Graphs giving different values

Pamela Wagner

I'm sure this is super simple but myself and a colleague could not figure it out. I have some very simple data I need graphed for a project: Not Started, In Progress, Complete and then % Complete using the total. The pie chart for the Not Started etc. comes out correct:

But when I ask it to graph just % complete, it does not:

Here is the master data:

No matter what, the percent complete should be 14% as it's Completed / Total *100. So why is the second chart showing 12%? (The top pie chart is using the first 3 entries in the master data; the bottom chart is using the Completed and Total data)

KPH

Hi @Pamela Wagner

I think the final sentence in your question, is the answer.

In your first graph you are plotting Not Started (253/253+5+41 aka 253/299), In Progress (5/299), and Completed (41/299). Completed is 14%. All good.

In your second graph you are plotting Completed (41/(41+299) ) and Total (299/41+299). Completed is 12%.

When selecting the data to chart you need to select each pie piece and the graph will figure out the whole. So when you chose 252 and 5 and 41 you got three pie pieces and the full pie is the sum of those pieces - 299. When you chose 41 and 299 you got two pie pieces, and the full pie is 340.

If you want a graph with just completed and not completed you need to add a "Not Completed" data point to your master data (you can use a formula to make this Total minus Completed, or Not Started plus In Progress). Then when you select data for your chart choose the two pie pieces "Completed" and "Not Completed".

KPH

Hi @Pamela Wagner

I think the final sentence in your question, is the answer.

In your first graph you are plotting Not Started (253/253+5+41 aka 253/299), In Progress (5/299), and Completed (41/299). Completed is 14%. All good.

In your second graph you are plotting Completed (41/(41+299) ) and Total (299/41+299). Completed is 12%.

When selecting the data to chart you need to select each pie piece and the graph will figure out the whole. So when you chose 252 and 5 and 41 you got three pie pieces and the full pie is the sum of those pieces - 299. When you chose 41 and 299 you got two pie pieces, and the full pie is 340.

If you want a graph with just completed and not completed you need to add a "Not Completed" data point to your master data (you can use a formula to make this Total minus Completed, or Not Started plus In Progress). Then when you select data for your chart choose the two pie pieces "Completed" and "Not Completed".

Pamela Wagner

In the deep recesses of my mind I did what you suggested before! It works. Thanks so much!

KPH

Glad I could help! Have a great weekend.