> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fabricplan.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fabricplan.com/documentation/plan/intelligence-sheets/how-tos/apply-ibcs-formats/column-and-bar-charts.md). # Column and bar charts IBCS bar and column charts provide standardized visualizations for comparing business metrics across categories and time periods. Select the chart type that best fits your reporting scenario, such as comparing actual values, analyzing variances, or tracking performance over time. ### C01: Stacked column chart Use this chart to analyze business metrics such as revenue, profit, and expenses across months, quarters, or business units and identify differences in magnitude between categories.

Configuration option	Configuration value
Chart type	Stacked column
Category	Assign the dimension that defines the columns along the x-axis. The chart displays each unique value as a separate stacked column. Example: Month.
Actual(s)	Assign one or more measures to analyze. The values determine the height of each stacked column or segment. Example: Revenue.
Comparison 1-3(vs Actuals)	Assign up to three additional measures to compare with the actual values. The chart displays each comparison measure as a separate stacked column or overlapped column for the same category. This is optional. Example: Budget, Forecast, and Previous Year Revenue.
Legend / Color by / Stacked	Assign the dimension used to split each column into stacked segments. The chart displays each unique value as a separate segment within the column. Example: Product Category.

{% hint style="info" %} Assign a forecast measure to the Comparison 3 data well to plot hatched bars for future data. In this example, assign *Profit-Forecast.* {% endhint %}

### C02: Stacked bar Use a bar chart to compare values across multiple categories, especially when category labels are long. Plot stacked bar charts to rank products, customers, regions, or departments by performance.

Configuration option	Configuration value
Chart type	Stacked bar
Category	Assign the dimension that defines the columns along the y-axis. The chart displays each unique value as a separate stacked bar. Example: Product.
Actual(s)	Assign one or more measures to analyze. The values determine the height of each stacked bar or segment. Example: Revenue.
Legend / Color by / Stacked	Assign the dimension used to split each column into stacked segments. The chart displays each unique value as a separate segment within the column. Example: Segment.

### C03: Multi-tier column Use a column chart with variance to compare actual values against a reference value, such as budget, forecast, or prior year. The variance highlights overperformance or underperformance for each category. Use this chart to monitor business performance against targets.

Configuration option	Configuration value
Chart type	Overlapped column
Category	Assign the dimension that defines the columns along the x-axis. The chart displays each unique value as a separate column. Example: Month.
Actual(s)	Assign one or more measures to analyze. The values determine the height of each column. Example: Profit Actual.
Comparison 1-3(vs Actuals)	Assign one or more measures to compare with the actual values. The chart displays each comparison measure as an overlapping or separate column for the same category and calculates the corresponding variance from the actual and comparison values. Example: Profit Target, Profit Forecast.

{% hint style="info" %} Assign a plan or target measure to the Comparison 2 data well to plot overlapped bars. In this example, assign *Profit-Target.* Assign a forecast measure to the Comparison 3 data well to plot hatched bars for future data. In this example, assign *Profit-Forecast.* {% endhint %}

### C04 - Multi-tier bar Use a bar chart with variance to compare actual and reference values across categories while emphasizing the variance. It is useful for analyzing performance across business units, products, or regions.

Configuration option	Configuration value
Chart type	Waterfall + bar
Category	Assign the dimension that defines the columns along the y-axis. The chart displays each unique value as a separate stacked bar. Example: Product.
Actual(s)	Assign one or more measures to analyze. The values determine the height of each column. Example: Profit-Actual.
Comparion 1(vs Actuals)	Assign the previous year's actuals measure for comparison. The chart displays the comparison measure as an overlapping or separate column for the same category Example: Profit - Prior Year.

{% hint style="info" %} Assign a plan or target measure to the Comparison 1 data well to plot overlapped bars. In this example, assign *Profit-Prior Year.* {% endhint %}

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