Tableau Waterfall Chart

Tableau Waterfall Chart is a form of data visualization helps to visualize Running total of any measure against the Dimension. Waterfall Charts 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 Tableau Waterfall Chart with example. For this we are going to write the Custom SQL Query against the SQL Server Data Source so, Please visit Connecting Tableau to SQL Server article to understand the configurations. Custom SQL query we are going to use for this report is:

T-SQL Query

Creating Tableau Waterfall Chart

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. 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 colors to our Waterfall chart. For now, we are using the Rank (calculated Field) we created in our Tableau Bump Chart article to color 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 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 Tableau Waterfall Chart

We forgot to add the Grand Total to complete the waterfall chart. In order to add Grand Total, Go to the Analysis Menu and Please select the Totals option then select the Show Row Grand Totals option as shown below

Following screenshot will show you the final preview of our tableau Waterfall chart

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