Charts

Charts add visual data representations to your generated Excel model. Each chart is a dedicated Excel chart sheet that plots an account's values over time, making trends, seasonality, and inflection points immediately visible.

Well-chosen charts transform a spreadsheet full of numbers into a story that stakeholders can grasp at a glance.

Why Include Charts?

Financial models are powerful analytical tools, but a table of numbers requires effort to interpret. Charts provide:

• Trend visibility — a revenue chart instantly shows whether the business is growing, plateauing, or declining.
• Pattern recognition — seasonal businesses reveal their cyclical patterns clearly in chart form.
• Comparison — actual vs. projected data becomes obvious when rendered visually.
• Communication — charts are more effective than tables for board meetings, investor presentations, and team discussions.

Global Chart Settings

These settings apply to all charts in the model.

Include Charts

Master toggle that enables or disables chart generation. When off, no chart sheets are created in the output.

Differentiate Actual / Projected

When enabled, the chart uses different colors to distinguish historical (actual) data from forecast (projected) data. This is a best practice in financial modeling, as it immediately communicates to the reader which values are based on real results and which are estimates.

Typically, actual periods are shown in a solid, darker color, while projected periods use a lighter or patterned fill.

Charts Data Source

Determines which data feeds the charts:

• Analysis — charts are based on the Full Analysis consolidation.
• Quick Analysis — charts use the condensed Quick Analysis data.
• Quick Analysis per Unit — charts are generated per business unit.

Select the data source that matches the scope you want to visualize.

Chart First Period

The first period to display on the chart's horizontal axis. Use this to exclude early periods that may contain incomplete data or to focus the chart on a specific time window.

Number of Periods

The total number of periods to display on the chart, starting from the Chart First Period. Together with Chart First Period, this defines the visible time range. For example, if your model spans 10 years but you want charts to show only the next 5 years, set the first period and count accordingly.

Values Divider

Controls the scale of values displayed on the chart's vertical axis (Units, Thousands, or Millions). This should generally match the Reports divider for consistency.

Decimal Places

The number of decimal places shown in chart data labels and axis values.

Defining Individual Charts

Each chart definition specifies which account to visualize and how.

Account Code

The code of the account to plot. The chart will display this account's values across the defined period range. Enter the full account code (e.g., 3100 for Revenue).

Chart Name

A descriptive name that appears as the chart sheet's title and tab name in Excel. Use clear, readable names like "Revenue Trend" or "Operating Cash Flow" rather than account codes.

Reverse Y Axis

When enabled, the vertical axis is inverted so that larger negative values appear higher on the chart. This is useful for cost and expense accounts where a decrease (moving toward zero or positive) represents improvement.

For example, an "Operating Expenses" chart with a reversed Y axis shows expense reduction as an upward trend, which is more intuitive for audiences accustomed to "up is good" visual conventions.

Choosing Which Accounts to Chart

Not every account needs a chart. Focus on accounts that:

• Drive key decisions — revenue, major cost lines, EBITDA, free cash flow.
• Have meaningful trends — accounts that change over time are more informative than static values.
• Are discussed in presentations — if you regularly discuss an account in meetings, a chart saves preparation time.

A typical model might include 5-15 charts covering revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, EBITDA, capital expenditure, free cash flow, and net debt.

Tips for Effective Charts

• Keep the period range consistent across all charts so viewers can compare them side by side.
• Use the same divider as your reports to avoid confusion when switching between charts and tables.
• Enable Actual/Projected differentiation to maintain modeling transparency.
• Use Reverse Y Axis selectively — only for accounts where "down is good" (costs, expenses, debt).
• Name charts descriptively. "Monthly Revenue by Unit" is more useful than "Chart 1."