Overview

A Bullet Chart is a high–information-density KPI visualization designed to compare the Actual value against a Target, while displaying multiple performance thresholds (such as Satisfactory, Good, Very Good, etc.) using segmented background ranges.

As a compact and efficient alternative to gauge charts, bullet charts present rich business insights in a limited space, making them widely used in operational analytics, performance management, and financial dashboards.

When to Use

• Displaying actual KPI performance
• Comparing actual vs. target
• Using ranges to show performance levels (satisfactory / good / excellent)
• Displaying multiple KPIs simultaneously (e.g., by store, department, product)
• Replacing bulky gauge charts

Components of a Bullet Chart

A bullet chart contains the following elements:

1. Background Ranges
   Represent performance levels from low to high. Typically configured as:

   • Minimum
   • Normal
   • Satisfactory
   • Good
   • Very Good
   • Maximum

2. Actual Bar
   A dark bar that represents the current value of the KPI.

3. Target Marker
   A vertical line indicating the desired target.

4. Category Label
   Used to generate multiple bullet charts (e.g., Store 1, Store 2).

Data Structure

Bullet charts support binding multiple fields from the data model.

Required Fields

Field	Description
Actual	KPI actual value (e.g., Revenue, Sales)
Target	Target value; also used as the base for range percent

Optional Fields

Field	Description
Category	Dimension for grouping (Store, Department, etc.)
Min Value	Start of the performance range
Normal	End of the first performance range
Satisfactory	End of the second performance range
Good Value	End of the third performance range
Very Good Value	End of the fourth performance range
Max Value	End of the overall performance range

Example Dataset

Store	Revenue	Target	Min Revenue	Satisfactory Revenue	Good Revenue	Very Good Revenue
Store 1	119645	115000	80000	95000	110000	130000
Store 2	102769	105000	75000	85000	100000	120000
Store 3	151845	160000	100000	120000	150000	200000

Configuring a Bullet Chart

Bullet chart configuration in Datafor includes Data, Style, and Behavior sections.

1. Data

Below is the Data binding panel for the bullet chart:

Category

Used to group the chart and generate multiple bullet charts (e.g., per Store).

Actual

Defines the bar representing the actual KPI value.

Target

Defines the target marker and acts as the base value for percentage-based ranges.

Ranges

If range fields are provided, they determine the boundaries of each performance segment.

Field	Description
Min Value	Range starting point
Normal	End of the first range
Satisfactory	End of the second range
Good	End of the third range
Very Good	End of the fourth range
Max Value	Range ending point

📌 If range fields are not provided, percentage-based ranges can be generated automatically.

2. Style

Orientation

• Horizontal (default)
• Vertical

Color Settings

You can configure colors for:

• Actual value
• Target marker
• Minimum range
• Normal range
• Satisfactory range
• Good range
• Very Good range

Range Values (Percentage Mode)

When no range fields are bound, the chart can calculate segment boundaries using percentages based on the Target value.

For example, with a target of 100,000:

• Needs Improvement (70%) → 70,000
• Normal (85%) → 85,000
• Good (100%) → 100,000
• Very Good (110%) → 110,000

Tooltip Labels

When using percentage mode, you can configure labels for:

Option	Description
Target Label	Label for the target
Normal Label	Label for the Normal range
Satisfactory Label	Label for Satisfactory
Good Label	Label for Good
Excellent Label	Label for Very Good

Best Practices

• Use 3–4 ranges for clear performance interpretation
• Use color gradients from lighter → darker to represent improvement
• Keep the target marker visually distinct
• Hide axis ticks when displaying many categories to reduce clutter
• If each category has a different target, bind the target as a field
• If the target is constant, set it directly in the Style → Values