure or KPI trends, Goals On the color shelf to visualize them.
By Default Rank filed will rank using Table Across. So, Please change the table calculation from Table Across to Count of Order Quantity and Sort order by descending
We successfully created a Tableau Waterfall Chart
We forgot to add the Grand Total to complete the waterfall chart. To add Grand Total, Go to the Analysis Menu. Next, Please select the Totals option then select the Show Row Grand Totals option as shown below
The following screenshot will show you the final preview of our Tableau Waterfall chart
