At Sutra Analytics, we help businesses unlock the true value of their data using advanced Tableau dashboards.
Today, we’ll walk you through how we designed a dynamic Sales and Customer Dashboard for one of our clients — and how it gave them complete control over their sales insights.
Step 1: Visualizing Sales and Profit Trends Over Time
We started by building a Sales and Profit Trends Over Time visualization.
▶️ What we did:
Using Tableau’s powerful line chart features, we plotted monthly sales and profit values together on a clean graph.
▶️ Why it matters:
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Understand if profit margins are growing along with sales
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Quickly detect seasonal sales spikes or slowdowns
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Track business health at a glance
▶️ Impact:
Our client was able to easily plan inventory and marketing campaigns around high and low seasons — leading to a 20% more efficient stock turnover.
Design tip:
We used dual axes — one for sales, one for profits — with distinct but complementary colors for quick visual understanding.
Step 2: Breaking Down Sales Profit by Sub-Category
Next, we drilled down deeper with a Sales Profit by Sub-Category bar graph.
▶️ What we did:
Each sub-category (like Furniture, Technology, Office Supplies) was shown with corresponding sales and profit bars side-by-side.
▶️ Why it matters:
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Find which product lines are most profitable
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Identify underperforming categories
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Support smarter product and pricing strategies
▶️ Impact:
The client restructured their product portfolio, boosting overall profitability by focusing on high-margin sub-categories.
Design tip:
We applied a vibrant color palette to highlight profit leaders versus laggards, making it easy for leadership to spot opportunities fast.
Step 3: Mapping Customer Distribution by Number of Orders
We then created a Customer Distribution by Number of Orders visualization.
▶️ What we did:
We grouped customers based on how many orders they placed (1–5, 6–10, 11–20, etc.) and displayed the distribution using dynamic bar graphs or heat maps.
▶️ Why it matters:
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Understand customer engagement levels
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Find loyal customers vs. occasional buyers
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Target loyalty programs or special promotions
▶️ Impact:
Our client launched a re-engagement campaign for low-order customers, resulting in a 12% increase in repeat purchases.
Design tip:
We layered the visuals with subtle color gradients — lighter for fewer orders, darker for higher engagement — for instant pattern recognition.
Step 4: Highlighting Top 10 Customers by Profits
Finally, we showcased the Top 10 Customers by Profit.
▶️ What we did:
Built a ranked list showing the customers who brought the most profits to the business.
▶️ Why it matters:
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Recognize and nurture VIP customers
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Offer premium services to top clients
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Protect critical revenue streams
▶️ Impact:
The client created special loyalty benefits for top customers, ensuring long-term relationships and boosting customer lifetime value.
Design tip:
We used a simple horizontal bar chart with golden highlights for the top 3 customers — making them immediately stand out.
Step 5: Empowering with Smart Filters
To make the dashboard truly interactive, we added powerful filter options:
️ Available Filters:
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Year
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Category
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Sub-Category
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Region
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State
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City
▶️ Why it matters:
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Instantly drill down from national to local insights
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Compare sales trends between different regions or categories
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Make dynamic decisions without waiting for manual reports
▶️ Impact:
Executives and sales managers could filter data live during meetings — leading to faster, data-backed decisions.
Design tip:
We kept filters easily accessible (top right) and styled them with clean drop-down menus for user-friendly navigation.
Conclusion: Turning Raw Data Into Real Business Power
At Sutra Analytics, we don’t just create dashboards — we create business growth engines.
By using Tableau’s capabilities and business-focused design thinking, we help companies:
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Understand their customers
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Optimize product strategies
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Maximize profits
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Make confident, real-time decisions
