Assignment Level 2:

Assignment Overview:

You have been provided with a sample dataset that contains sales data for a retail company. Your
task is to create a series of visualizations using Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) to gain insights from this
data. These visualizations will help to illustrate important trends, outliers, and performance metrics
for decision-makers in the company.

Task 1: Connecting to a Data Source:

1. Use a provided sample dataset (could be CSV/Excel or a simulated connection to an

Oracle database).

2. Connect OAC to this dataset.

3. Verify that the data loads correctly into OAC (check for missing fields or incorrect
data formats).

Task 2: Data Preparation

Data Exploration:

1. Review the dataset and identify key variables that are important for analysis.

2. Create a data profile to understand the structure, types, and range of values within
the dataset.

3. Clean the data by handling any missing values.

4. Correcting any inconsistent data entries (e.g., fixing date formats, removing
duplicates).

Data Transformation:

1. Create below calculated columns.

A. Total Sales: SUM(Sales_Amount)

B. Average Sale Value: AVG(Sales_Amount)
C. Sales Volume: SUM(Quantity_Sold)
D. Total Returns: SUM(Return_Amount)
E. Return Rate: (SUM(Return_Amount) / SUM(Sales_Amount)) * 100
F. Net Sales: Total Sales - Total Returns

Task 3: Creating Data Visualizations

Create below visualizations.

1. Sales by Product Category: Aggregate sales by product category

(from the product dimension).
Visualization Type: Bar chart or stacked bar chart
2. Sales by Customer Region: Analyze total sales by customer region
(from the customer dimension).
Visualization Type: A pie chart or heat map
 3. Sales Trend Over Time (Month): Show trends in sales amounts over
time (from the time dimension).
Visualization Type: Line chart
4. Store Performance: Compare sales across different stores (from the
store dimension).
Visualization Type: Pie chart or treemap
5. Returns by Product Category
Visualization Type: Stacked bar chart
6. Sales Performance Heatmap (Weekend)
Visualization Type: Heatmap
Hint: Sales_Amount from the Sales Fact Table and Day from the
Time Dimension Table.

Customization and Formatting:

1. Add titles, labels, and tooltips for clarity.

2. Apply color schemes and formatting to enhance the visual appeal.

3. Ensure that the visualizations are easy to understand and insightful.

4. Interactivity: Add interactive elements (filters, date range sliders, or drop-downs) to

enable end-users to explore the data dynamically.

Task 4: Creating a Dashboard

Designing the Dashboard:

1. Create a new dashboard that includes at least 3 visualizations.

2. Arrange the visualizations logically on the dashboard (e.g., group related charts
together, place the most important visuals in prominent areas).

3. Ensure the dashboard has a clean and professional layout.

4. Interactive Features:

Add filters or prompts to allow the dashboard to be customized for different views (e.g., selecting a
region or product category).

Task 5: Sharing and Presentation

Sharing the Dashboard:

1. Save and share the dashboard with a colleague or supervisor. Provide them with
view or edit access.

2. Export the dashboard as a PDF and present it in a format suitable for stakeholders.

Document Your Work:

1. Write a brief (1-2 page) document describing your approach to the assignment:

2. What was the business question you aimed to answer with your visualizations?
 3. How did you prepare and clean the data?

4. What insights or conclusions can be drawn from the dashboard?

5. Any challenges you faced during the creation process and how you overcame them.

1. Sales Fact Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Sale_ID Integer Unique identifier for each sale transaction.
Date_ID Integer Foreign key referencing the Time dimension. Represents the
date of the sale.
Product_ID Varchar(10 Foreign key referencing the Products dimension. Represents
) the product sold in the transaction.
Customer_ID Varchar(10 Foreign key referencing the Customers dimension. Represents
) the customer who made the purchase.
Sales_Amount Decimal(10 Total sales value for the transaction (including taxes).
,2)
Quantity_Sold Integer Number of units of the product sold in the transaction.
Discount_Amoun Decimal(10 Discount applied to the transaction.
t ,2)
Store_ID Varchar(10 Foreign key referencing the Stores dimension. Represents the
) store where the sale took place.
Payment_Metho Varchar(10 Foreign key referencing the Payment Methods dimension.
d_ID ) Represents the payment method used in the transaction.

2. Sales Returns Fact Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Return_ID Integer Unique identifier for each return transaction.
Sale_ID Integer Foreign key referencing the Sales table. Links a return to its
original sale.
Date_ID Integer Foreign key referencing the Time dimension. Represents the
date when the return occurred.
Product_ID Varchar(10) Foreign key referencing the Products dimension. Represents the
product being returned.
Customer_ID Varchar(10) Foreign key referencing the Customers dimension. Represents
the customer who made the return.
Return_Amount Decimal(10 Total value of the returned items.
,2)
Quantity_Retur Integer Number of units returned.
ned
Reason_Code Varchar(50) Code describing the reason for the return (e.g., "Defective",
"Wrong Product", etc.).
Store_ID Varchar(10) Foreign key referencing the Stores dimension. Represents the
store where the return was processed.
3. Products Dimension Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Product_ID Varchar(10) Unique identifier for each product.
Product_Nam Varchar(100) Name of the product.
e
Category Varchar(50) Category to which the product belongs (e.g., "Electronics",
"Clothing").
Brand Varchar(50) Brand of the product (e.g., "Brand X", "Brand Y").
Unit_Price Decimal(10,2 Price per unit of the product.
)

4. Customers Dimension Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Customer_ID Varchar(10) Unique identifier for each
customer.
Customer_Name Varchar(100 Name of the customer.
)
City Varchar(50) City where the customer resides.
Region Varchar(50) Region where the customer
resides.
Country Varchar(50) Country where the customer
resides.

5. Stores Dimension Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Store_ID Varchar(10) Unique identifier for each store.
Store_Name Varchar(100) Name of the store.
Store_Location Varchar(100) Physical location of the store (e.g., "New York", "Los
Angeles").

6. Payment Methods Dimension Table

Column Name Data Type Description

Payment_Method_I Varchar(1 Unique identifier for each payment method.
D 0)
Payment_Method Varchar(5 Name of the payment method (e.g., "Credit Card", "Cash",
0) "Paypal").
7. Time Dimension Table

Column Data Type Description

Name
Date_ID Integer Unique identifier for each date. Represented in YYYYMMDD format
(e.g., 20250101).
Date Date Actual date (e.g., 2025-01-01).
Day Varchar(10 Day of the week (e.g., "Monday", "Tuesday").
)
Month Varchar(20 Full name of the month (e.g., "January", "February").
)
Year Integer Year of the date (e.g., 2025).
Quarter Integer Quarter of the year (1, 2, 3, or 4).