OriaBridge chart in Excel

A practical guide by Oria

Bridge chart
in Excel

Explain what moved and why it matters
A clear example, four steps and six editable templates

Build your bridge
EBITDA grows from 100 to 125Start at 100; Volume adds 28, price adds 9 and costs subtract 12; Closing EBITDA is 125; Illustrative values in millionsEBITDA · illustrative, $mGrowth more than offsets higher costs100+28+9−12125Prior yearVolumePriceCostsCurrent year100 + 28 + 9 − 12 = 125Every driver · One clear story

01 / The essentials

One starting point
Every reason it changed

A bridge chart explains the movement between two values; The first and last bars show totals; the floating bars show what added to or subtracted from the result; In Excel, choose the Waterfall chart type

01

Anchor

Use agreed opening and closing values

02

Explain

Give each driver a name and signed value

03

Reconcile

Make the changes sum to the gap

02 / The example

From $100m to $125m
Here is the bridge

Volume adds $28m, price adds $9m and higher costs subtract $12m; EBITDA increases by $25m; These are illustrative figures

Enter Driver and Value in A1:B6; Bar type is a formatting guide
DriverValue ($m)Bar type
Prior-year EBITDA100Total
Volume+28Increase
Price+9Increase
Higher costs−12Decrease
Current-year EBITDA125Total

100 + 28 + 9 − 12 = 125; Closing less opening: +25

03 / In Excel

Four steps to the finished chart

  1. 1

    Select your data

    Highlight A1:B6: the driver names and values; Use negative numbers for reductions

  2. 2

    Insert a Waterfall chart

    Go to Insert → Waterfall; Excel creates the floating bars and connectors

  3. 3

    Set the two totals

    Select the opening bar, right-click and choose Set as Total; Repeat for the closing bar

  4. 4

    Make the takeaway obvious

    Add data labels, keep the signs and use distinct colours for increases, decreases and totals; Give the chart a conclusion: “EBITDA up $25m as growth offsets higher costs”

04 / Before you share

A quick check; A stronger story

  • The maths ties Opening value plus all changes equals the closing value
  • Each driver appears once Price, volume and mix must not count the same change twice
  • The labels explain causes “Higher freight costs” tells the reader more than “Operations”
  • The units match Keep currency, scale and reporting period consistent
Excel tie-out · expected result: 0=ROUND(B6-B2-SUM(B3:B5),6)

05 / The template collection

Start with a slide
Make it your own

Six layouts for the bridges finance teams use most; Preview the PDF or download an editable PowerPoint

Illustrative data; Editable text and shapes; No sign-up required

06 / Questions

A few useful answers

Is a bridge chart the same as a waterfall chart?

Yes; Excel calls the chart type Waterfall; Finance teams call it a bridge when it reconciles two reported figures and explains the drivers between them

How do I make the first and last bars start at zero?

Select the individual bar, right-click and choose Set as Total; Repeat for the closing bar and any subtotal; Keep driver bars as increases or decreases

How should I handle price, volume and mix?

Calculate at product level where possible and state your convention; For one product, volume at prior-year price plus price at current-year volume reconciles the revenue change exactly; If you add a mix bar, define it separately so effects do not overlap

How many drivers should I show?

Aim for five to seven clearly named drivers; Group small movements into a meaningful category and disclose the detail; Use a table or appendix when the full breakdown needs more space

Can I edit these templates?

Yes; Download the PowerPoint file to edit its text, shapes and illustrative values; The PDF is a preview; The examples are not linked to an Excel workbook

How do I check that the bridge reconciles?

Subtract the opening value and the sum of driver changes from the closing value; The result should be zero before display rounding; Also check that every driver has a source and is counted only once