Choose a chart that answers the business question

Start with the comparison the reader needs to make. A time series, category ranking and part-to-whole question need different visual treatment.

Prepare the workbook

Keep an unchanged source copy and explain column meanings, units and date boundaries. Use a spreadsheet or data role with compatible local tools, or the prepared sandbox. Ask for a rejected-row report instead of silently deleting inconvenient records. OfficeCubs text previews do not recalculate formulas; open the final workbook in a spreadsheet application and check representative formulas and totals.

Inputs for this workflow: A small approved data table plus the question the chart should answer.

Work through the task

1. Identify the main comparison.
2. Choose axes, units and an honest scale.

A brief you can adapt

Create a chart of weekly order counts and keep the underlying table beside it. Label missing weeks as missing, not zero. Explain one visible pattern without inventing causation.

The filenames above are examples. Replace them with your actual inputs and destination before submitting the task.

Review the deliverable

Read axis labels and compare the plotted values with the table. Check the chart remains readable at its actual document size.

Where this approach can fail

A truncated axis or hidden missing period can exaggerate a trend.

For the related desktop setup, see missing document tools.