Alteryx vs. Microsoft Excel

We're trying right now to get more people using it at our company so we can send management documented cases for how we can expand and purchase Alteryx Server which will extend the capabilities even more and across more departments. It's been well suited for pretty much everything we do on a repeating schedule. It's worth the time to set up the workflows. When Treasury sends me the bank download now - I save it to a folder and run our workflows and send back 2 journal entries in .9 seconds. (yes - in less than a second it's finished running)

Incentivized

For tasks like financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and data visualization, I frequently use Microsoft Excel. I can develop financial models, use pivot tables to examine enormous datasets, and produce eye-catching visualizations thanks to its comprehensive features. I have, however, also come across circumstances in which Excel isn't the best tool.Excel falls short of alternatives like Google Sheets when I need to collaborate with my team in real-time. I favor employing robust database management systems or data analysis tools like SQL, Python, or R for managing very big data sets or sophisticated calculations. I use specialized tools like SPSS, SAS, or programming languages for better outcomes when complex statistical analysis or machine learning are necessary. And finally, for formatting elaborate reports, In conclusion, even though I consider Excel to be a great tool for many finance jobs, there are some limits in collaborating, processing big amounts of data, performing complex analysis, and creating documents that I take into account when choosing the best tool for the job.

Incentivized

• Pulling data from multiple disparate data sources.
• Allows users to see the data at every step of the workflow to be able to cleanse, analyze, and optimize the data.
• Provides an analytics platform that is easy for users of all levels to thrive in whether they are just starting out in their analytics journey or they have a master's degree in Data Science.

• It is very good at embedded formulas and tying cells to one another
• It allows me to compare deals terms on a side-by-side basis and talk my clients through it easily.
• It is very helpful as well in terms of allowing me to filter/sort results in many different ways depending on what specific information I am most interested in prioritizing.

Incentivized

• Alteryx is great for processes that is has already "thought through". It's more difficult to get Alteryx to deal with some customization.
• The data visualizations with Alteryx are generally good, although I don't think the color schemes are the best.
• I think the data science capabilities are awesome with Alteryx, although not as well used as products built with Python or R.

Incentivized

• Counting conditionally formatted cells (e.g., you have 5 green cells, 10 red ones, and 3 orange ones in a row).
• Merging cells in a table; I have to remove the table first and then re-add the table to merge cells together.
• Offering more preset colour categories for formatting graphs.
• Built-in functions to run ANOVAs, Multiple Linear Regression, Factor Analysis, etc.

Incentivized

We've developed a working partnership with Alteryx. As an enablement suite, we're continuing to innovate and deliver great products with use of Alteryx in our solutions. Alteryx use expands to our global product development teams and is in use in multiple parts of our organization. Alteryx also delivers Experian demographic content to other clients in their product offering. We're highly likely to renew, but that decision is way above my pay grade.

It comes with MS Office. Unless we stop using PCs or Microsoft Office, it's highly unlikely, even imperceivable to not continue to use Excel. It would be nice to see more Excel functions used, though, beside basic tables and calculations.

Incentivized

I've found that while some things might take a little longer to create, the flexibility of Alteryx allows you to perform any function needed. I haven't found a use that was not available in Alteryx yet. APIs and XMLs can be created to perform certain functions. In addition, CMD line commands can be sent using Alteryx to perform certain functions as well.

Incentivized

Microsoft excel stands out in its User Interface as compared to any other software which offers same functionality. It can be used by a beginner as well as the expert in the same field. It is having many features as we dig deep in it like advance functions, dynamic arrays, pivot, VBA and Macros.

I use many programs and compared to others, Alteryx virtually never goes down, freezes up or gives an application error. Over a 4 year time period that I have used this program, any of these may have happened 3 times. It is an incredibly stable program that I feel completely confident in.

I have rarely, if ever, had issues with its availability.

Incentivized

Alteryx is an extremely reliable platform. If there is an error in my workflow, I feel pretty strongly it was probably my fault. The platform also handles large amounts of data very quickly and can join/match, sort, filter, calculate on that data quickly as well. One of my favorite things to build into a workflow are the messages based on data/metadata and error messages based on errors I have come across before.

Again it does what I need it to do with little to no issues.

Incentivized

Stellar, bar-none. Some of the best support folks of any vendor. The Alteryx Community is the most responsive and supportive. On the rare occasion of a release issue or bug, we've been able to get quick help to solve the core problem. Alteryx does not play the blame game. They genuinely help the users solve their issues or respond to questions

Incentivized

I have not had to use it often, but it is good.

Incentivized

1st level of trainings which I've attended in Paris was easy and I was already knowing %90, that learning could have been an e-learning instead of in-person

Incentivized

Very good, detailed online trainings which you can take at your own pace, and strong certifications exists, certifications are extremely detailed and hard...

Incentivized

There is really not much to it (the installation, that is). Once you get it installed, along with any of the add-ons (demographics, R, etc.), you are up and running almost immediately. There is really no additional setup. You can immediately begin blending data, running demographics, performing spatial queries, running predictive analysis, etc. And for many of these functions, the learning curve is quite easy.

Alteryx is MUCH more user friendly. both provide the ability to code within them, but Alteryx has much nicer interface. The formula tools have a more simple language that is easier to learn than formulae in SSIS. Alteryx is easy to read with multi colored tools identifying what each one does. It also allows for macros. You can build your own tool to process records of data or batch records together.

Incentivized

We utilize Tableau and Alteryx in addition to Excel. We use Excel since we have a data dump that could be utilized in feeding for these two solutions. We select Excel for some manual work then plug the data into the other two tools for further analysis around text analytics like word clouds in Tableau, or text mining in Alteryx. Excel is an input data source that we use in conjunction with these two.

Incentivized

N/A I was not involved in this process.

Incentivized

Individual analysts can quickly generate results using their own copy of Alteryx Designer. But using the Server and developing macros for more complex needs can be time consuming.

It integrates well with all cross functional teams

Incentivized

• Error handling - allows controls to be built into workflows easily and allows them to be isolated and spat into control reports that can be easily reviewed and audited, thanks to the ability to create multiple outputs in one go.
• Time-saving - saved huge amounts of time, especially when moving Excel processes into Alteryx.
• Product development - allowed my firm to create products that we have been able to market and sell to clients.

Incentivized

• Excel has positively impacted the business as it has increased our efficiency.
• It also saves us the time that we would have spent on making the calculations that it does for us.
• Since it works on all devices and is compatible with both Windows and Mac, we do not have to invest in any other alternative.