Introduction

There can be few managers who do not need to convey numeric information as part of their job. Knowing how to do this effectively is a vital skill.  We all come across graphs, charts and tables in the newspapers, company reports and market research reports. A surprising number of them are badly thought out or simply misleading. By the end of this section you should be able to avoid making similar mistakes.

The range of computer graphic packages available means that the actual production of a chart or diagram is extremely easy. However, if the form of the diagram is inappropriate then it will only hinder the presentation of the data. The case with which you can produce a chart increases the need to be aware of the best and most effective way of presenting the data.

Raw Data

Data recorded in the sequence in which they are collected and before they are processed or ranked are called raw data.