Chapter 2: Graphs, Charts, and Tables--Describing Your Data

72 CHAPTER 2 • GRAPHS, CHARTS, AND TABLES—DESCRIBING YOUR DATA
FIGURE 2.17A
Excel 2007 Output
Showing McGregor
Line Charts
To overcome this problem, the financial manager needed to construct his graph using
two scales, one for each variable. Figure 2.19 shows the improved graph. We can now
clearly see that although sales are moving steadily higher, profits are headed downhill. For
some reason, costs are rising faster than revenues, and this graph should motivate
McGregor Vineyards to look into the problem.
Excel 2007 Instructions:
1. Open file: McGregor.xls.
2. Select the Sales (dollars)
data to be graphed.
3. On the Insert tab, click
the Line chart.
4. Click the Line with
Markers option.
5. Use the Layout tab in the
Chart Tools to remove
the Legend, change the
Chart Title, add the Axis
Titles, and remove the
grid lines.
6. Repeat Steps 2–5 for the
Profit data.
Sales Increasing
but Profits
Decreasing
FIGURE 2.17B
Minitab Output
Showing McGregor
Line Charts
Minitab Instructions:
1. Open file: McGregor.MTW.
2. Choose Graph > Times
Series Plot.
3. Select Simple.
4. Click OK.
5. In Series enter Sales and Profit columns.
6. Select Multiple Graphs.
7. Under Show Graph Variables, select In
separate panels of the same graph.
8. Click OK. OK.