We have often spoken on behalf of using paper as a medium for management information because it has such a wonderfully high resolution. Screens and projectors simply cannot compete – but they, unlike [...]

If lacking foresight has consequences, anticipation must be a virtue. In the era of big data, we are often reminded of that – for example, when we want to use data mining methods in financial controlling [...]

It’s been over eight years since we first welcomed our readers with that exact same salutation. Back in November 2004, we launched DeltaMaster clicks! to regularly share important information about [...]

The year 2012, so they say, was a good year for many who invested (or simply played around) on the stock market. Germany's blue-chip index, the DAX, and most of the companies on it, for instance, finished [...]

To be an informative speaker or writer, you should use concrete words – and, ironically, that’s often easier when you think abstractly. Abstraction doesn’t mean omitting things that aren’t important [...]

We can learn a lot from Otl Aicher when it comes to designing reports. To clearly structure tables so that you can found your way around them, you don’t need lines and boxes – gaps and alignment suffice [...]

All beginnings are difficult…and sparklines are no exception. Where they end – namely, the current period – is clear. But where should they start? How do they react if you change where they end [...]

Regardless of width or height, we need space…to work. And space is notoriously limited on computer screens. As a DeltaMaster user, you know all about the benefits of highly dense visualizations in reports [...]

Since people only have a limited ability to concentrate on things, we believe it is wiser to approach with caution. That’s why DeltaMaster holds off with questions yet is ready to deliver answers so [...]

The movie “The Matrix” became famous, primarily due to its special effects. Many viewers, for example, were amazed by “bullet time”, which made it possible to slow down actions almost to the point [...]

Good things sometimes fall through the cracks – even in reporting. For example, you might create cockpits that were never used in a standard report because they were only intended for testing purposes [...]

In this edition of DeltaMaster clicks!, we will explore a few more parallels to the manufacturing industry: parts and usage lists. In production planning, a parts list shows which individual items and [...]

The circle is a powerful symbol that dates back to ancient times. It has no beginning and no end – an allegory for the sun, completeness, and even perfection. When it comes to serious information, however [...]

Software can, however, offer clues as to where it might pay to take a closer look. DeltaMaster’s drill sparklines, which provide a glimpse at the details on the lower hierarchy levels of consolidated [...]

Time and time again, we realize how convenient it is that we can explore our data from so many different angles thanks to the tightly interwoven methods and functions that DeltaMaster provides. This time [...]

In many cases, you don’t need to make copies – creating a modified version of a centrally administered original merely increases the overall number of reports. Since DeltaMaster gets its information [...]

Alongside the likes of Jacques Bertin, Otto Neurath, Edward Tufte, and Howard Wainer, William Cleveland is one of the big names in data visualization. Yet, as is often the case with great minds, his best [...]

DeltaMaster provides powerful mechanisms that automate repetitive reporting tasks. The ReportServer, for example, is a proven tool to supply dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of recipients with information [...]

In 1960, Voigtländer, a company with a long history of innovations in the field of optical instruments, launched the first camera with a changeable focal distance, today commonly known as the zoom lens [...]

Using an average for orientation doesn’t exactly sound like an ambitious goal. Nevertheless, an average is often an effective reference value when we want to classify the objects in our analytical applications [...]

The first bicycles as we know them today date back to the 1860s. Back then, riding a bicycle must have been very difficult; not only were they extremely heavy, but they also had a fixed gear ratio that [...]

Long-term developments and trends that affect or are affected by daily business are an important foundation for making management decisions. Yet, it’s often not easy to recognize them – especially [...]

Nowadays, companies often want to get an overview of the developments on site. Where do our employees work? Where are we making money? Where are our offices, customers, patients, or service centers located? [...]

It’s amazing how quickly (and frequently) young people type text messages on their mobile phones. Nowadays, you don’t even need to press any buttons. If you have a handheld, smartphone, or tablet [...]

Some people also feel that there is a tad too much marketing hype around business charts targeted to managers because they often only provide a hazy view of business reality. In Business Intelligence [...]

As the old saying goes, there is a time and place for everything. In good literature, for example, highly elaborate and intricate styles of writing are often a pleasure – or sometimes a pain – to [...]

In a good restaurant, you expect the waiter to subtly mention if certain menu items are no longer available. That way, you won’t be disappointed if they don’t have what you want and your order won’t [...]