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How to make Control Chart in Tableau

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Control chart in Tableau are a statistical tool designed to monitor and analyze process variation over time. By plotting data points against predetermined control limits, they help identify critical deviations from expected performance. In Tableau, control charts effectively depict quality control processes in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and services. By illustrating trends, variations, and potential outliers, control charts provide valuable insight into process stability and consistency, enabling organizations to maintain high-quality standards and improve operational efficiency.

When to Use Control Chart in Tableau

Monitoring process performance

Use control charts to track process performance over time, such as production output, defect rates, or customer service response times.

Identifying process variation

If you are analyzing common and special cause variations in a process, control charts can help distinguish between normal fluctuations and critical deviations that may require intervention.

Quality control in manufacturing

In manufacturing settings, control charts are essential for monitoring product quality and consistency, ensuring that products meet specified standards.

Measuring service performance

Control charts can be applied to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response times, customer satisfaction scores, or service completion rates in service industries.

Importance of Control Chart in Tableau

Visualizing process stability

They provide a clear visual representation of process behavior, making it easier to identify trends and changes in performance, which helps organizations maintain consistency.

Early detection of problems

By monitoring data points against control limits, control charts enable early detection of potential problems, allowing organizations to take corrective action before problems escalate.

Enhancing decision making

Control charts provide data-driven insights that can guide decisions related to process improvement, resource allocation, and quality control initiatives.

Supporting continuous improvement

They promote a culture of continuous improvement by helping organizations identify areas of improvement and track the effectiveness of changes over time.

Steps to create Control Chart in Tableau

Step 1: Open Tableau

Step 2: Click on Text file to connect with Tableau

Step 3: Browse csv file (or other file format as your need) and click on Open

Step 4: Click on Sheet 1 (Worksheet) to make visual

Step 5: Drag-n-drop Date in Columns and Sales Amount in Rows

Step 6: Right click over Date (Columns) and select Day

Step 7: Click on Analytics; Drag Average Line over sheet and drop over Table

Step 8: Right click over Average line on visual and select Format

Step 9: click on Line and select line type and color

Step 10: Again, right click over Average line on visual and select Edit…

Step 11 (optional): You can select Custom label for line as given in image.

Step 12: Click on dropdown icon under Data pane and select Create Parameter…

Step 13: Follow the image:

Step 14: Right click over created parameter and select Show Parameter

Step 15: Click on Analysis tab and select Create Calculated Field…

Step 16: Specify a name for field (Upper Control Limit) and put the following formula:

WINDOW_AVG(SUM([Sales Amount])) + WINDOW_STDEV(SUM([Sales Amount])) * [Standard Deviations]

Step 17: Right over upper control limit field and select Duplicate for lower control limit

Step 18: Right click over duplicate upper control limit and select Edit…

Step 19: Specify a name for field (Lower Control Limit) and put the following formula:

IF ( WINDOW_AVG(SUM([Sales Amount])) – WINDOW_STDEV(SUM([Sales Amount])) * [Standard Deviations] ) < 0

THEN 0

ELSE WINDOW_AVG( SUM([Sales Amount])) – WINDOW_STDEV(SUM([Sales Amount])) * [Standard Deviations]

END

Step 20: Drag-n-drop Lower Control Limit and Upper Control Limit over Detail (Marks card)

Step 21: Drag Reference Band over sheet and drop on Table (Sales Amount)

Step 22: You can select Custom label for line as given in image.

Step 23: Click on Analysis tab and select Create Calculated Field…

Step 24: Specify a name for field (Outside Control Limit) and put the following formula mentioned in image:

Step 25 & Output 1: Drag-n-drop Outside Control Limit over Text (Marks card)

Output 2:

Output 3:

Note:

  • Stable periods: When sales prices are consistently within the control limits, the process is considered to be stable.
  • Extreme (out of control): On specific dates, such as January 10, there is a significant spike when sales exceed the UCL, indicating the need to investigate the possible reasons for such high sales during that period.

Conclusion

Control charts in Tableau are powerful tools for monitoring and analyzing process variation, providing valuable insights into operational performance and quality control. By visually presenting data points against control limits, these charts allow organizations to quickly identify trends, variations, and outliers, facilitating timely decisions and proactive interventions. Whether applied in the manufacturing, healthcare, or service industries, control charts enhance understanding of process stability and consistency, supporting a culture of continuous improvement. Incorporating control charts into your data analysis toolkit promotes a data-driven approach to quality management, ensuring your organization maintains high standards and delivers consistent results.

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