What does a heat map visualize in business analytics?

A heat map in business analytics is primarily used to visualize the concentration of data points through a graphical format, which allows analysts to identify patterns, trends, and areas of interest in the data. This method utilizes color gradients to represent varying densities of data, making it easier to spot correlations and outliers at a glance. By displaying this information spatially, heat maps can efficiently convey complex data sets in a manner that is both intuitive and informative.

This visualization is commonly applied in fields such as marketing analysis, user behavior tracking, and resource allocation, where understanding the distribution of data points across different dimensions is crucial for decision-making. In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the primary function of a heat map: while temperature readings might seem relevant, they are not the focus in this context, as heat maps do not pertain specifically to physical temperatures. Timelines and cost associated with business processes involve different analytical methods and are not represented through the concentration visualizations typical of heat maps.