Mastering Multiple Series Reports: Visualizing Complex Data in 4 Steps

Quixy Editorial Team

December 6, 2024

In the age of data-driven decision-making, businesses across industries rely on Multiple series reports for smarter decisions, such as visualising complex data, uncovering trends, and making informed decisions. Quixy’s Multiple Series Report feature empowers organizations to compare multiple datasets in a single view, transforming raw numbers into meaningful insights. This blog explores the advantages of Multiple series reports, how they function within Quixy, and ways to leverage them for robust data analysis and reporting. 

What is a Multiple series Report?

A Multiple series report is a chart or graph that plots two or more datasets on the same axes, allowing for direct comparison. Each dataset, or “series,” is represented by a different colour or style, helping users easily distinguish between them. Common chart types used for Multiple series reports include line charts, bar charts, area charts, and scatter plots.

Also Read: Break Down Data Silos: The Power of Enterprise Application Integration

For example, imagine a company that wants to compare the monthly sales of two products over a year. Creating a Multiple series report allows them to view both products’ sales trends on the same chart, making it easier to identify patterns, such as seasonal peaks or dips.  

Types of Multiple Series Charts   

In Quixy, Multiple series reports offer diverse visualization types to help users analyze and compare multiple data sets effectively. Here are some of the key types of Multiple-series reports available in Quixy: 

1. Multiple series Line Chart 

Description: Displays multiple data series as lines on a single graph, making it easy to observe trends over time. 

Best For: Time-based data comparisons, like tracking monthly sales across multiple regions. 

Example Use Case: Monitoring monthly revenue for various product lines to identify which products perform best in each season. 

2. Multiple series Bar Chart 

Description: Uses bars to represent different data series side-by-side, enabling clear comparisons between categories. 

Best For: Comparing quantities across categories, such as performance by different departments or products. 

Example Use Case: Comparing quarterly sales of different product categories within a retail company. 

3. Multiple series Area Chart

Description: Uses shaded areas to represent different series, displaying the cumulative contribution of each.

Best For: Observing trends and changes in quantities over time, with an emphasis on the combined effect. 

Example Use Case: Tracking the market share of multiple brands in a competitive landscape over the year. 

4. Multiple series Scatter Chart 

Description: Displays data points on an X and Y axis to reveal potential relationships between variables. 

Best For: Identifying patterns or correlations between two metrics. 

Example Use Case: Evaluating the relationship between customer satisfaction and repeat purchase rate across different regions.

Each type of Multiple series report in Quixy is tailored to meet specific analytical needs, offering a flexible data visualization and comparison approach. By choosing the right kind, users can create meaningful reports that provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making.

Steps for Configuring Multiple Series Reports at Quixy:

1. Getting Started 

Log into your Quixy account, then navigate to the admin menu and select “Create Report” under the report options to begin generating your report. 

2. Setting Up the Report 

Select the data source containing relevant information to ensure accurate, up-to-date data for your report. Then, choose “Multiple series Report” under the report type options to enable a complex, multi-dimensional data view.   

3. Configuring the Report 

On the configuration page, choose the type of Multiple series report that suits your analysis. Set the X and Y axes based on your dataset to effectively emphasize critical comparisons and trends. 

Note: You can compare two data sets at once. When you select the X-axis value for the first data set, the X-axis for the second will automatically align with the same value.

4. View the Final Report

Save and View Your Configured Report 

After configuring the report, click “Save” to complete setup. Your report is now ready! Head to the Reports List page to locate and view the detailed results. 

Advantages of Multiple Series Report

Simplified Data Comparison

Multiple series reports allow you to view multiple datasets on a single chart, making comparing metrics side by side easier. This is ideal for comparing categories like product performance, revenue by region, or monthly sales across different departments.  

Improved Decision-Making

Multiple series reports provide comprehensive insights, enabling faster and more informed decision-making. By seeing all relevant data in one view, stakeholders can understand the broader context and make strategic choices based on complete information.

Time Efficiency

Instead of creating multiple single-series charts, a Multiple series report consolidates all data into one visualization, saving time and reducing complexity. This also makes it easier for the audience to interpret data without flipping through multiple charts. 

Industrial Use Cases

Multiple series reports allow businesses to compare and analyze various data sets simultaneously, providing deeper insights into trends, performance, and areas of improvement. Here are some industry-specific use cases showcasing different types of Multiple-series reports: 

Retail Industry: Sales Performance Analysis 

Use Case: A retail chain wants to analyze the sales performance tracking reports of various product categories across multiple regions over a year. A Multiple series line chart can be used to track the sales trends of categories across different geographical areas, such as electronics, clothing, and groceries. 

Benefit: Business intelligence tools enable the business to identify seasonal trends, regional preferences, and the effectiveness of promotional campaigns over time.

Interpretation/Analysis:  

1. Y-Axis (Sales Data): Represents sales metrics (e.g.  units sold) for both Clothing and Electronics. 
2. X-Axis (Region): Represents different regions. 
3. Rising lines indicate increasing sales, while falling lines show declining demand. 
4. Compare the height of the lines for Clothing and Electronics to determine which category is performing better in each region. 
5. Diverging trends (one line up, the other down) signal shifting consumer preferences. 
6. Flat lines suggest stable sales in a region. 

Healthcare Industry: Patient Diagnosis Comparison

Use Case: A hospital wants to compare the number of diagnoses for different diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, and asthma) across various departments (e.g., cardiology, endocrinology, and pulmonology) over the last 10 months. 

Benefit: A Multiple series bar chart allows the healthcare team to visualize which departments are handling more cases of certain conditions and make informed decisions about resource allocation and departmental focus..

Interpretation/Analysis: 

1. X-Axis (Months): Represents the time period (last 10 months). 
2. Y-Axis (Departments and Cases Handled): Represents the number of cases each department handles (e.g., cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology). 
3. Each line or series on the chart will represent a department, and within each department, the cases handled for specific diseases over the months will be tracked. 

Manufacturing Industry: Production Efficiency Tracking 

Use Case: A manufacturing company tracks the production efficiency of different machines (e.g., Machine A, Machine B, Machine C) over the course of a quarter. A multiple series area chart can display the cumulative production output of each machine, highlighting periods of high or low productivity. 

Benefit: This allows management to identify which machines need maintenance or upgrades and helps in optimizing the production process for better efficiency.

Interpretation/Analysis: 

1. X-Axis (Portfolios): Displays each portfolio type individually (e.g., Equity, Bonds, Mixed Portfolio), allowing direct comparison of different investment strategies. 
2. Y-Axis (Risk and Return): Shows the performance metrics, with each point indicating the balance between risk and return for each portfolio.
3. Risk-Return Trade-off: Points further to the right show higher risk levels, while those to the left represent lower-risk investments. A portfolio higher on the Y-axis but toward the middle or left of the X-axis demonstrates a favourable risk-return balance. 

Finance Industry: Risk vs Return of Different Investment Portfolios 

Use Case: An investment firm wants to compare the risk and return of multiple investment portfolios (e.g., equity, bonds, mixed portfolio).

Benefit: This helps investors assess which portfolio offers the best risk-to-return ratio, making it easier to make data-driven investment decisions.

Interpretation/Analysis: 

1. X-Axis (Portfolios): Displays each portfolio type individually (e.g., Equity, Bonds, Mixed Portfolio), allowing direct comparison of different investment strategies. 
2. Y-Axis (Risk and Return): Shows the performance metrics, with each point indicating the balance between risk and return for each portfolio. 
3. Risk-Return Trade-off: Points further to the right show higher risk levels, while those to the left represent lower-risk investments. A portfolio that’s higher on the Y-axis but toward the middle or left of the X-axis demonstrates a favourable risk-return balance. 

Conclusion

Quixy’s Multiple series reports are essential for businesses that need to track multiple metrics in a single view. By mastering this customized multiple series reports, you can unlock insights otherwise hidden in isolated data. Whether comparing product sales, monitoring financial trends, or assessing campaign performance, Multiple series reports allow you to see the bigger picture and make smarter, faster decisions.  
With the right data, chart type, and thoughtful customization, Multiple series reports can become one of the most powerful tools in your data visualization toolkit. 

Want to see how it works? Schedule a demo call today and discover how Quixy can help you build a strong, data-driven system for your business!

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