Tableau Story #1 – Cost & Profit Margin Analysis of Bike Categories

This Tableau Story focused on analyzing the cost and profit performance of various bike categories and subcategories, with the goal of identifying which products contribute the most—and least—to the company’s bottom line. The dashboard walked viewers through a multi-layered cost analysis, starting with a broad comparison of average costs across product categories, followed by detailed breakdowns of subcategories and individual bike models.

The first visual revealed that bikes have the highest average cost of all categories, significantly outpacing components, clothing, and accessories. We then explored bike subcategories—road bikes, mountain bikes, and touring bikes—showing that while their costs are similar overall, some models like the Road-150, Mountain-100, and Touring-1000 series stood out as the most expensive. A deeper dive into individual products highlighted that these same models consistently held the highest standard costs across the entire inventory.

Next, we examined profit margins, where we found that not all high-cost bikes translated into high returns. While the Road-150 had the strongest profit margin within its subcategory, many other models showed negative margins, indicating potential pricing or cost structure issues. The final visual summarized profit margins by subcategory, revealing that mountain bikes achieved the highest overall margin despite their cost—making them a strong candidate for focused marketing and sales efforts.

This project taught me how to use Tableau’s storytelling capabilities to guide an audience through a layered business analysis. It also helped me build skills in interpreting cost structures, identifying profit drivers, and presenting actionable insights using clear and interactive visuals.