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What is Tableau?

Unlock powerful visual insights with Tableau’s intuitive analytics platform that turns complex data into clear, actionable dashboards. Learn more

Ceyhun Enki Aksan
Ceyhun Enki Aksan Entrepreneur, Maker

Gartner-compiled list1 was previously mentioned in my article on business intelligence and business analytics.

One of the tools I frequently use is Tableau, recognized by the Customer Choice Silver 2017 evaluation2, thanks to its user-friendly interface and fast integration capabilities. So, exactly what does Tableau do?

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Tableau

Despite the wide range of products and solutions available from major companies in the business intelligence and analytics space, why choose Tableau?

Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, Tableau Online, and many other products3 make Tableau a standout player in the market, distinguished by its ease of use, pre-existing modules for numerous needs, and the ability to quickly develop custom solutions for additional requirements. This assessment aligns with both my personal experiences and user survey results, and is described by analysts (see Gartner) as the “sweetheart of the industry”4.

You can view the pricing page5 to evaluate the product with a 14-day free trial, or alternatively, you may opt for free usage within the limitations specified in the public version6. For alternative similar tools, you may consider exploring Metabase7 and Redash8.

Tableau data analysis
Tableau data analysis

Features of Tableau

Tableau users can create customized solutions independently, without being constrained by specific workflow sequences9. This enables experience outputs to focus not on what solutions the application generates, but rather on what solutions users can create and achieve through the application—leading to more creative and effective outcomes10.

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On the other hand, the learning curve is extremely low, and you do not need to invest any capital to learn. The Starter Kits will fully meet your requirements11. You can also explore video tutorials about the products in the Learning section on the application’s website12.

Additionally, you can follow the eLearning and Classroom Training sections. The free training content offers a broad range of materials, from novice users new to BI applications to experienced analysts. Thanks to its drag-and-drop interface, there’s no need to be proficient in a parallel field (such as a programming language). Of course, you can still customize using formulas13. The platform boasts an active and vibrant user community. It’s highly likely that a solution to any problem you encounter is already available within the community content; if not, a solution will be developed swiftly and efficiently.

Connect tableau
Connect tableau

Reasons for Using Tableau

If we summarize the features Tableau offers; it is quite easy to learn and use, and it can easily generate solutions to problems you may encounter, or you can receive support from the user community. With its wide range of features, Tableau products enable you to more effectively evaluate costs during the business intelligence investment process. Tableau and Alteryx are the two applications I will illustrate with examples.

Footnotes

  1. Analytics and Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms. Gartner PeerInsights ↩
  2. Tableau Reviews. Gartner PeerInsights ↩
  3. Products. Tableau ↩
  4. Jen Underwood. (2013). Combining the Best of Microsoft BI and Tableau ↩
  5. Pricing. Tableau ↩
  6. Public. Tableau ↩
  7. Metabase ↩
  8. Redash ↩
  9. Tableau. GitHub ↩
  10. Tableau Software. YouTube ↩
  11. Starter-kit. Tableau ↩
  12. Trainings. Tableau ↩
  13. Developer. Tableau ↩
tableau analysis data-viz business-intelligence