Stacked Waterfall Charts using think-cell add-in for PowerPoint

Stacked Waterfall charts are a little different than conventional waterfall charts, as explained in our Stacked Waterfall Charts in PowerPoint page. Such charts can be easily created using the think-cell add-in for PowerPoint.

To create a stacked waterfall chart using think-cell in PowerPoint, please follow these steps:

1. Ensure that you have think-cell installed. If you do not have think-cell and want to try it out first, you can download a free 30-day trial version from the think-cell website.
2. Thereafter, open PowerPoint. Add a new slide and access the Insert tab of the Ribbon, where you will find the think-cell group. Click on the Elements button, shown highlighted in red within Figure 1, below.
3. 
   Figure 1: think-cells' Elements button
3. Doing so brings up a drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 2, below. You will find two options to create a waterfall chart here: Build-up Waterfall and Build-down Waterfall. The Build-up option is like the conventional waterfall chart that ends up with the Total column on the far right. The Build-down option works similarly, but begins with the Total column in the first, leftmost position. We chose the Build-up Waterfall option, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2.
4. 
   Figure 2: Build-up Waterfall
4. think-cell is now active, and you need to click on the slide to insert a new waterfall chart. Once inserted, you'll see a sample chart and a data window, as shown in Figure 3, below. The data window is an instance of Excel.
5. 
   Figure 3: Dummy chart with data in think-cell
5. Now, in the data window, enter values for the different categories or subcategories that you want to include in your stacked waterfall chart. In the last column, type in the character e in the data cells for that column, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, below. think-cell will automatically calculate total values as needed.
6. 
   Figure 4: Data values added
6. You will now see the updated chart on your slide, as shown in Figure 5, below.
7. 
   Figure 5: Stacked waterfall chart using think-cell
7. Do you notice that there are no stacked total values in the last column in Figure 5, above? If you need stacked total values, you will need to add a formula for all cells in the total column. For example, you can see the cell highlighted in red within Figure 6, below is a formula, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 6. All but the last cell use the same formula. The last cell uses the character e for that category, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 6.
8. 
   Figure 6: Formulas are used for all but the last cell
8. You will end up with a stacked waterfall chart like what you see in Figure 7, below. Compare with the chart shown in Figure 5.
9. 
   Figure 7: Stacked total column in waterfall chart
9. Save your presentation often.

Next, you can use the umpteen options within think-cell to customize your chart. You can add axis labels, legends, and other chart elements, and you can also adjust the color scheme and formatting options.

Viewing Chart without think-cell

What if I send a stacked waterfall chart created using think-cell to someone who does not have think-cell installed. Will they be able to view and edit the chart?

If you send a stacked waterfall chart, or any other chart created using think-cell to someone who does not have think-cell installed, then they will be able to view the chart in PowerPoint. They will also be able to edit partially.

Do remember that any chart created using think-cell is saved as a native PowerPoint object that can be edited and modified using the standard PowerPoint tools, even if the think-cell add-in is not installed. However, some of the advanced charting features and formatting options available in think-cell may not be available if the recipient does not have think-cell installed.

For example, if you use a custom color scheme or apply conditional formatting to your chart using think-cell, these formatting options may not be preserved when the chart is opened on a computer without think-cell.

To ensure that your chart is displayed correctly and consistently on different computers, it's a good idea to ensure that think-cell is installed on systems where chart editing may be needed.