I took the McKinsey example and implemented it using Mekko Graphics.  I created my table and used our Harvey Balls to add the checks and exes.  I then inserted a stacked bar chart and shrunk it into fit my table.  I added data, removed the Y axis, changed the axis scale and formatted the bar totals.  I then manipulated margins and chart size to get the chart to line up with the table.  I copied and pasted my first chart to create the other two.

Here is the PowerPoint slide with the table and charts.  It’s in SlideShare so that you can download it.

Here is a link to the McKinsey presentation.  I’d recommend reviewing it.  It’s rare that the work product of a consulting firm is made public.  It provides some good insights into how they work and how they structure their deliverables.

The post Adding Charts to a Table to Make Your Numbers Pop appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

New Capabilities

• Added a link to Mekko Graphics online help, in addition to the built-in help
• Improved label sizing for bubble charts when saved in MG5 format
• Improved  visibility of the annotation icon, showing it as a toggle button for on/off

Corrected Issues

• Fixed Preference Manager so that margin changes are remembered
• Resizing or manually editing of Y-axis labels are now retained when close and re-open chart
• Improved error message when user tries to insert axis break at the wrong point
• Improved label font size when convert Mekko 5 chart to Mekko 6.5 charts
• Asian Font setting is now retained in Preference Manager Theme Editor

The post Mekko Graphics 6.5.1.1852 Release Notes appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

We recently added an API sample application that generates a Market Map of Revenue by Region and Industry from data stored in an enterprise database. The Mekko Graphics API allows users to interact with the Marimekko chart in real time. For instance, they can:

• View the results for different years
• Customize the industries and regions displayed
• Highlight underperforming regions

Try the sample at http://www.mekkographics.com/product/mekko-graphics-api/interactive-market-map-demo. For more information about the Mekko Graphics application programming interface (API), visit http://www.mekkographics.com/product/mekko-graphics-api.

The post Our API Showcase Now Includes an Interactive Market Map appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

2012 English Language Arts MCAS data by Population Group/Performance Level

The Marimekko charts above graphically answer the question “how are we doing by population group vs. the district?” They demonstrate that:

• On average, the students in each of the school’s population groups underperformed their district counterparts in 2012.
• The underperformance was slightly more acute amongst the school’s smaller population groups.

English Language Arts MCAS performance vs. Prior Year

The Stacked Bar chart above uses comparison lines to highlight the following trends:

• The percentage of students in the Warning/Fail performance level is trending in the right direction, lower.
• The percentage of students who scored Proficient is also trending positively, higher.
• Intervention may be required to reverse the 2% loss at the Advanced performance level.

Traditional tabular MCAS data

When it comes to MCAS results, Mekko Graphics charts illustrate the data more effectively than the traditional tabular format. As we continue our work in the educational space, we’ll publish additional examples that demonstrate Mekko Graphics’ ability to augment instructional technology products and transform the school improvement process through insightful analytical charting.

You can view the full presentation deck below.

The post Illustrating MCAS results in Mekko Graphics charts appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

• Improved PowerPoint integration–we implemented double-click to launch Mekko Graphics charts, making it easier to move, re-size and activate our charts and to work with other objects on your PowerPoint slides.
• Axis breaks–you can now put a break into the Y axis of any bar or line chart and into the X and Y axis in any bubble or scatter chart.  Axis breaks allow you to represent outliers in any chart type and to highlight key data in cascade charts.
• Bar comparison lines–allow you to highlight difference between two bars in a stacked bar or cascade chart.  Show changes as a percentage or an absolute value.
• Improved interface and features for average lines–you can more easily place and move average lines.
• Added CAGR feature to growth lines and added CAGR formula to our spreadsheet.
• Enhanced quick launch–you can now add 1/2 page charts and multiple charts with one click.
• Email selected slides–send slides with a few mouse clicks, making it easier to share key slides without emailing the whole presentation.
• Reverse order is now an option for data rows.
• 30 day trial with no watermark–you’ll have more time to evaluate Mekko Graphics and you’ll be able to share the charts you’ve created with senior management or customers without the unsightly watermark.
• Enhanced color palette management.
• Improved installation, including the ability for users without administrative rights to install Mekko Graphics.
• Full compatibility with Office 2013 (64 and 32 bit) and Windows 8 (64 and 32 bit).  Mekko Graphics is Windows 8 certified.

I hope you like the changes we made in this new release.  We’re beginning to work on our Fall release.  Let me know if you have some suggestions for improvement.

The post Introducing Our Latest Version! appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

New Capabilities

• Double click instead of one click to activate the chart
• Axis break functionality
• Bar comparison lines
• Improved interface and features for average lines
• Send selected slides button in PowerPoint
• Enhanced Preference Manager allowing for multiple palettes/themes
• Improved Growth Line:
  • added CAGR feature,
  • added CAGR formula to spreadsheet,
  • support for Cascade charts
• Compatibility with MS Office 2013 implemented
• Mekko Graphics is certified for Windows 8
• Improved installation supported for users without administrative rights
• Enhanced Quick Launch charts
• Add a “+” sign to positive values for Growth and Bar Comparison lines
• Updated Mekko Graphics Help
• Ability to ungroup/regroup chart

Corrected Issues

• Returned context (right-click) menu options to Update Chart and Refresh Excel Link (for selected Mekko Chart) for office 2010/2013
• Legacy charts now retain prefix and suffix in data rows when opened in Mekko 6
• Addressed several label size issues when opening legacy charts
• Mekko Graphics now retains decimal place on bar totals for legacy charts
• Fixed Undo issue for  legacy chart where chart becomes picture

The post Mekko Graphics 6.5.0.1850 Release Notes appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

We will be demonstrating our software and how its used at Private Equity firms.  Our focus will be on the strategic due diligence process.  We will show how our charts can answer questions like:

• Is the market attractive and will it remain attractive?
• Do the target firm’s products or services resonate with the customer?
• Will the competitive landscape change for the industry?
• Where are the opportunities for growth? Cost savings?

We’ll show you how private equity analysts use Marimekko, Bar-mekko, cascade and bubble charts.  If you’re attending the symposium , visit our booth to learn more.

The post Visit us at the MIT Sloan Private Equity Symposium appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

• Improved PowerPoint integration–we implemented double-click to launch Mekko Graphics charts, making it easier to move, re-size and activate our charts and to work with other objects on your PowerPoint slides.
  
• Axis breaks–you can now put a break into the Y axis of any bar or ine chart and into the X and Y axis in any bubble or scatter chart.  Axis breaks allow you to represent outliers in nay chart type and to highlight key data in cascade charts.
• Bar comparison lines–allow you to highlight difference between two bars in a stacked bar or cascade chart.  Show changes as a percentage or an absolute value.
• Improved interface and features for average lines–you can more easily place and move average lines.
• Added CAGR feature to growth lines and added CAGR formula to our spreadsheet.
• Enhanced quick launch–you can now add 1/2 page charts and multiple charts with one click.
• Email selected slides–send slides with a few mouse clicks, making it easier to share key slides without emailing the whole presentation.
• Reverse order is now an option for data rows.
• 30 day trial with no watermark–you’ll have more time to evaluate Mekko Graphics and you’ll be able to share the charts you’ve created with senior management or customers without the unsightly watermark.
• Enhanced color palette management.

It won’t be long before you get to try our latest version.  I hope you find that our new capabilities make it easier for you to create and edit strategic charts.

The post Preview of the New Mekko Graphics appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

The chart gives you a great visual summary of the market:

• there are two major competitors that dominate each region and make up about 60-65% of the market
• they are about the same size and neither has a significant advantage over the other in a specific regio
• all other competitors are quite small and they vary somewhat by region.

The sample deck that Burton-Taylor provides has two other Marimekko charts–a map of spend by region and customer vertical and a drill down into the competitors in a market segment.

These are good examples of the use of Marimekko charts for mapping a market.  I hope you find them useful.

The post Using a Marimekko Chart to Map the Financial Data Analysis Market appeared first on Mekko Graphics.

You can learn more about the API at our webinar on March 12th.  We will describe what the API allows you to do and demonstrate how to use it in an application.  The webinar will not be very technical.  It will just give you an overview.  We will also cover our ‘Link to Excel’ function.  This is a simpler, but less sophisticated way to automate chart updates.  It assumes your chart data is stored in Excel.

You can also learn more about our API at the API page on our web site.   We have a description of the API and links to documentation and a sample application.  We will be adding other sample applications.

Customers using the API find that it’s a great way to quickly and easily produce high quality charts.  The charts are in PowerPoint so that it’s easy to share them with senior management and key customers.  The charts are also editable by the presenter, since they are standard Mekko Graphics chart.

If you’d like more information on the API I’d encourage you to attend the webinar and check out our API web page.  Feel free to contact us for more details on how to integrate the API into your application.  We are available to support your developers or to take on API projects.

The post Automating Your Charts with the Mekko Graphics API appeared first on Mekko Graphics.