Compute using (table across, down) in Tableau - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Compute using (table across, down)

Business Question

How can we analyze monthly sales trends by computing running totals across months and cumulative totals down product categories using Tableau's Compute Using feature?

Sample Data

Product Category	Month	Sales
Furniture	Jan	100
Furniture	Feb	150
Furniture	Mar	200
Office Supplies	Jan	80
Office Supplies	Feb	120
Office Supplies	Mar	160
Technology	Jan	200
Technology	Feb	250
Technology	Mar	300

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales
  Formula: SUM([Sales])
  Result: 1560 (sum of all sales)
• Line Chart: Running Total of Sales Across Months
  Calculation: RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Sales]))
  Compute Using: Table (Across)
  Explanation: Calculates cumulative sales month by month across all categories combined.
  Example values:
  Jan: 380 (100+80+200), Feb: 900 (380+150+120+250), Mar: 1560 (900+200+160+300)
• Bar Chart: Cumulative Sales Down Product Categories
  Calculation: RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Sales]))
  Compute Using: Table (Down)
  Explanation: Calculates cumulative sales category by category for each month.
  Example for Jan:
  Furniture: 100, Office Supplies: 180 (100+80), Technology: 380 (180+200)
• Table: Sales by Product Category and Month
  Shows raw sales data for reference.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-----------------------------+
|      Total Sales      | Running Total Across Months  |
|      (KPI Card)       |         (Line Chart)         |
+----------------------+-----------------------------+
| Cumulative Sales Down |       Sales Data Table      |
|   Product Categories  |                             |
|      (Bar Chart)      |                             |
+----------------------+-----------------------------+

Interactivity

Filters on Month or Product Category update all components simultaneously:

• Selecting a specific month updates the running total and cumulative sales to reflect only data up to that month.
• Choosing a product category filters the sales data table and updates the cumulative sales bar chart to show only that category's cumulative sales.

Self Check

If you add a filter to show only February and later months, which components update and how?

• Total Sales KPI: Updates to sum sales from Feb and Mar only (150+120+250+200+160+300 = 1180).
• Running Total Line Chart: Starts cumulative sum from Feb onward.
• Cumulative Sales Bar Chart: Shows cumulative sales down categories for Feb and Mar only.
• Sales Data Table: Displays only rows for Feb and Mar.

Key Result

Dashboard showing total sales, running totals across months, and cumulative sales down product categories using Tableau's Compute Using feature.