---
title: Chart Selection Guide
description: "The right chart turns a spreadsheet into an insight. This guide shows you which chart to use for which question and which data. Watch the short video, then work with the toolkit PDF: it explains the method, shows a worked…"
url: "https://skillagility.com/en/resources/chart-selection-guide/"
updated: "2026-10-11"
category: 02 MEASURE
---

# Chart Selection Guide

The right chart turns a spreadsheet into an insight. This guide shows you which chart to use for which question and which data. Watch the short video, then work with the toolkit PDF: it explains the method, shows a worked example and gives you a blank template to fill in.

Tool video

The short tool video will appear here.

[Chart-Selection-Guide_Toolkit_EN](https://skillagility.com/wp-content/plugins/embedpress/assets/pdf/web/viewer.html?&file=https%3A%2F%2Fskillagility.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F10%2FChart-Selection-Guide_Toolkit_EN.pdf#key=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)

## Chart Selection Guide in short

1. **Start with a run chart.** Plot your Y over time first. Is the process stable, or does it jump, drift or cycle?
2. **Name your question.** Prioritize? Compare? See the spread? The question decides the chart.
3. **Check the data type.** Counted data: Pareto, bar, pie or dot plot. Measured data: histogram or box plot.
4. **Draw it simply.** Clear title, labelled axes, units. No 3D, no decoration.
5. **Write down the insight.** One sentence per chart: what does it tell you?

Key points

- Visualize before you calculate.
- Run chart first: is the process stable?
- Counted data: Pareto and bar charts.
- Measured data: histogram and box plot.

**Excel tool:** [Statistics Tool (.xlsx)](https://skillagility.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/B303_Statistics-Tool_EN.xlsx) · [Pareto Chart (.xlsx)](https://skillagility.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/B303_Pareto-Chart_EN.xlsx)

**Related tools:** [Baseline & Sigma Level](https://skillagility.com/en/resources/baseline-sigma-level/) · [Brown Paper Approach](https://skillagility.com/en/resources/brown-paper-approach/)