Question 1

What chart types do management consultants use most?

Accepted Answer

Waterfall charts for P&L bridges and variance analysis, horizontal bar charts for ranked comparisons, Mekko charts for market sizing and share analysis, and Pareto charts for 80/20 prioritization. These chart types are rarely available in standard tools like Excel or Google Sheets, which is why consultants typically rely on specialized tools.

Question 2

What is a waterfall chart used for in consulting?

Accepted Answer

Waterfall charts show how a starting value changes through a series of positive and negative contributions to reach an ending value. In consulting they are used for P&L bridges, cost-out programs, valuation bridges, and variance analysis — any situation where you need to explain what drove the change from point A to point B.

Question 3

Can I export to PowerPoint?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Export as PPTX and it opens directly in PowerPoint or Google Slides with no reformatting. You can also export as PNG for embedding in other tools, or animated MP4 for video-based presentations.

Question 4

What is a Mekko chart?

Accepted Answer

A Mekko chart (also called a Marimekko or mosaic chart) uses variable column widths to show two dimensions at once — typically market size and market share — in a single view. They are widely used in strategy consulting for market segmentation and competitive analysis.

Question 5

How do consultants keep charts consistent across a deck?

Accepted Answer

Brand Kit lets you set your firm's colors and fonts once. Every chart you create uses them automatically, so the visual standard is consistent across every slide and every engagement — without manually reformatting each chart.

Question 6

Can I reuse the same chart templates across engagements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Save your standard chart formats in AECharts and reuse them each engagement. Update the data, keep the style. This also means your charts look consistent across client deliverables — which matters when clients compare your work across projects.

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