OLAP Lab Exercises
Using Excel
This exercise is related to the OLAP topics in Chapter 9. Using Excel, you will see how to use Excel to do OLAP functions.
LAB: Class Lab -- OLAP - BUDGET.XLS {file on O:\cis492}
Open the O:\cis492 folder and access the above file. Save it to a floppy disk of the C:\ drive. Now try these different exercises in OLAP technologies:
CAR
SALES BY TIME:
Build a line graph for total car sales by quarter for the current year. Place it in the spreadsheet as a separate worksheet.
CAR
SALES BY LINE BY QUARTER:
Build a line graph for car sales by product line for each quarter of the current year. Place it in the spreadsheet as a separate worksheet.
What is driving the decline in total car sales in Q3? Which line is the most stable throughout the year? Save the file as OLAP2.xls.
CAR
SALES BY LINE:
Build a pie chart graph for car sales by product line for total sales per product line for the current year, by percentage of total sales per product line of car. Place it in the spreadsheet as a separate worksheet.
Which of the lines produces the most revenue?
SALES BY LINE BY QUARTER:
Build a line graph for both truck and car sales for the current year, by quarter. Place it in the spreadsheet as a separate worksheet.
What type of cyclical patterns co-exist between the two? That is, there are times when both are going in the same direction, or opposite directions. Which quarter would you be most likely to make inquiries about sales? The second quarter is very unusual. Truck sales are extremely low. What questions would you ask about these sales? Why are customers buying more trucks during the highest gas prices? Save the file as OLAP4.xls
SALES BY LINE:
Build a pie graph for both truck and car total sales for the current year. Place it in the spreadsheet as a separate worksheet.
How much of total sales is from Truck Sales? 55% Save the file as OLAP5.xls
