Data analytics is the process of examining data sets in order to draw conclusions about the information they contain. If you have not completed any of the prior data analytics cases, follow the instructions listed in the Chapter 1 Data Analytics case to get set up. You will need to watch the videos referred to in the Chapters 1 - 3 Data Analytics cases. No additional videos are required for this case. All short training videos can be found here: https:// www.tableau.com/learn/training#getting-started. 

In prior chapters, you used Tableau to examine a data set and create calculations to compare two companies’ financial information. In this case you are seeking to gain insight into the relative profitability of a company in various regions of the country and various states in which it sells. Your focus is on assessing the company’s ability to generate gross profit on the sale of its inventory. Gross profit represents a company’s ability to cover expenses other than cost of goods sold. 

Required: 

Use Tableau to calculate (a) gross profit and (b) gross profit ratios for the company in each of the five regions of the country designated in the company’s data base and each of the states in which the company sells products. Based upon what you find, answer the following questions: 

1. Which of the five regions’ operations has the highest gross profit? 

2. Which of the five regions’ operations has the lowest gross profit? To help determine the relative profitability of each state’s sales, get a better state-by-state comparison by analyzing the “map” chart. Once the chart is created, move your cursor to hover above various circles within states in the chart. Notice that an information box appears to reveal the pertinent gross profit and gross profit ratios for that state. 

3. Which state’s operations provides the highest gross profit ratio? 

4. Which state’s operations provides the lowest gross profit ratio?