Dynamic charting in 2007

[sitewolf]

Awhile back I was asked to put some charts together tracking 2 sets of data for each state by month for the last several years of the company's history. At the time, the implication was that I would do this one time, so updating it wasn't something I was concerned about. I haven't done much charting, but the charts I created was received so well that now mgmt wants to see it updated each month.....only I didn't create it with that in mind so I'd like to completely redo it all.

Let's see what ideas I might get from this group.

I'm not concerned about necessarily charting both sets of data on one chart or two laid over each other (tho if I could figure out a logical way, that'd be trick as well)....the numbers in each set are drastically different (one is sales, the other is mailings sent out). I know I'll likely be redoing/reorganizing my data tables to accomplish all this as currently the states are in alphabetical order with mailings and sales per state side by side left to right and a row for each month going back to 2006....and that data is pulling from 2 other sheets where I paste in the actual data (I hope I'm saying that clearly tho maybe I'm adding in more info here than needed).

The end result I need are charts (or a pivot chart?) where I can add new data in each month and the charts dynamically change. What they want to be able to see are the 2 sets of data charted on a monthly basis...possibly even being able to select the range of months to look at (i.e. being able to type in a beginning and ending time period to look at)

Can someone give me ideas on what you'd do? And how you'd do it? And explain it to me as if I'm someone who has decent Excel knowledge, but has never done a lot of charting? Because...I am..

 

[Smitty]

Prior to Slicers and PowerPivot I set up dynamic charts using AutoFilter, which is based on the premise that only visible ranges chart.

Check out Chandoo.org

For some good tutorials for dynamic charting.

HTH,