Tableau is a business intelligence and analytics platform that was built to transform raw datasets into easily understandable visualizations. The top CRM and analytics platform was recently acquired by a customer relations management firm, Salesforce, which gives a solid backing to Tableau’s reputation as one of the industry’s leading data visualization firms. This emerging technology firm has helped with customer digital transformations for many large corporations, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Lenovo, who have discovered the benefits of visualizing their data with Tableau.
Businesses have a growing need to format the information they hold in easily digestible formats, and Tableau provides a fully encompassing suite of tools that help business departments to import and visualize complex datasets.
There are many Tableau consulting companies that are certified by Tableau themselves to assist businesses with the setup and maintenance of the Tableau analytics platform. These Tableau consulting companies can also help with the training of new and existing staff members to ensure they have the technical knowledge required to use the platform.
Tableau is purpose-built to fulfill these needs, including notable features such as:
- Real-time data analysis
- Data Blending
- The sharing of data between teams
- No need for advanced technical know-how
How does Tableau work?
The most valuable part of the Tableau software is its ability to connect to a wide range of database services. Some notable programs and database software that Tableau can interface with include:
- Microsoft Excel, in which Tableau directly opens the .xlsx format and visualizes data within
- Adobe’s Portable Document Format, or PDF
- Oracle’s Relational Database Management System, or RDBMS
- Amazon Web Services database information
There are five separate parts to the Tableau software platform, called Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, Tableau Reader, Tableau Online and Tableau Public.
Tableau Desktop is available in two separate versions. One for personal users and another for business users. This Tableau product allows users to create reports and charts and pin them to their collective dashboard. The dashboard is where all previous visualizations are stored for convenient access at any time. In the professional version, this program can also interface with the Tableau Server software to share visualizations with work colleagues.
Tableau Server is a useful server-based enterprise analytics platform as it allows users to collaborate using Tableau Desktop Professional. A user needs to make sure they publish their Tableau data visualization in the Desktop software, and they can then upload to the Server client for colleagues to see. A connection to the Server is protected with login credentials, offering excellent levels of security for businesses. This software runs on local servers owned by corporations, rather than Tableau Online’s cloud-based approach.
Tableau Online functions similarly to the Server software but runs on cloud servers owned by the Tableau Group. These servers do not limit the amount of data that can be stored on them, making them a good option for native cloud businesses.
The final piece of Tableau’s top CRM and analytics platform is Tableau Public. As the name suggests, this uses Tableau’s cloud servers again but allows the publishing of a Tableau data visualization in the public domain.
The Benefits of Tableau
Overall, Tableau is regarded as an industry leader thanks to its usability and great community backing. Customers also laud the platform for its great performance on very large datasets, giving it a notable advantage over its competitors.
Tableau’s usability enables people from all technical backgrounds to create useful visualizations. People that haven’t undertaken specialized training on the platform can take advantage of Tableau’s ‘drag and drop’ nature for things like stats parsing and dashboard development, making it incredibly versatile across departments. Of course, with more in-depth training, the platforms usability can be greatly improved with items such as Motion Charts, Bump Charts, Donut Charts and R programming offering greater control over the end visualization.
For those looking to use the more advanced functions available in Tableau, there is an active community of developers. They dedicate their time to helping others build their knowledge in subjects like data parsing and discovering optimum methods of working within the Tableau platform.
Your Expert in Tableau
As partners in Tableau, and as a data visualization firm, let Trianz utilize its role as a tableau consulting company to help you make the transition to a culture that's rooted and enriched with high-level customer, product, and internal data. Don't let the insights fall through the cracks as your efficiency and quarter trajectories falter. What's worse than missing out? As the dynamics of older processes for data analytics fall by the wayside, you need a responsive, attractive, and intelligent platform that works. Definitely consider Tableau, a top CRM and analytics platform we highly recommend.
