Targets, progress and status
Target-versus-actual dot plot
Positions actuals and targets on a common scale to show gaps.
- Plot
- Performance against target
- Deviation
What it answers
How large is the actual-target gap?
- Shape
- Actual and target dots by category
- What it shows
- Shortfalls and excesses.
Example
The question
Which regions hit their sales target?
Sales against target by region, 2025 (EUR million)
Illustrative data. It belongs to no company.
When to use it
Use it when
Precise target comparisons across metrics with compatible units.
Avoid it when
Mixed units without separate panels or an unclear target definition.
How to read it
Compare actual and target positions on the same scale.
Note
Often a paired-dot or dumbbell design.
The data you need
- Layout
- Wide summary table
- Fields
- Metric: text; Actual: number; Target: number
- One row is
- One metric with its actual and target values. What is the grain?
- Rules
- Match units and periods. Define whether higher or lower values are better.
- Optional
- Optional range boundaries such as PoorMax,FairMax,GoodMax.
- Preparation
- Confirm the metric definition, reporting period, target and favourable direction. Calculate rates or progress before applying transparent status rules.
- Units
- State each metric's unit. Achievement or completion needs its goal/baseline denominator; status colours and ordinal ratings are not numeric units.
Worked example
Sales actual 80, target 100 gives a 20-unit gap. Put both dots on one axis.
| Metric | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 80 | 100 |
| Renewals | 72 | 75 |