Why Treemap and sunburst in Excel? - Purpose & Use Cases

The Big Idea

What if you could see your entire sales story in one colorful picture instead of endless numbers?

The Scenario

Imagine you have a big list of sales data for many products and regions. You try to understand which products sell best and how sales compare across regions by looking at long columns of numbers and text.

It feels like staring at a giant messy table with no clear picture.

The Problem

Manually scanning rows and columns is slow and confusing. You might miss important patterns or trends hidden in the numbers.

Trying to draw charts by hand or copy-pasting data into separate charts wastes time and often leads to mistakes.

The Solution

Treemap and sunburst charts turn complex data into colorful, easy-to-see shapes. They show parts of a whole and how categories relate visually.

This helps you quickly spot the biggest sales, compare groups, and understand the data story without digging through endless numbers.

Before vs After

✗ Before

Look at rows and columns, write notes on paper

✓ After

Insert > Chart > Treemap or Sunburst
See colorful blocks or rings showing data parts

What It Enables

You can instantly grasp complex hierarchical data and make smart decisions faster by seeing the big picture clearly.

Real Life Example

A store manager uses a treemap chart to see which product categories and subcategories bring the most revenue, helping decide what to stock more.

Key Takeaways

Manual data review is slow and error-prone.

Treemap and sunburst charts visualize data hierarchies clearly.

They help spot trends and make decisions quickly.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a treemap or sunburst chart in Excel?

easy

A. To show parts of a whole with nested groups

B. To create a simple line graph

C. To calculate sums automatically

D. To sort data alphabetically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand chart types

   Treemap and sunburst charts visualize hierarchical data by showing parts of a whole with nested groups.

2. Step 2: Compare with other chart types

   Line graphs show trends over time, sums are calculated by formulas, and sorting is a data operation, not chart purpose.

3. Final Answer:

   To show parts of a whole with nested groups -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Treemap/sunburst = parts of whole [OK]

Hint: Remember: treemap shows nested parts visually [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing treemap with line or bar charts
• Thinking treemap calculates data
• Assuming treemap sorts data

2. Which Excel menu path do you use to insert a treemap or sunburst chart?

easy

A. Formulas > Function Library > Math & Trig

B. Insert > Charts > Hierarchy Chart

C. Data > Sort & Filter > Filter

D. Review > Comments > New Comment

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate chart insertion

   Treemap and sunburst charts are found under Insert tab, then Charts group, specifically Hierarchy Chart.

2. Step 2: Eliminate unrelated menus

   Data menu is for sorting/filtering, Formulas for functions, Review for comments, none for charts.

3. Final Answer:

   Insert > Charts > Hierarchy Chart -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Insert > Charts > Hierarchy = correct menu [OK]

Hint: Charts are always under Insert tab in Excel [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Looking under Data or Formulas tabs
• Confusing chart types location
• Not finding Hierarchy Chart group

3. Given this data in Excel:

Category | Subcategory | Sales
Fruit    | Apple       | 100
Fruit    | Banana      | 150
Veggie   | Carrot      | 80
Veggie   | Broccoli    | 120

If you create a sunburst chart from this data, what will the inner ring represent?

medium

A. The sales for only the first row

B. Individual sales numbers for each Subcategory

C. The sum of all sales combined

D. The total sales for each Category (Fruit, Veggie)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sunburst chart rings

   The inner ring shows top-level groups (Categories), outer rings show subgroups (Subcategories).

2. Step 2: Apply to given data

   Categories are Fruit and Veggie, so inner ring slices represent total sales per Category.

3. Final Answer:

   The total sales for each Category (Fruit, Veggie) -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Sunburst inner ring = top-level groups [OK]

Hint: Inner ring = main groups, outer rings = subgroups [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking inner ring shows individual sales
• Confusing total sum with category totals
• Assuming only first row is shown

4. You tried to create a treemap chart but Excel shows an error. Which of these is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You used a formula instead of typing numbers

B. You selected the Insert tab instead of the Data tab

C. Your data has missing or blank cells in the hierarchy columns

D. You applied a filter to the data before inserting the chart

Solution

1. Step 1: Check data requirements for treemap

   Treemap requires complete hierarchy data without blanks in category columns.

2. Step 2: Analyze error causes

   Missing or blank cells break the hierarchy, causing Excel to error. Other options don't cause chart errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Your data has missing or blank cells in the hierarchy columns -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Complete hierarchy data needed [OK]

Hint: No blanks allowed in hierarchy columns for treemap [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Insert tab is wrong
• Believing formulas cause chart errors
• Assuming filters block chart creation

5. You have sales data for regions and products:

Region | Product | Sales
North  | A       | 200
North  | B       | 300
South  | A       | 150
South  | B       | 350

You want to create a treemap chart that shows sales by region and product. Which steps should you follow to prepare your data and insert the chart correctly?

hard

A. Arrange data with Region and Product columns, no blanks; select all data; go to Insert > Charts > Hierarchy Chart > Treemap

B. Sort data by Sales descending; select only Sales column; Insert > Charts > Pie Chart

C. Create a pivot table first; then insert a line chart from pivot data

D. Filter data by Region; select filtered data; Insert > Charts > Bar Chart

Solution

1. Step 1: Prepare data with complete hierarchy

   Ensure Region and Product columns have no blanks and all sales data is included.

2. Step 2: Insert treemap chart

   Select all data, then use Insert > Charts > Hierarchy Chart > Treemap to visualize sales by region and product.

3. Final Answer:

   Arrange data with Region and Product columns, no blanks; select all data; go to Insert > Charts > Hierarchy Chart > Treemap -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Complete data + Insert > Hierarchy > Treemap = correct [OK]

Hint: Select full hierarchy data before inserting treemap [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Selecting only sales column
• Using wrong chart type like pie or line
• Filtering data before chart insertion