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Here is the data packaged inside a sales workbook. Its headline tile, "Avg Order Value", is AVG([sales]), and it reads 123.44. But each row is one wine on an order, so that's the average line. Divide sales by distinct orders and the average order is 618.63, five times higher. By region it's worse: the workbook ranks Coast last at 75.97, because Coast's restaurant accounts put 8.8 wines on each order against North's 2.0. Per order, Coast is second.
Computed by the xmetric engine
The data
The data inside a workbook a wine distributor's sales manager left behind: 350 orders from 114 accounts in four regions, one row per wine on each order.
order_id | order_date | region | customer | wine | cases | sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO-00276 | 2025-01-01 | Metro | Metro account 08 | Rosé 2024 | 2 | 86.28 |
| SO-00276 | 2025-01-01 | Metro | Metro account 08 | Cabernet 2020 | 3 | 73.54 |
| SO-00276 | 2025-01-01 | Metro | Metro account 08 | Syrah 2021 | 1 | 144.41 |
| SO-00276 | 2025-01-01 | Metro | Metro account 08 | Chardonnay 2023 | 1 | 62.67 |
Step 1
This is the formula the inspector shows behind the dashboard's headline tile. North looks best and Coast looks weakest by a factor of four.
Tableau
AVG([sales])SQL
SELECT region, ROUND(AVG(sales), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM input
GROUP BY region
ORDER BY avg_order_value DESCRows
| Region | Avg order value |
|---|---|
| North | 301 |
| Valley | 123 |
| Metro | 105 |
| Coast | 75.97 |
Step 2
Each row is one wine on an order, not an order. Coast's restaurant accounts order many wines at once; North's retail chains order two or three.
Tableau
COUNT([order_id]) / COUNTD([order_id])SQL
SELECT
region,
COUNT(DISTINCT order_id) AS orders,
ROUND(COUNT(*) * 1.0 / COUNT(DISTINCT order_id), 1) AS lines_per_order
FROM input
GROUP BY region
ORDER BY lines_per_order DESCRows
| Region | Orders | Lines per order |
|---|---|---|
| Coast | 70 | 8.8 |
| Metro | 80 | 6.4 |
| Valley | 90 | 4.5 |
| North | 110 | 2 |
Step 3
Divide by orders, not rows, and the ranking turns over: Metro and Coast place the biggest orders, and North drops to third.
Tableau
SUM([sales]) / COUNTD([order_id])SQL
SELECT
region,
ROUND(SUM(sales) / COUNT(DISTINCT order_id), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM input
GROUP BY region
ORDER BY avg_order_value DESCRows
| Region | Avg order value |
|---|---|
| Metro | 673 |
| Coast | 672 |
| North | 603 |
| Valley | 548 |
Opening a workbook in xmetric shows you formulas like this one before you copy its numbers into a deck.
Common mistake
AVG divides by rows. When a row is an order line, that's the average line, not the average order.
Tableau
AVG([sales])SQL
SELECT ROUND(AVG(sales), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM inputTableau
SUM([sales]) / COUNTD([order_id])SQL
SELECT
ROUND(SUM(sales) / COUNT(DISTINCT order_id), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM inputCommon mistake
The FIXED expression puts the order total on every line of the order, so AVG counts a 10-line order ten times. Big orders get extra weight and the average comes out too high.
Tableau
AVG({ FIXED [order_id] : SUM([sales]) })SQL
WITH o AS (
SELECT SUM(sales) OVER (PARTITION BY order_id) AS order_total
FROM input
)
SELECT ROUND(AVG(order_total), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM oTableau
SUM([sales]) / COUNTD([order_id])SQL
SELECT
ROUND(SUM(sales) / COUNT(DISTINCT order_id), 2) AS avg_order_value
FROM inputOpen your .twbx or .twb in the xmetric app to see its sheets and formulas and keep building. To run these steps on a table, drop a CSV here. Nothing is uploaded.
Drop a CSV anywhere on this page
Up to 10,000 rows. The sample, regional_sales.csv, shows the shape.
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Tableau
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A .twbx bundles the workbook with copies of local file data sources (Excel, text, .hyper extracts) and background images. A .twb is the workbook on its own, without the packaged data.
Yes. Drop it into the xmetric workbook inspector and every calculated field, LOD expression and table calculation is listed with its formula. You can run a formula on the packaged data in the app.
No. The workbook and its packaged data are read inside your browser tab unless you choose to save the workbook online.
Close, not identical. Dashboards, quick filters and filter actions work in xmetric, but some formatting differs. If the exact look matters, use Tableau Reader, Tableau's own free viewer.
Yes. The xmetric app opens most .pbix reports with their pages and filters, and the inspector lists every page, visual and field.