Create a clear chart and deliver your analysis

Understand the method

A chart should make a defined comparison easier to see. It should not conceal the population, replace exact values or imply a cause that the data cannot establish. In this case, a two-period bar or column chart can show completed-order sales changing from February to March. With only two periods and a tiny fictional sample, avoid presenting a forecast or a robust long-term trend.

Choose a clean source

Use Analysis B6:C6, with month labels derived from B5:C5. The solution includes a compact chart-source range at G22:H24. H23 links to B6 and H24 links to C6. These are links to the finished summary, not a second calculation of sales. The month labels are Feb 2026 and Mar 2026. If you edit a prepared order, the summary and chart source should update together.

Create an editable chart

1. Select your two month labels and completed-sales values. Insert a simple bar or column chart.
2. Use the title Completed-order sales (EUR). Check that the values are 500 and 600, not counts or date serial numbers.
3. Include zero on the value axis for a bar or column comparison. Use one restrained colour for the same sales series in both periods.
4. Place the chart in the reserved area to the right of the Analysis tables. Do not cover formulas, notes or the quality log.
5. Keep the two-row source table readable so a reviewer can check exact values.

The solution workbook contains a native editable chart linked to the formula summary. You can select it in Excel to inspect or change its data range. It is not a static screenshot. Application rendering can differ, so inspect labels and placement in your own Excel edition before sharing.

Test what the chart represents

Change Prepared E6 to 150 on a disposable copy. The February sales value becomes €550, so the chart should display 550 and 600. If the plotted bar remains 500, inspect its series source. Restore 100 before final delivery. A successful export or an attractive image is not evidence that your chart is linked correctly.

Write the evidence note

State the source, period and completed filter. Explain that sales increased by €100, or 20%, while completed-order count stayed at four per month and AOV rose from €125 to €150. Web and store each contributed €50 to the sales increase. Distinguish those arithmetic descriptions from a claim about why customers purchased or whether marketing caused the change.

The final status extract does not contain campaign exposure, marketing costs, order-line details or customer identifiers. It therefore cannot establish profit, advertising return, retention or causal effects. State the small fictional sample and complete-period assumption. Recommend a proportionate next investigation rather than a budget decision that this evidence cannot support.

Finish with a usable handover

Clear temporary filters only when you document the intended population, restore test edits, recalculate and refresh the PivotTable you created. Check the formulas in the first and last prepared rows, the month headers, the chart source and both reconciliation cells. Keep the raw source and log of verified corrections. Save as .xlsx to retain formulas and the chart; CSV would flatten a single sheet and lose workbook features. No macros, account credentials, real client data, upload or payment are required for this module.