Day 11 — Putting it together - a full analysis

One dataset, one question, and every technique from the first ten days.

The question

"Which region should we invest in next year, and what should we sell there?"

That is a real brief - vague, and answerable only by building up several numbers and reading them together. Let us work it.

Every calculation on this page runs against the Orders data source below - 48 rows, dimensions in blue, measures in green, exactly as Tableau colours them.

Step 1 - the shape of the business

Start with the headline so every later number has something to be compared against.

Step 2 - who is biggest, and who is most profitable?

Biggest is not the same as best Compare the profit ratio column against the overall ratio from Step 1. A region above the average is converting revenue into profit more efficiently, and that is a different recommendation from "the one that sells the most".

Step 3 - is anyone growing?

Growth changes the picture again. A smaller region growing fast may be the better investment than a large flat one.

Step 4 - what sells?

Read the last two columns together Laptops dominate revenue share but run the thinnest ratio. The accessories sell in far greater unit volume at a much better ratio, and contribute little to the top line. "Sell more laptops" and "sell more accessories" are both defensible - the numbers do not decide for you, they tell you what you are trading off.

Step 5 - product mix by region

The two columns add to each region’s total - always worth confirming. The share column shows which regions have an accessories habit and which are laptop-led.

Step 6 - order size

A region with many small orders needs different handling from one with a few large ones - different sales effort, different logistics, different risk if one customer leaves.

Writing the answer

The analysis is not the deliverable Six tables is not an answer. The answer is two or three sentences naming a region, a product focus, and the trade-off you are accepting - with the tables behind it as evidence. If you cannot write those sentences, you have not finished analysing.

Work through the six steps above, then write your recommendation in three sentences. That habit - ending every analysis with a written conclusion - is what separates an analyst from someone who makes charts.

Try these yourself

Work out which region has the best profit ratio.
Find the fastest-growing region between 2024 and 2025.
Identify the product with the best profit ratio.
Work out the accessories share for each region.
Write a three-sentence recommendation naming a region and a product focus.

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