Data Visualization

- Tableau
6/1/2020

Final Exam

Serge Wakim
PARIS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS - IMBA
Data Visualization (Tableau) is an easy to use program that helps the customer visualize the
information that they added by graphs or by pictures which then helps us process the data
faster and easier. This information is usually transmitted via other platforms and software to
view them easily and better or plunge into the data liberally.

What is Tableau:

Tableau is a compelling and rapidly developing data visualization tool currently

making use of in the Business Intelligence Industry. The main goal of this tool is to help make
easier to read raw data and transform it into the very straightforward comprehensible
format which can be by graphs or pictures etc. With Tableau, data analysis is very simple and
quick, and the visualizations generated are in the form of worksheets or dashboards. The
great thing that is special about Tableau is that any person who uses it can use it properly. It
is too easy to use that you do not have to be a professional to know how to use it. Even a
non-technical user can create a customized dashboard easily. The best features about
Tableau are the data blending, real time analysis of the data, and the collaboration of data
inside the program.

Overview of the Tableau Software:

Basically, Tableau simply can be stated in several steps:

 Introduction
 Tableau interface opened
 Connect the data you need
 Create the worksheet you want to work in
 Introduce the calculation fields
 Visualization of the data you entered
 Create a dashboard with the worksheets that you have
 Create a storyline with the dashboard
 Publish and share your work for others to see the beauty of it

Why is Data Visualization Important:

Nowadays, this world is more of a visual world than an audial one, where images
speak louder than words itself. Data visualization is particularly exceptional when it is used
for big data and data analysis. These days, mostly all companies and firms around the world
are using machine intelligence to collect huge quantities of data and what better way to
categorize and shorten these data than visualization. The clearer you can express your data
visually, the easier you can control that information and convince the reader.

What is special about Tableau:

First of all, Tableau offers many innovative and insightful ways of visualization that
Excel does not have. Hence, it is now the program where excel has the data spreadsheets
and is then given to Tableau in order to nicely visualize and graphically or pictorially give a
nicer explanation of the data. There are several qualifications that Tableau offers that Excel
does not.

In Tableau, you can have several tabs combined into a dashboard which captures all of the
graphs and charts that has been used and allows you to place them in a way that you can tell
a “story” using the dashboard. This in itself makes data visualization much easier and simpler
that it can be used to convince the reader about the data or the idea you want to convey.
Another thing that is special about Tableau is that, unlike Excel, you can show your data and
the information you have in a world map which can be interactive in a way that you can
zoom in towards the necessary city or town you want the data explained in without any
codes or hard work. It is so simply and so beautiful that it makes it fun to use and easy at the
same time.

Head-to-Head differences between Tableau and Excel:

Basically, the first difference is the definition of both platforms and what they are
meant to do. Excel is a software to manage, layout, and analyze data, while Tableau is a
software that is used to signify and visualize the understandings from this data. So easily
stated, Excel is to have a bulk of data properly manages and laid out which is then used by
Tableau to simplify, visualize, and beautify this data to properly convince the reader of the
idea that wants to be understood.

Second of all, the benefits of the Excel is handling and explanatory data solely
whereas Tableau is used to quickly interact with the visualizations and the graphics and the
upmost important benefit is that it is super user friendly where you don’t have to be a
professional to use the software, you can even be a non-technical user and still perform and
create a super nice visualization which can convince the best managers out there.

Third, is the difference in the real time usage. For Excel, to use the data you have and
present it in real time, you will need to access help from peripheral applications or programs
that have to be set up previously to use. While on the other hand, Tableau can immediately
have an interactive dataset that can be used in real time and be east to explain and
manipulate on the spot.

Fourth, the ease of use of these platforms is of slightly difference. Excel, to use it
wholly and in the best way, you will need some knowledge on scripting and macros to use it
fully. While Tableau, you do not need any form of coding or skills of any sort other than
creativity. It is so easy to use that it can be used by anyone.

Finally, the last point for the differences is that Excel is best applicable to use and
appropriate for diminutive size and organized dataset, while Tableau is used to “fight” big
data problems by making them simpler and much easier to understand and interact with.

The steps to Create a Data Visualization with Tableau:

 Data Preparation
 Connect your data with Tableau
 Analyze the data and visualize it
 Share and publish your work

In depth explanation is simple. First step is that you will have to click on the tableau icon
(shaped like a star) which opens the connect to a file tab. You can either connect to a
Microsoft Excel file that you have already downloaded and stored in your computer, or you
can open a previously saved and created worksheet. In addition to that, there are sample
worksheets, and dashboards that are already found on the Tableau connect tab. For the sake
of this explanation, we will connect to a Microsoft Excel file named “Superstore”. After
selecting Microsoft Excel file “Superstore”, it will be connected and opened.

Second step is that you can find several sheets on the left hand side of the platform, you can
either double tap on the desired sheet or you can drag and drop the sheet that you want to
select and drop it on the highlighted part when selecting it. When all is done, you can select
“Sheet 1” on the bottom left of the page which takes you to your worksheet to start
visualizing.

Then on your worksheet automatically named “Sheet 1” which can be renamed with the
name that you want; you can start manipulating and working on the data. From the data
panel on the left side, double click on the order date which will take it directly to the
columns shelf, and then double click on the sales which will take it to the rows shelf. This will
generate a line graph with the data automatically inserted and given the desired line for you
to see.

There is a “Marks” panel which has 5 different buttons that are very helpful to beautify your
table/graph and make it clearer. The first is the color button, you can drag and drop the data
you want onto the color button which will give it a color for which you can fix and change.
The size button helps give different sizes for your work and the graphs. The label gives
names and clarity for the chart where it might give numbers as profit or names for countries.

After all these are done you can open a new worksheet called “Dashboard” where you can
arrange all the sheets you have onto 1 page and show them in order to explain it. Then, you
have another button with a plus sign that is a “Story” sheet which is used to explain the story
of your whole project. There are several easy things to do inside the story sheet and when
you place the sheets onto the story page, it automatically gives you comment tab to give
your explanation on the matter.

Benefit of the Company to Use Tableau:

Tableau gives the company the potential to have access to a dataset that is easily fixed in
their advantage that can be also designed and visualized to explain their idea. With its ease
of use, Tableau gives the company a solution for their project selling and business decisions.
It gives them the prospect to make use of the data to make innovative developments and
commodities for their businesses.

In addition, Tableau helps with data-driven business decisions, where having precise data
and faster reporting facilities presents for clearer decision-making.