📝 Problem Description:

“Sales are significantly down this year! Please compare the sales for the first  half of 2024 and 2025.” 

A noticeable decline in sales during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 raised concerns across the commercial team. This drop signaled potential performance issues at the product, rep, or regional level.
The primary objective was to uncover the root causes behind the sales shortfall through strategic data visualization—empowering decision-makers to spot trends, detect anomalies, and take corrective action swiftly.

Tools Used:

Excel, Power Query, DAX, Pivot Tables & Pivot Charts , Conditional Formatting. 

❓ Key Business Questions Asked:

• What is the sales difference between 2024 and 2025 in both value and volume?

• Which regions and product categories experienced the largest drop?

• Are there any products that were not sold at all in 2025?

• How did each sales rep perform in different regions and product categories?

• What are the trends over the first five months of both years?

• What is each product’s contribution to total sales?

• Which departments or categories contributed most to the decline?

• Are there specific months that experienced the sharpest drop?

• How did product quantity and sales volume shift?

• What areas offer opportunities for performance recovery?

📊 Main KPIs Tracked:

• Total Sales Value for 2024 and 2025

• Total Quantity Sold (Cartons) for both years

• Year-over-Year % Growth (or Decline) for value and quantity

• % Contribution of each product to the total (by value and cartons)

• Sales by region and by category

• Timeline of monthly sales and sales rep performance

• Sales converted to kilograms and tons for added insight

🛠 Technical Approach:

Data Source: 4,000+ rows of sales transactions from 11 sales reps across 2 regions

Data Preparation:

• Used Power Query to extract, clean, and transform the raw data

• Removed duplicates, standardized product/category names, and handled missing values

• Created custom columns and DAX measures to calculate key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Built pivot tables for detailed breakdowns and comparative analysis.

Data Analysis:

• Identified products with zero sales in 2025 to uncover performance gaps and potential losses.

• Conducted product category and SKU-level analysis to evaluate inventory movement and demand trends.

• Discovered new sales opportunities through regional and category-based patterns.

• Assessed sales performance by representative, product, and region using targeted KPIs and benchmarks.

Reporting:

• Designed an interactive Excel dashboard to support decision-making for stakeholders.

• Used trend lines, category comparisons, conditional formatting, and arrow indicators to visualize performance shifts.

• Built an interactive Excel or Power BI dashboard with slicers/filters for:

  • Year

  • Region

  • Sales Rep

  • Product Category

  • Month

🎯 Business Impact

• Delivered a clear and actionable comparison between 2024 and 2025 sales performance.

• Identified months with below-average performance, enabling targeted interventions.

• Highlighted missed opportunities, such as products not sold in 2025.

• Discovered new opportunities through analysis of newly sold products in 2025.

• Revealed underperforming sales reps and product SKUs, supporting accountability.

• Enabled management to make informed decisions on sales strategy and territory planning.

• Provided a visual narrative suitable for executive-level reporting.