Generating time based series

[Guest]

I have data in the following structure
Store Name Scheduled Opening Rescheduled Opening Actual Opening

Redbank 11/03/2006 9/03/2006 9/03/2006
Tweed Heads 6/03/2006 15/03/2006 15/03/2006
Macarthur Square 14/03/2006 15/03/2006 15/03/2006
Whitsundays 5/04/2006 1/04/2006 1/04/2006
Lake Haven 8/04/2006 6/04/2006 6/04/2006
Pakenham 17/05/2006 16/05/2006 16/05/2006
Hervey Bay (Urangan) 21/06/2006 17/06/2006 17/06/2006
Ararat 30/06/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006
Highpoint 3/07/2006 30/06/2006 30/06/2006
Townsville (Willows) 9/07/2006 10/07/2006 10/07/2006
Beaudesert 26/07/2006 27/07/2006 27/07/2006
Salamander Bay 9/08/2006 10/08/2006 10/08/2006
Newmarket 19/08/2006 17/08/2006 17/08/2006
Smithfield 26/08/2006 23/08/2006 23/08/2006
Mudgee 31/08/2006 19/08/2006 19/08/2006
Carindale 23/09/2006 23/09/2006
Bellerive (Eastland) 24/09/2006 20/09/2006
Bankstown 28/09/2006 30/09/2006

and would like to have a chart that plots (on a progressive basis) the
number of stores planned to open as one line, revised planned to open on a
second line and then progressive actually opened on a third line.

Where I am having difficulty is grouping the data - what I would like to
display is the equivalent of a S-curve which would start at one store open on
11/3/06 and growing to over 100 stores being open by 1/7/07.

Any suggestions, please?

 

[Ed Ferrero]

Hi Pete,

Suggest you orgainse the data to get a cumulative total of store opening by
date, then use an x-y chart.

A good way to get cumulative totals is to use a pivot table. That way it is
also easy to group dates by month/quarter/year if you need to later.

I have placed a sample of how to organise the data and build the chart at
http://www.edferrero.com/CumulativeChartingSample.zip

Ed Ferrero
Microsoft Excel MVP
http://www.edferrero.com