Robust data engine & standardized visualizations
Updated March 01, 2016
Robust data engine & standardized visualizations
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Spotfire
As a field consultant I deploy Spotfire, develop data visualization reports/dashboards/templates, and provide on-site training and mentoring. Most of my clients use Spotfire as an enterprise reporting solution. I have also helped the vast majority of those same organizations deploy ad hoc analysis environments. The ad hoc use cases are typically inter departmental analysis projects. Almost all of my clients select Spotfire for it's ability to easily visualize data, merge disparate data sets, scale across an expanding enterprise, and handle data loading in a variety of methods. Additionally, I work with a large number of clinical research and life sciences firms who have read about the growing number of Spotfire extensions (custom add-ins) that are geared specially to their industry. This level of customization generates a great level of interest in Spotfire.
- Data transformation. Pivoting, un-pivoting, aggregation, and numerous other data transformations can be achieved through a simple "Information Link" GUI or through custom SQL. Additional transformations, joins, calculation expressions can be achieved within the client as well.
- Standardized visualizations. Spotfire provides all of the typical types of visualizations (bar charts, scatter plots, tree maps, geo, dashboards, etc.) in a clean standard format that is easily recognized by users.
- Strong SaaS capabilities. Strong web-player out of the box that can be embedded and manipulated in your own site.
- Robust use of data structure. Spotfire provides a range of options from importing spreadsheets to connecting to existing databases. Data can be merged within Spotfire via the GUI, pushed to the database, or return select data sets based on user actions.
- Simple web and client interface. Intuitive interface for users and visualization report developers. Visualization options are limited for the sake of standardization
- Depth of reporting capabilities. Simple enough for a casual user to develop simple reports, but powerful enough data transformation and calculation expressions to build complex reports.
- One the greatest improvements with the latest versions of Spotfire (v6 and v7) is its ability to load enormous data sets. Spotfire was already the industry leader as an in-memory data visualization tool (as well as a hybrid data on-demand method), but it now supports numerous "big-data" data connections. This allows Spotfire to push demanding data processing into the database and return only the necessary metadata to build a visualization.
- Visual user interface customization has improved dramatically with the latest Spotfire versions. Version 6 allowed for much more custom HTML/CSS/Java Script to produce unique visual solutions. Version 7 took that further by allowing a GUI (point and click) to modify nearly the entire user interface. Essentially you can alter the UI to the point that Spotfire begins to look like any webpage you like.
- Error handling. The data engine and expression builder have almost no organic error handling or troubleshooting capabilities. Program errors, while minimal, are vague and appear spontaneously.
- Training for data transformation user interface. On-site and online training for visualization report development is good, but data engine training is minimal at best.
- Flexibility of visualization design. Design options are very limited and are not as powerful as Tableau or MS Excel 2010+.
- While version 7 has provided extensive flexibility in modifying the user interface, the amount of flexibility in adjusting data visualizations is still limited.
- Auto-save or version control. There is no auto-save or automated version control. The client will crash sporadically and all work is lost since the last file save.
- Progressiveness of visualization designs. Spotfire lags behind its competitors in the range of visualization types and the options available to manipulate the current visualizations.
- Standardization of design controls. Report authoring options that you would expect to be ubiquitous are not and those that are available are sometimes found in different locations.
- Resource hog! Spotfire requires a good deal of memory, processing power, and efficiently tuned data sources. Spotfire v7 is especially demanding on memory and processing power. All versions will demand efficiently tuned in database sources. Poorly tuned databases will become a bottleneck in performance.
- Upgrading can be challenging if you have custom extensions or Spotfire reports using complex operations (eg. large in-memory data, large number of tabs, complex logic, multiple data sources merging, etc.)
In previous roles as well as my current vendor consultation role, I have seen Spotfire start in one business unit and expand to the entire company. Operations, research, IT, accounting, finance, and executives all end up performing ad hoc analyses or reviewing reports through Spotfire. Typically their are analysts or developers in each business unit or group that build Spotfire analyses. Decision makers typically review analyses through the webplayer. The ability to allow everyone in an organization to review visualizations is very simple through the webplayer.
- External and internal revenue growth. SaaS program has been developed using Spotfire. Internally, any employee has the ability to quickly develop reports by tapping into enormous data sources.
- Rapidness of reporting vast amounts of data. Reports are easy to construct, publish, share, and update.
Spotfire is routinely selected for its data engine, its ability to merge data from various data sources, and then quickly visualize the data. Spotfire can be effectively used as an ad hoc analysis tool as well as an enterprise level reporting application.
Tableau, Qlik, and MicroStrategy seemed to have a shorter learning curve and a more appealing user interface, but none of them touched Spotfire's data capabilities.
Tableau, Qlik, and MicroStrategy seemed to have a shorter learning curve and a more appealing user interface, but none of them touched Spotfire's data capabilities.
Spotfire Feature Ratings
TIBCO Cloud Capabilities
- We built a SaaS program that allows internal and external clients to dynamically load their specific data and monitor the progress of their clinical trials.
- Pre-filtering capability allows users to jump straight to their pertinent data set. This also helps manage load times when dealing with massive data sets.
- Changes the way that status meetings are held. A proficient user can pull in live data and answer questions as they are asked. Updating a report to a client's question as they are asked builds trust and engagement.
Using Spotfire
994900 - Primarily clinical project management and executive oversight. Clinical research, IT, supply chain, finance, and labs are also consistent users. The majority of these users are consumers through Spotfire's webplayer. We have a consolidated, dedicated development team to produce enterprise dashboards and reports. Ad hoc development is broken down into each business function with a central support team run through the development group.
359623 - Administrative functions can be learned quickly with initial training from Spotfire or existing experienced staff. Depending on your organization's development process you will need to closely coordinate the migration of development reports and dashboards with the development team. Spotfire development can be accomplished by anyone who wants to use the tool. Initial use can become proficient in a few weeks. Advanced use will take at least six months. Typically your MS Excel power users will learn Spotfire quickly. The creative aspect of data visualization comes with experience. Recommend reading some Edward Tufte, Stephen Few, or any other the other data viz gurus. Spotfire v7 makes it easier to select appropriate data vizes with its Recommendations engine, but it won't build a properly flowing dashboard/report.
- SaaS / enterprise product. Spotfire is used to visualize data and then published over the webplayer. This allows any user to see their clinical trials' progress in near real time.
- Internal reporting. Any employee can tap into any formal or ah hoc data source within the company and quickly develop their own visualization reports. Spotfire has seen use in nearly all facets of the company.
- Standardize reporting throughout the company. Much quicker than Excel and much easier to produce clean, standardized reports.
- Mobile reporting. The current Spotfire mobile solution is half-baked and the existing Spotfire data visualizations do not represent well on mobile devices. The data visualizations display satisfactorily on tablets.
Evaluating Spotfire and Competitors
First dedicated data visualization program within the company. The company previously (and currently for other projects) used OBIEE for data reporting.
Previously I developed reports in MS Excel with VBA, while using Tableau and Minitab for academic/side-work purposes.
Previously I developed reports in MS Excel with VBA, while using Tableau and Minitab for academic/side-work purposes.
Spotfire Implementation
- Vendor implemented
- Implemented in-house
- Professional services company
Spotfire was on-site for the initial system implementation and for the first series of visualization report development. A third party consultant assisted in visualization design review.
Spotfire Training
- Online training
- In-person training
- Self-taught
The basic visualizations within Spotfire use a drag and drop GUI that can be mastered by anyone. Anyone with a moderate level of MS Excel and/or SQL experience will easily grasp the data expressions used in the visualizations. Mastering the data engine requires an understanding of basic data structure and basic SQL. Developing complex reports that are efficient requires creativity and a high level of persistence that borders on stubbornness. I recommend that a visualization developer take the "boot camp" online course and sit down with Spotfire for one or two ad-hoc courses on the data engine.
Spotfire Support
Not Sure
Using Spotfire
Spotfire Reliability
Integrating Spotfire
- Integrated into a portal environment to support SaaS product
Not involved with the integration.
Upgrading Spotfire
Yes - I've implemented or participated in 15+ upgrades, each one with zero down time. The most common challenges are compatibility issues with custom extensions, extensions or files built in significantly older versions of Spotfire (jumping 2 versions or .NET versions), and unique authentication configurations. Text areas and bookmarks can also pose problems when jumping into Spotfire v7.0+.
Highly recommend employing the Spotfire Qualification Tool and Application Profiling Tool to test visual/data differences between Spotfire files and performance.
Highly recommend employing the Spotfire Qualification Tool and Application Profiling Tool to test visual/data differences between Spotfire files and performance.