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Tableau Server

Tableau Server

Overview

What is Tableau Server?

Tableau Server allows Tableau Desktop users to publish dashboards to a central server to be shared across their organizations. The product is designed to facilitate collaboration across the organization. It can be deployed on a server in the data center,…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Tableau Server has become an essential tool for organizations across various industries, offering a wide range of use cases that have …
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Tableau to the rescue

8 out of 10
October 05, 2021
Incentivized
It is being used across the organization. It helps us visualize business trends in a nicely presented format which can be easily used by …
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Tableau Server Review

8 out of 10
May 17, 2019
Incentivized
Tableau Server is used by our organization to create and use real-time dashboards and reports. It is used across the entire organization. …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 28 features
  • Customizable dashboards (94)
    9.4
    94%
  • Drill-down analysis (95)
    8.7
    87%
  • Formatting capabilities (93)
    8.4
    84%
  • Multi-User Support (named login) (93)
    7.3
    73%
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Pricing

View all pricing

Viewer

$12.00

On Premise
Per User Per Month

Explorer

$35.00

On Premise
Per User Per Month

Creator

$70.00

On Premise
Per User Per Month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Tableau Server | How to Restore a Backup

YouTube

Tableau Server | How to Backup Server

YouTube

How Tableau Works | Tableau Tutorial for Beginners | Tableau Server Online Training | Intellipaat

YouTube

Installing Tableau Server 10.5 on Linux

YouTube
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Features

BI Standard Reporting

Standard reporting means pre-built or canned reports available to users without having to create them.

9.3
Avg 8.2

Ad-hoc Reporting

Ad-Hoc Reports are reports built by the user to meet highly specific requirements.

8.9
Avg 8.1

Report Output and Scheduling

Ability to schedule and manager report output.

7.9
Avg 8.4

Data Discovery and Visualization

Data Discovery and Visualization is the analysis of multiple data sources in a search for patterns and outliers and the ability to represent the data visually.

8.4
Avg 8.1

Access Control and Security

Access control means being able to determine who has access to which data.

7.3
Avg 8.6

Mobile Capabilities

Support for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

7.6
Avg 8.0

Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding

APIs are a set of routines, protocols, and tools for used for embedding one application in another

7.3
Avg 7.9
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Product Details

What is Tableau Server?

Tableau Server is an enterprise self-service analytics platform that supports data-driven decision making throughout the user's organization.

Customers can deploy the way that makes the most sense for their organization - on-premises or in the cloud, on Windows or Linux, while integrating with their existing security and authentication protocols. Customers can provide governed data access while promoting sharing and collaboration with data, dashboards and insights. It includes automated processes and workflows, and users can define access for individual users and groups.

Tableau Server Features

BI Platform Features

  • Supported: Administration via Windows App
  • Supported: Administration via MacOS App
  • Supported: Administration via Web Interface
  • Supported: Live Connection to External Data
  • Supported: Snapshot of External Data
  • Supported: In-memory data model
  • Supported: Multi-Data Source Reporting (Blending)

Supported Data Sources Features

  • Supported: MS Excel Workbooks
  • Supported: Text Files (CSV, etc)
  • Supported: Oracle
  • Supported: MS SQL Server
  • Supported: IBM DB2
  • Supported: Postgres
  • Supported: MySQL
  • Supported: ODBC
  • Supported: Cloudera Hadoop
  • Supported: Hortonworks Hadoop
  • Supported: EMC Greenplum
  • Supported: IBM Netezza
  • Supported: HP Vertica
  • Supported: SAP Hana
  • Supported: Teradata
  • Supported: Salesforce
  • Supported: SAP
  • Supported: Google Analytics

BI Standard Reporting Features

  • Supported: Customizable dashboards
  • Supported: Report Formatting Templates

Ad-hoc Reporting Features

  • Supported: Drill-down analysis
  • Supported: Formatting capabilities
  • Supported: Predictive modeling
  • Supported: Integration with R or other statistical packages
  • Supported: Report sharing and collaboration

Report Output and Scheduling Features

  • Supported: Publish to Web
  • Supported: Publish to PDF
  • Supported: Output Raw Supporting Data
  • Supported: Report Versioning
  • Supported: Report Delivery Scheduling

Data Discovery and Visualization Features

  • Supported: Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
  • Supported: Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
  • Supported: Predictive Analytics
  • Supported: Support for Machine Learning models
  • Supported: Pattern Recognition and Data Mining
  • Supported: Integration with R or other statistical packages

Access Control and Security Features

  • Supported: Multi-User Support (named login)
  • Supported: Role-Based Security Model
  • Supported: Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
  • Supported: Report-Level Access Control
  • Supported: Single Sign-On (SSO)

Mobile Capabilities Features

  • Supported: Responsive Design for Web Access
  • Supported: Mobile Application
  • Supported: Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile

Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding Features

  • Supported: REST API
  • Supported: Javascript API
  • Supported: iFrames

Tableau Server Screenshots

Screenshot of Tableau Server interface and administration view 1.Screenshot of Tableau Server interface and administration view 2.Screenshot of Tableau Server permissions view.Screenshot of Tableau Services Manager (TSM) view 1.Screenshot of Tableau Services Manager (TSM) view 2.

Tableau Server Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Mobile Web
Supported CountriesWorldwide
Supported LanguagesEnglish, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese

Frequently Asked Questions

Tableau Server allows Tableau Desktop users to publish dashboards to a central server to be shared across their organizations. The product is designed to facilitate collaboration across the organization. It can be deployed on a server in the data center, or it can be deployed on a public cloud.

Domo, IBM Cognos Analytics, and Looker are common alternatives for Tableau Server.

Reviewers rate Publish to Web highest, with a score of 9.5.

The most common users of Tableau Server are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(877)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Tableau Server has become an essential tool for organizations across various industries, offering a wide range of use cases that have proven valuable to users. Its ability to transform complex data into user-friendly visualizations has been particularly beneficial in emergency preparedness analytics within the healthcare sector. Additionally, dedicated analysts have utilized Tableau Server to create and deploy dashboards that are accessible to all employees, serving as the main repository for reporting needs. This versatility extends beyond healthcare, with organizations from IT to Human Resources leveraging the platform to address key issues such as device availability, performance tracking, and enterprise reporting.

Marketing teams have also found value in Tableau Server, using it to gain a better understanding of their customer base and track product ownership and usage trends. The platform's storytelling approach has been especially valuable for data scientists who use Tableau Server to present data to managers and executives, facilitating understanding and supporting decision-making processes. Furthermore, Tableau Server has been integrated into third-party applications and platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint, making it a convenient one-stop-shop for reporting needs.

Tableau Server's ease of maintenance from an administrator level and seamless integration with Active Directory for user permission management have made it a preferred choice for many organizations. It fosters secure and controlled sharing of work done by Tableau Desktop analysts and developers, enabling real-time data visualization and monitoring across the organization. This has led to increased adoption and expansion of its usage in various departments such as Finance, Supply Chain, and HR.

Overall, Tableau Server's ability to store, visualize, and share information effectively has provided organizations with leverage over other systems. Its versatility and ease of use have made it a trusted platform for reporting and analytics needs across different industries, enabling self-service analytics, cost savings through improved tracking capabilities, enhanced customer experience operations, and centralization of reporting.

Tableau users commonly recommend seeking advice from Tableau representatives to determine the best licenses for their needs. They also suggest optimizing data flows and extract refreshes from the beginning. Additionally, users emphasize the importance of being specific when setting up reports to avoid incorrect data. For example, providing clear filters and selecting the appropriate dimensions and measures ensures accurate results. Another tip is to utilize Tableau's training resources and attend user groups and conferences for additional tips and tricks on using Tableau effectively.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Thomas Young | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Tableau Server is used by our organization to implement real-time data visualization and monitoring. The software is used only by certain departments. Tableau Server makes real-time data analytics easy for busy executives who want interactive visualizations and reporting without having to put too much work into what they are doing.
  • Tableau is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing software to create beautiful visualizations that get updated in real-time. I wish this software had been around 20 years ago.
  • Tableau Server makes sharing visualizations across the organization seamless. I don't think I could do my job without it.
  • Tableau Server is used to create interactive daily reports, updated automatically and in an interactive style.
  • Tableau Server is sometimes referred to as simply Microsoft Excel with a power boost. I understand the reason analysts say this. It is because the software is almost exclusively a visualization software. If you're looking for truly advanced analytics combined with cutting-edge visualization, Tableau Server isn't it.
  • Tableau Server limits the type of graphs a user can create. There are numerous workarounds for different graph types, but they are not easy to implement.
  • Tableau Server can sometimes be slow to render graphics with lots of data and calculated fields.
Tableau Server is awesome for creating easy to understand visualizations for busy executives. An analyst can be up and running with some cool visualizations fairly quickly. But, if you're thinking of using Tableau Server for real machine learning, this is not the tool.
BI Platform
N/A
N/A
Supported Data Sources
N/A
N/A
BI Standard Reporting (2)
90%
9.0
Customizable dashboards
90%
9.0
Report Formatting Templates
90%
9.0
Ad-hoc Reporting (4)
95%
9.5
Drill-down analysis
100%
10.0
Formatting capabilities
90%
9.0
Integration with R or other statistical packages
90%
9.0
Report sharing and collaboration
100%
10.0
Report Output and Scheduling (4)
100%
10.0
Publish to Web
100%
10.0
Publish to PDF
100%
10.0
Report Versioning
100%
10.0
Report Delivery Scheduling
100%
10.0
Data Discovery and Visualization (3)
76.66666666666667%
7.7
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
90%
9.0
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
90%
9.0
Predictive Analytics
50%
5.0
Access Control and Security (4)
80%
8.0
Multi-User Support (named login)
80%
8.0
Role-Based Security Model
80%
8.0
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
80%
8.0
Single Sign-On (SSO)
80%
8.0
Mobile Capabilities (3)
80%
8.0
Responsive Design for Web Access
70%
7.0
Mobile Application
80%
8.0
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile
90%
9.0
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding (3)
80%
8.0
REST API
80%
8.0
Javascript API
80%
8.0
iFrames
80%
8.0
  • Tableau Server has replaced Excel spreadsheets in much of what I do. The software really did save a ton of time and improved the overall work product. I think the ROI has been heavily in the positive.
  • For analysts trying to get others to improve their reporting processes, Tableau Server may at first represent a negative ROI because others are unwilling to change. If you're unable to get others to change their habits, Tableau Server may not be for you.
  • Tableau Server was easy to set up. The required headcount was as little as 1 for report creation. It's very easy to get up and going with Tableau Server.
  • The "Show Me" visualization is awesome.
  • The drag and drop is easy.
  • Customizing Tableau is about as easy as it gets.
  • Making calculations is Tableau Server is sometimes very difficult.
  • Customizing Tableau Server for a very specific graphical display can sometimes be very, very time-consuming.
  • Tableau Server sometimes takes a good deal of time to update.
Yes, but I don't use it
As with any advanced visualization software, the mobile interface is ok, but nowhere near as good as on the desktop.
Tableau Server is unbeatable at creating easy to use, interactive dashboards for busy executives. The software also saves time for the busy analyst that is tired of always using Excel. Tableau Server is a head and shoulders improvement over Excel.
Henry Yennie | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Tableau Server is the backbone for emergency preparedness analytics for the Louisiana State Department of Health. As the lead agency for public health and medical services during an emergency, we collect a large amount of near real-time information from over 1,500 healthcare facilities. This data includes operational statuses, power statuses, fuel usage and needs, and census/bed availability. Tableau takes this data stream and transforms it into user-friendly visualizations for staff both in the field and in the State Emergency Operations Center. On a day-to-day basis, Tableau provides tools and interactive maps to our state trauma network so that they can determine the most appropriate facility for high risk patient routing.
  • Summarize complex data in an easy to understand format.
  • Very fast idea/need to realization timelines.
  • Ability for end users to interact with data sets, giving them filters, groupings and other tools to get the data they need.
  • Tableau's mapping capabilities are "almost there". We would love to have Tableau able to function as our sole GIS product. Each version of Tableau brings us closer to that goal.
  • We would like to have the ability to schedule data transfers. The new Data Prep tool is step in that direction.
  • We still have need to produce lists of summarized data. Making this process a little more straightforward would be nice.
Tableau Server is able to handle our data very efficiently and quickly. The design to publish cycle, using the Desktop Creator tool, is very fast making needed adjustments to visualizations very easy in a rapidly changing event. The ease with which a non-technical person can make changes to a visualization that is connected to our source data is unmatched. We can put this tool in the hands of "unsophisticated IT users" and have them productive quickly. This efficiency and usability is deeper with the mobile application. We now have field hospital coordinators using the mobile app to assist in patient routing and facility evacuations.
BI Platform
N/A
N/A
Supported Data Sources
N/A
N/A
BI Standard Reporting (2)
100%
10.0
Customizable dashboards
100%
10.0
Report Formatting Templates
100%
10.0
Ad-hoc Reporting (4)
92.5%
9.3
Drill-down analysis
100%
10.0
Formatting capabilities
100%
10.0
Integration with R or other statistical packages
70%
7.0
Report sharing and collaboration
100%
10.0
Report Output and Scheduling (4)
90%
9.0
Publish to Web
100%
10.0
Publish to PDF
100%
10.0
Report Versioning
90%
9.0
Report Delivery Scheduling
70%
7.0
Data Discovery and Visualization (3)
83.33333333333334%
8.3
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
100%
10.0
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
80%
8.0
Predictive Analytics
70%
7.0
Access Control and Security (4)
67.5%
6.8
Multi-User Support (named login)
90%
9.0
Role-Based Security Model
90%
9.0
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
90%
9.0
Single Sign-On (SSO)
N/A
N/A
Mobile Capabilities (3)
66.66666666666667%
6.7
Responsive Design for Web Access
N/A
N/A
Mobile Application
100%
10.0
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile
100%
10.0
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding (3)
N/A
N/A
REST API
N/A
N/A
Javascript API
N/A
N/A
iFrames
N/A
N/A
  • We believe that our deployment of Tableau Server has had a large positive ROI for emergency preparedness. While not formally calculated, we have done comparisons with other leading analytics vendors, and there is no competition - Tableau Server is clearly the value leader.
  • The major contributor to our positive ROI has primarily been the time to deployment and the time to adoption for critical visualizations and dashboards.
20
Staff represent emergency preparedness functions across the state of Louisiana. There are 9 principle regional coordinators that use several critical dashboards to monitor the status of Tier 1 hospital resources. These include bed availability by bed type, bed holds, and emergency department wait times and critical service availability (trauma surgeons, orthopedic trauma teams, neurosurgical trauma teams, etc.). This information is based on near real-time data input by facilities as changes occur.
1
As a small shop, we only have two staff (non-technical) to manage the various emergency preparedness applications, including Tableau. To gain maximum use of Tableau, we contract with a vendor to provide support as needed on an hourly basis. The services provided include maintaining the connections to data sources, maintaining existing visualizations and dashboards, and creating new content as requested.
  • Easy access to critical resource dashboards in one environment. Tableau combines data from multiple applications into one dashboard to monitor resource utilization in user-defined areas and user-selected hospitals.
  • Dashboards that allow staff to interact with certain data sets, using the powerful visualization tools in Tableau.
  • Data-driven maps that allow trauma network managers to identify appropriate hospitals based on the trauma location and service status within user-defined areas.
  • Data maps include hospital status details in a pop-up when hovering over the map point.
  • We have been able to extend the functionality of the mapping capabilities of Tableau beyond what is normally available. Using data-based calculations, we have been able to provide end-user interactive capabilities to specify location areas and hospital resources.
  • We are able to use Tableau for data listings that enable us to manage compliance with other vendor usage limitations.
  • We are able to use Tableau to identify duplicates in databases. This allows staff to keep databases current and error-free.
  • We would like to expand the use of Tableau's mapping functionality.
  • We would like to extend the use of the Tableau mobile app by our regional coordinators.
  • We are working at automating and pushing visualization updates to other applications.
We will continue our use of Tableau server due to the following factors:
- Cost effectiveness. This persists from year-to-year. Tableau consistently gives us the best value for the cost
- Reliability. Tableau server has been rock-solid for our users, particularly during emergencies.
- Innovation. You can bet that Tableau will release stable new versions on a regular basis.

We have often experienced the need for a function in Tableau that will be included in a future release.
No
  • Price
  • Product Usability
  • Analyst Reports
This is difficult. Cost was important, but value was the predominate factor. Cost effectiveness and functionality combine to create the value for us. In addition, the ability to quickly deploy new visualizations based on user requests is phenomenal. As indicated earlier, if the current version of Tableau doesn't include some desired/needed functionality, it will be there in future releases in short order.
We wouldn't change a thing. Now that we know more about the potential competitors, the more Tableau server stands out. As indicated earlier, it has consistently demonstrated high value to our developers and end-users.
  • Third-party professional services
We used a small IT consulting group, the Myrick Group, to handle implementation and server management. We continue to use this contractor for hourly services to maintain the Tableau server instance and create visualizations/dashboards as we need them.
No
Change management was a small part of the implementation and was well-handled
Better user education before implementation would have possibly increased the value of the initial deployment. We could have fielded critical dashboards earlier with more input from the field.
  • User acceptance. This was really an issue of providing training and showing how regional coordinators managing hospital resources could use Tableau.
  • There were no other significant issues. The implementation went smoothly and timely.
Again, if we had incorporated user feedback during implementation, we could have fielded critical dashboards and visualizations earler.
No
Tableau server in our environment is so easy to use, we have not required premium support capability. We consistently get positive, timely results from our current support agreement. Unmentioned is the value of our Tableau account manager. Even as a small customer, we get frequent calls/visits from our account manager which gives us the opportunity to request new features and explain needs. The results are often a targeted support engagement with a Tableau engineer that gives us what we need.
We have consistently had highly satisfactory results every time we've reached out for help. Our contractor, used for Tableau server maintenance and dashboard development is very technically skilled. When he hits a roadblock on how to do something with Tableau, the support staff have provided timely and useful guidance. He frequently compares it to Cognos and says that while Cognos has capabilities Tableau doesn't, the bottom line value for us is a no-brainer.
No
We had an issue with a particular mapping capability. We wanted to be able to map hospitals state-wide, provide a pop-up of service status upon hovering over the map point, and allow the end-user to specify the location of a trauma and use a slider function to define hospitals located within a radius in miles of hospitals. Tableau support was able to provide a solution, and this dashboard is a key resource used by our state-wide trauma network to provide routing suggestions to EMS agencies.
  • Dragging and dropping data variables to quickly and easily create visualizations
  • Tableau's "Show Me" function that suggests visualization types based on the data source.
  • Easily mapping data that doesn't have latitude/longitude in the data set. Tableau can use county and/or zip code to quickly provide a map of the data.
  • The mapping function in Tableau continues to improve, but it can't accommodate the use of layers as data filters just yet.
  • Tableau is not really meant for the generation of lists from data. We've found ways to do it, but it takes someone with technical skills.
Yes
Beautifully! My favorite example is our coordinator in one of most heavily-populated metro areas. This particular area has high hospital resource utilization and a relatively small number of hospitals for the population. This coordinator is not technically skilled and was cutting and pasting information from one of our web-based applications into a Word document. She was using this to assist in patient routing during large festivals (Mardi Gras) and as such, had to refresh the document frequently throughout the day. We were able to give her all of the data she had been using plus more in one single Tableau dashboard that she could access from her phone. This not only drastically improved the quality of her information, it also drastically reduced the time creating it manually and solved a bandwith problem she experienced in a mobile EOC command trailer.
I think the use case we described earlier about a non-technical user that was copying/pasting data into Word during emergencies is our best reason. This person had little technical ability, and the Tableau mobile solution powered by Tableau server completely resolved the issues. She has since become one of the most vocal proponents of Tableau.
April 17, 2015

Tableau 8 Review

Dwight Taylor | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Tableau server provides central access to interactive business intelligence. Specifically, Tableau server delivers interactive insight into company performance using web browsers, tablets and mobile devices. Tableau server is the preferred Data Visualization engine.
  • The advances in computer CPU and Memory have left most software titles behind. Tableau Server 9 took the first step toward leveraging the advances in computer hardware. From leveraging multi-core CPUs to parallel request processing, the performance improvement will be noticeable to all Tableau Server 8 users.
  • Previous Tableau Server versions have suffered from an ability to be categorized as Enterprise Ready. Tableau Server 9 improves on this gap in the following areas. Improved cluster configuration, a new Cluster Controller, standby Repository capabilities and a new File Store process which resolves the previous restrictions on the number of Data Engine Nodes allowed in a cluster.
  • The web interface of Tableau Server 9 has been totally overhauled in an effort to boost access to dashboards. The new interface accomplishes this through an improved workflow, easier access to resources and an improved management interface. Tableau Server 9 presents the user with entry points to the main features of Tableau server in one screen, not a trivial accomplishment. In my opinion, well designed user interfaces invite users to explore. Tableau server 9 excels at this.
  • Tableau Server 9 has a lot of room to improve it's Administrative Views. For Tableau to be such a powerful Data Visualization engine, the Administrative Views out of the box have much to be desired.
  • Tableau Server 9 would also benefit greatly from an enhancement to it's dashboard scheduling and distribution capabilities.
  • Tableau Server 9 would also benefit greatly from threshold alerting. This would deliver actionable insight as opposed to just insight.
I would highly recommend a Tableau solution for any colleague in the market for a Data Discovery & Visualization solution. Here are the questions I would ask in selecting the appropriate Data Discovery & Visualization vendor.
  • What is the Total Cost of Ownership for On-Prem versus Cloud (is available)?
  • What is the average time to market for an organization of relative size?
  • What is the learning curve for Excel users?
  • Is the solution ideal for the technical elite or can it be used by non-technical business analysts?
  • How does a Self-Service implementation model look?
IBM COGNOS Insight and Qlik View
With two decades of experience using and training users on software titles, it's rare that you come across a software title that can be used by the most non-technical business resources without extensive training. The ease-of-use factor with Tableau is the #1 reason for renewal.
  • This is quite simple. From my perspective, time to insight is measured in the man hours it takes to connect to data, begin exploring the data and finally sharing insights with peers and decision makers. The rate of return is immediately quantifiable and undeniable unlike any other Data Visualization offering I've tested.
  • Hierarchies in data are another immediate exercise that has consumed major resources, from a Data Warehouse perspective, that can easily be implemented by non-technical analysts on the fly.
  • Blazingly fast proto-typing. For customers who really don't know what they don't know, my experience has proven that the sooner you put visual results using real data in front of the customer, the more likely you are to avoid low production adoption.
25
Marketing, Information Analysts, Operations
1
BI developer with experience troubleshooting software and operating systems issues.
  • Optimize the consumption of enterprise data warehouses. In most large organizations, the enterprise data warehouse is where most of the companies information assets can be accessed for consumption. However, one of the common stumbling blocks is the overwhelming volume of data. Tableau Server can prospectively be a solution to assist in this area. With regularly scheduled data extracts, Tableau server delivers optimized timely data important to the user.
  • Data Discovery - I'm almost embarrassed to acknowledge the number of reporting or BI projects I've participated in where neither he customer nor IT really had a handle on the data sources required to be successful. Tableau is an excellent tool to use to understand and discover insights about UNKNOWN data in advance of establishing requirements for reporting or BI projects. Being able to easily perform data discovery exercises on UNKNOWN data sources really empowers analysts to proactively contribute to requirement gathering and agreement on BI project deliverables. In addition, with Tableau data discovery is almost effortless and doesn't require building new data structures to discover the ins and outs of new data sources.
  • Proto-typing - If I had a buck for every customer that agreed to a report mock-up only to change their mind once the mock-up contained LIVE data. After a few trips around this bush it became clear that proto-types are really only as good as they are close to the finished deliverable. Tableau helps users quickly deliver near-to-prod proto-types using real data without having to build new data architectures for BI projects.
  • Rapid Insight - Speed to Insight is the differentiator of the next 50 years. Tableau empowers users to easily and quickly connect to the data important to them in order to discover insights not seen in Excel like or static historical reporting.
  • Optimizing Tableau Workbooks - It seems rather circular, but it's true. Tableau Server inherently empowers users with the tools to test, validate and tune the performance of their dashboards. This is yet another unsung feature of Tableau. Many BI suites require engaging DBA, server hardware, network and architecture professionals to performance tune BI solutions. Tableau empowers the user with this ability right on their desktop and on Tableau Server.
  • Parameters - Using parameters on Tableau Dashboards we were able to deliver Dashboards that were configurable at run-time by those accessing Dashboards via Tableau Server. Bi solutions have possessed the ability to filter Dashboard content for many years now, however, presenting a totally different visualization on the same Dashboard using parameters, this is a first to my knowledge.
Tableau 7
  • Price
  • Product Usability
Usability was the number one factor and price a close second. Usability was primary due to the technical skill levels of the intended audience, which were business and data analysts. Many times with new software the learning curve becomes the mass adoption inhibitor. Price was secondary due to the broad set of existing BI tools already in the enterprise. When a company faces BI self-service challenges, it can be difficult to justify new BI acquisitions unless the benefits outweigh the total cost of ownership. With Tableau's quick ROI story, IT procurement conversations are much less painful.
Evaluation of BI tools is an exercise that demands circumspect analysis. With more than 10 years of BI experience in the enterprise environment, there's nothing I would change. However, I would offer a word of wisdom to those embarking on the journey. Involve your business customers early and often in the evaluation process. Doing this will avoid costly adoption abandonment issues as the result of BI tools not meeting customer needs.
  • Implemented in-house
No
  • Self-taught
Yes, Tableau provides an outstanding set of free instructional videos and online resources. Couple this with the phenomenal ease-of-use, these resources alone are enough to equip the average non-technical user.
No
The tool comes with a year of support and we haven't had a need to use even standard support to date.
We've only reached out to Tableau once for support. It wasn't related to the operation of the software but some complex Data Visualization we wanted to develop. The same day Tableau engaged us and provided outstanding support and follow-up resources.
  • Deploying Dashboards to Tableau Server - Once a Tableau Author produces the final version of a Dashboard, publishing the Dashboard to the server for mass consumption happens in a few clicks. Intuitive and not overly complicated. The advanced publishing features (refreshing extracts and security) require training, but even these features are easily understood.
  • Dashboard Search - Tableau Server 8 includes empowers with a search feature that makes it easy to locate Dashboards important to the user.
  • Online Dashboards Analysis - The new Dashboard Edit feature available with Tableau Server 8 is unprecedented and unique among BI suites. The ability for a user to create custom views of a published Dashboard is phenomenal. How many analysts have seen a report and wanted to ask additional questions based on the results on a Dashboard? This feature empowers the user to ask deeper questions of any Dashboard right in the web browser without having Tableau Desktop installed on their computers.
  • Shared Data Sources - Tableau Server offers a capability known as Shared Data Sources. These are commonly referred to as Symantec Layers in traditional BI circles. However, in Tableau Server, these can be pure symantec layers or actual Tableau Data Extracts optimized for data analysis. This prevents IT from repeatedly having to make data extracts available to business users. In addition, this feature also is an added bonus when used with existing information systems. Instead of creating yet another data mart, Tableau Server administrators can deploy shared data sources that maximize the investment in existing information systems as opposed to moving and duplicating data.
  • NONE
Yes
The mobile interface for Tableau works very well whether accessed via mobile device or tablet. Usually mobile interfaces suffer from capability scale backs that don't make them very helpful. However, Tableau Servers mobile interface doesn't suffer from this. The mobile and touch interface is just as engaging as the desktop web browser interface.
User experience is the most important factor to consider whenever considering capabilities for non-technical business users. If the learning curve is so steep business users must be advanced users to be productive, you hit the wall of diminishing returns, this is exceptionally true when it comes to analyzing data. Transforming data analysts into BI development experts shifts the focus of the analyst from analyzing data to mastering software. Tableau does a masterful job at minimizing the technology and maximizing the users understanding of their data.
Unlike the BIG BI vendor solutions, Tableau server specializes in delivering Dashboards to desktops, tablets and mobile devices via http. This masterful decision to specialize in a few things as opposed to being marginally viable at many things is a winning approach in my opinion. This approach has allowed Tableau to deliver it's server product in a shrink wrapped package that's a pleasure to manage.
Due to it's skillful use of in-memory processing and columnar data structures ensures optimal performance. However, with larger data sets, especially with LIVE connections to back-end DBMS platforms, performance degrades quickly. However, with minimal planning and Tableau data extracts, exceptional performance is achievable.
  • Teradata, SQL Server, SaleForce.com, Google Analytics, Microsoft Excel, ODBC data sources
Accessing data from all of the systems listed was as simple as one-click and providing DBMS credentials.
  • No
We had no negotiations. Being aware of price points for other BI offerings, the retail price was affordable.
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