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Data plays a significant role in improving the sales of a business. With the visualization of data, small, and big companies have been able to detect patterns, trends and outliers in groups of complicated data sets. More and more companies are using Big Data and Machine learning to collect huge amounts of data to work on. The data is then, analyzed and the best way that has emerged out among all the ways is analyzing it with visuals as the pictorial view of huge data is easy for everyone to analyze.
One of the best data visualization tools available in the market today is Tableau. If you are looking for an easy to use Business Intelligence tool for analyzing the data and at a reasonable price, then Tableau is the right choice for your company. Let’s take a look at some of its features which is making it a favorite of all the companies these days:
Features
Tableau excels in many features but Data Blending, Real-Time Analysis, and Collaboration of Data are its main features. Let’s delve a little deeper into features of Tableau:
- It comes with improved AI capabilities with “Explain Data”. This feature uses the Bayesian method to bring out significant explanations behind major data points and even works automatically.
- The output given by Tableau is in the form of interesting visuals in the form of graphs, bar charts, maps, sparklines, etc. representing the complex information in the clearest form.
- The users can perform queries without even entering a single line of code.
- With just a few clicks, the users can easily connect to the data warehouse. It even offers plenty of data connectors allowing the users to connect data from multiple data sources.
- You can build interactive dashboards combining formats and data sources.
- Tableau has extremely flexible sharing capabilities which allow the users to publish dashboards for teammates, partners, and customers.
- Tableau has the option to embed the reports and dashboard to web pages. So the reports can be viewed in custom web pages with the same functionality as in Tableau server, providing designing freedom to meet the requirements.
Technology
Tableau software comes with compatibility with Desktop, Server, Online, Public and Reader Model.
Tableau Desktop comes with a powerful dashboard and has plenty of features for significant data visuals. You can create reports and charts and blend them together to form a dashboard. The desktop version allows to connectivity to Data Warehouse and a few other types of files. You can share the workbooks and dashboards either locally or publically. Tableau desktop is supported by Windows and Mac operating systems.
Tableau Server allows the sharing of workbooks, visualizations, and dashboards across the organizations. Tableau server is highly secured and is best for quick, effective and safe data sharing within the organization. At present, Tableau Server is compatible with Windows and Linux.
Tableau Online is the alternative option to the hardware setup. Basically, it is a hosted server version where even the mobile version can be used to access data through Android or iOS Android apps.
Tableau Public is the free software which is cost-effective and ideal or users learning to use Tableau and wants to share their data with the general public. The workbooks created here are saved publically and everyone has access to the data.
Tableau Reader is a free tool which allows the users to view already created workbooks and visuals. The user can play with the data and filter it but the modifications and editing are restricted.
Collaboration
A pretty new feature added to Tableau is Discussions. It allows real-time discussions between the colleagues. One can use snapshots and comment in order to draw the attention of the fellow colleagues to a particular part in order to make changes to it.
Support
Tableau offers support for free as well as paid. It gives access to the private customer support portal where the users can manage their requests, licenses and other issues. It also provides guidance in self-support in the following categories:
- Knowledge Base
- All Tech Specs
- Support FAQs
- Product Help
- Known Issues
- Release Notes
- Security Bulletins
You can even get paid training options in Technical Account Management, Customer Success and Consulting Services.
Pricing
Talking about the price at which Tableau comes, it comes with a free trial of 14 days. The Desktop license, also named as Creator license, is for $70 per user, per month. License priced at $35 does not include desktop application.
These were a few of the major features of Tableau which makes it stands out from all other Business Intelligence tools available in the market. Let’s take a look at the customers around the world who are using Tableau software:
- Computer and Information Technology companies like Dell, Lenovo, Cisco, Adobe, Paypal, and Yahoo!
- Multi-National Corporations from different sectors like Aerospace and Defense (SpaceX, AeroMexico, etc.)
- Higher Education University of Birmingham etc.
- Associations & Non-profits (TNP2K, Medway Youth Trust, French Red Cross, etc.)
The above names show the global popularity of Tableau among successful brands.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a BI tool for analysis of data in your company then the big global brands associated with the Tableau should be enough to build confidence to use it. There are many alternatives in the market which definitely might be good in one or other field but having all the features as offered by Tableau is impossible. So, the advantage of the Tableau’s free trial can be taken to figure out whether it is good for your company/ organization or not.
