In the Chapter 3 Data Analytics Case, you applied Tableau to examine a data set and create calculations to compare two companies’ profitability. For the case in this chapter, you continue in your role as an analyst conducting introductory research into the relative merits of investing in one or both of these companies. This time you assess the companies’ fixed asset turnover ratios to determine which company utilizes its fixed assets most efficiently to generate sales. The fixed-asset turnover ratio is calculated as net sales divided by average fixed assets.

Required:
Use Tableau to calculate each company’s fixed-asset turnover ratio in each year from 2012 to 2021. Based upon what you find, answer the following questions:
1. What is the fixed-asset turnover ratio for Big Store (a) in 2012 and (b) in 2021?
2. What is the fixed-asset turnover ratio for Discount Goods (a) in 2012 and (b) in 2021?
3. Comparing the two companies’ fixed-asset turnover ratios over the ten-year period, which company exhibits the most favorable fixed asset turnover?
4. Comparing Big Store’s fixed-asset turnover ratios over the ten-year period, is the company’s turnover (a) generally increasing, (b) roughly the same, or (c) generally decreasing from year to year?

Resources:
You have available to you an extensive data set that includes detailed financial data for 2012–2021 for both Discount Goods and Big Store. The data set is in the form of four Excel files available to download from Connect, or under Student Resources within the Library tab. The file for use in this chapter is named “Discount_Goods_Big_Store_Financials.xlsx.” Download this file and save it to the computer on which you will be using Tableau.
For this case, you will create a calculation to produce a bar chart of the fixed-asset turnover ratio that allows you to compare and contrast the two companies.
∙ After you view the training videos, follow these steps to create the charts you’ll use for this case:
∙ Open Tableau and connect to the Excel spreadsheet you downloaded.
∙ Click on the Sheet 1 tab, at the bottom of the canvas, to the right of the Data Source at the bottom of the screen. Drag “Company” and “Year” under Dimensions to the Rows shelf. Change “Year” to discrete by right-clicking and selecting “discrete.”
∙ Drag the “Net sales” and “Average Fixed Assets” under Measures to the Rows shelf. Change each to discrete.
∙ Under the Analysis tab, select Create Calculated Field. Create a measure named “Fixed Asset Turnover” by dragging “Net sales” from the Rows shelf to the Calculation Editor window, typing a division sign for division, and then dragging “Average Fixed Assets” from the Rows shelf beside it. Make sure the window says that the calculation is valid and click OK.
∙ Drag the newly created “Fixed Asset Turnover” to the Rows shelf.
∙ Right click the “Net sales” and “Average Fixed Assets” on the Rows shelf and unclick “Show header.” This will hide these items from view but still allow them to be used in the formulas.
∙ Click on the “Show Me” tab in the upper right corner and select “side-by-side bars.” Add labels to the bars by clicking on “Label” under the “Marks” card and clicking the box “Show mark label.” Format the labels to Times New Roman, bold, black and 9-point font.
∙ Change the title of the sheet to be “Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio Bar Chart” by right-clicking and selecting “Edit title.” Format the title to Times New Roman, bold, black and 15-point font. Change the title of “Sheet 1” to match the sheet title by right-clicking, selecting “Rename” and typing in the new title.
∙ Format the labels on the left of the sheet (“Fixed Asset Turnover”) to Times New Roman, 9-point font, bold, and black.
∙ Format all other labels to be Times New Roman, bold, black and 10-point font.
∙ Once complete, save the file as “DA10_Your initials.twbx.”