Tableau is a data visualization software which is mainly used for business intelligence and data science by companies. The software is equipped with numerous unique and desirable features that enable data visualization process. These features include; speed of analysis, visual discovery, architecture agnostic, centralized data, real-time collaboration and self-reliability (Murray, 2013). Additionally, it does not incorporate any complex scripting and therefore, it can be utilized by anyone who has an understanding of business problems. Also, despite easy analysis or visualization of data, sharing of obtained information is as well much easier.
There are five different types of Tableau. The first one is Tableau desktop which is a business intelligence which can be utilized by anyone. The application specializes in transformation of tabulated data into eye-candy representations and graphs. Real-time data analytics is enjoyed with this particular application by directly connecting to data from individual’s data warehouse. Data is easily imported from multiple sources. The second one is Tableau server that comes with qualities of desktop one at additional networking capabilities. Dashboards create in desktop versions are easily shared thus ensuring instant communication of insights and data. Thirdly is the Tableau online which is powered by help of cloud computing meaning it is easier to access to everyone. Tableau Reader is the fourth one which is the free version of tableau desktop whereas Tableau public is the free version of the software used to make visualizations (Murray, 2013).
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Tableau is also easier to install into the computer as it does not require advanced specifications. Currently, the following serves as the minimum requirements for running this software; Microsoft windows 7 or newer (either 32-bit or 64 bit), AMD Opteron processor or Intel Pentium 4 or newer, Microsoft server 2008 R2 or newer, 1.5GB minimum disk space, 2GB memory and a screen resolution of 1366 × 768 or higher. Similarly, the requirements for Mac are; OSX 10.10 or newer, iMac 2009 or newer, a screen resolution of 1366 × 768 or higher and a minimum free disk space of 5GB.
Another great aspect of Tableau is that it runs at a very low cost. Currently, it is utilizing a monthly subscription model. The monthly prices are as follows; Tableau online $42, Tableau server $35, Tableau desktop professional $70 and Tableau Desktop personal $35 ( Levy, 2017) . This is a great improvement from the old model that involved an annual license that was priced at $1,999 for desktop professional and $999 for desktop personal. An online user paid $500 per year while a server started at $10,000 for ten individuals ( Levy, 2017).
Data Management
Creating a Data Connection
In tableau, creation of a new connection in an already existing data source is done through a process of copying and pasting. For example, if someone wants to pull data from an external source, the data needed is selected and copied to the clipboard. Then, the person opens Tableau Desktop and on the data source page, the individual selects “data” tab and then pastes it as a data connection (Curt, 2015).
The data is saved in an individual’s Tableau repository as a text file when the workbook is saved.
Creating Field Joins
In data analysis, data joining is very critical and may require data to be joined from different tables in a single source or from multiple sources. Tableau software offers the feature of creating fields joins using the data available in the data menu. Therefore, one needs to go to the Data Menu and select the “Edit Data Source” option (Curt, 2015). Then, drag the two fields to be joined to the data pane. After this, depending on the data type and field name, Tableau automatically create a join which can later be changed if the need arises. Changing the join can be done by clicking the middle of the two circles that shows the join.
Creating Virtualizations
Creation of virtualizations have been made easier in Tableau since the release of Denodo Connector. Therefore the process of creating virtualizations entails creating a new data source whereby the Connector (Denodo) is used. Then, user credentials and sever details are provided so as to connect to the database. After signing in, one can use the Tableau standard features to create dashboards that highlights performance of a given organization. This enables live reporting, trivial delivery of information and enables continuous updating of information.
Worksheets and Workbooks
Creation of Worksheets and Workbooks
Tableau uses worksheets and workbooks file structure similar to the Microsoft excel. A workbook is composed of sheets which can either be a dashboard, a worksheet or a story. A worksheet on the other hand, contains a single view along cards, legends, shelves and the analytics and data in its side bar. A dashboard is made of multiple worksheets whereas a story is composed of a sequence of dashboards and worksheets that operate together to pass a certain information.
To open a new workbook, select data sources on the content menu and in the data sources list, select the check box that is next to the data source that one wants to use. Then click Actions > new workbook. This creates a new blank workbook. After creation of a workbook, a worksheet can then be added. To create a new worksheet, click the “new worksheet” button at the bottom of the workbook. Another way to create a new worksheet is by clicking the drop-down arrow on “new worksheet” on the toolbar and then selecting “new worksheet”. On Mac, it can be created by pressing Ctrl + M on the keyboard.
Editing Of Worksheets and Workbooks
Each and every workbook consist of history of operations done and therefore it is able to perform certain editing such as undoing, redoing and clearing sheets by clicking the correspondent buttons e.g. undo for undoing. Additionally, you can also rename sheets by double clicking the sheet’s name located in the sheet tab and typing the new name followed by “enter”. Tableau also enable the creation of a duplicate sheet thus creating a new version of a given worksheet. It is done by right-clicking the sheet tab and then selecting “duplicate”. Deleting of an entire worksheet is also possible and it involves right clicking the sheet tab followed by clicking of the “Delete” option. To edit a published view, one needs to go to content menu, select “Views”, open the view and in the toolbar click “Edit”. This enables editing of the content in the worksheets.
Connection of Worksheets and Workbooks to the Data Sources
Tableau enables connection to different data sources at a given time. For instance, a single workbook can be connected to a relational source and to a flat file by defining multiple connection. It is done by using the top menu bar by selecting “Data” followed by “New Data Source” and then connecting to the new data source. This procedure is repeated for all data sources that are desired to be added.
Custom Calculation Creation and Options Available
This applies especially when a given data source does not have a field needed for analysis. For this reason, a custom calculation field is created. It is created by selecting the “analysis” tab then the “Create calculated field” option. After this a calculation editor opens and one gives the field a name. A formula is then entered using the available Tableau’s functions, and clicking “OK” concludes the process. Some of available options when creating a custom calculation include string functions, user functions, aggregate functions, date functions, number functions, pass-through functions among others. Additionally, table calculations can be customized by use of its context menu, use of calculation editor and by use of nested calculations (Curt, 2015).
Data Statistical Analysis Tools
Tableau is a data analytic tool that offers intriguing insights through the process of data visualization. This implies that the analytical tools offered by Tableau enables companies be able to investigate a hypothesis, explore available data as well as cross-check several insights to obtain a way forward. The visualization tools offered can be used to analyze big data in any company.
Sorting and Filtration of Data
In Tableau, data can be filtered and sorted based on the objective of the process. In order to filter, a person needs to specify two main criteria. The first is the operator criteria. Under this, an operator to be used in a given field is selected for instance, the use an Equals operator to filter all data that matches the command. Other operators include less than, greater than, In, among others. Secondly, the value criteria is specified and this incorporates the value to be filtered. It can be any valid string. On the other hand, sorting requires specification of the direction of sorting e.g. whether ascending or descending.
The procedure entails clicking the “View” then, right clicking on Dimension field and then selecting either filter or sort options (Curt, 2015). There are of course different types of filters including condition filters, top filters, basic filters, context filters and quick filters. The drive to utilize any of these filters is based on the objective of the process.
Definition of Groups and Sets
The custom fields that define a given subset of data in certain conditions is known as a set. It can either be based on specific data point or computed conditions. For this reason, a set can be used to probe questions and compare a certain subset of data. Additionally, two sets can be compared to create a new set that have specific conditions. In the software, sets are created by right clicking the desired dimension in the data pane and then selecting the create>set options. As shown in the following example
After selecting “set” a dialog box appear where the name of the set is entered and the “Use all” is selected to ensure that it applies to all values. On the condition tab, “By field” option is clicked and then a specific condition is defined (Mackinlay & Winslow, 2015).
On the other hand, group entails a combination of dimension members which constitute the categories at a higher level. It is created by the same procedure for the set only that in this case, create > group is selected. The members to be included in the group are then selected when the group dialog box appears. A default name is created for selected-combined fields, however, this can be changed using the rename option. Doing this, defines this group as an independent category.
Internal Controls
Accounting and Tableau
The accounting world is continuously changing. Numerous business process are being transformed by technology and therefore without adequate and appropriate means of analyzing data, financial management in companies can be a challenge. Tableau offers an inexpensive computational power that assist accountants with analysis of big data using visualization tools. First, accountants can utilize Tableau software to visualize financial data in the dashboards and combine it with other sources such as sales, marketing and customer system to better understand the performance of the organization (Cunningham & Stein, 2018).
Secondly, accountants use tableau in evaluating compliance, monitoring and reconciliation (CMR) process which is a common practice among the finance teams. Using the software in such circumstances saves time for more analytical and insightful works. Additionally, accountants utilize Tableau in reporting. Tableau has the capability of replicating existing reports and in most of the cases, it automates certain reports such as balance sheets, cash flows and key metrics which saves on time and ensures minimal errors (reliability of analysis) (Cunningham & Stein, 2018).
Tableau and Internal Control
Tableau is utilized as a business intelligence tool in most of organization particularly, in the finance department through the process of data visualization. As a result of this, it enables analysis of wide range of data which in turn offers insight to the management on best strategies to adopt. Additionally, it provides insights related to business risks likely to be encountered by a given company thus enabling effective planning and execution of projects. By so doing, a company/firm is able to achieve its objectives thus acquiring an internal control of all operations.
Potential Security Weaknesses for Tableau
Recently, it has been discovered that the Tableau server version contains a vulnerability which allows a publishing-privileged malicious user to publish workbooks that embeds malicious codes ( Garae & Ko, 2017) . This means that even the Tableau Desktop is as well vulnerable as it can be exploited when an individual initializes a workbook that is maliciously crafted. The use of Tableau public version has also potential security concerns as the data is publicly stored. This means that there are no security settings that safeguard sensitive data hence information is easily stolen and shared.
Charts and Graphs
Formatting Of Visualizations
Although the software tries to produce presentable data visualizations, it is not as pretty and informative as some of us would require. However, it offers different ways in which visualizations can be formatted and used. First, one can utilize the “biggest to smallest” workflow where fonts and titles are formatted differently at workbook and worksheet levels. Secondly colors used by your visualization can also be changed by just clicking the “color” button and then “edit color”. Custom color palettes can be imported e.g., organizational colors or client’s colors among others. Additionally, a Tooltip can be used to reinforce an explanation. It is inserted by clicking “worksheet” and then selecting “tooltip” (Mackinlay & Winslow, 2015). The following is an example of a Tooltip
Dashboard is used for formatting especially, when things are needed to be kept in consistency for presentation purposes. It enables the arrangement of legends and visuals within dashboards by offering options of selecting layouts, size of the visuals and duplication ability (Curt, 2015). Duplication enables the replacement of the sheets for each one.
Charts Available and Their Creation.
Tableau offers a variety of charts that can be used to present one’s data. They include bar chart, pie chart, Gantt chart, Bullet chart, Map, Scatter plot, line chart, histogram chart, box and whisker plot, Tree maps, highlight maps, waterfall charts, motion chart and heat maps (Mackinlay & Winslow, 2015). The creation of each chart entails following a specific procedure. However, in general, to construct any chart, the fields to be included in the chart have to be selected after the identification of the type of chart to be used. In other words, charts are created by first defining the type of chart to use in the “mark” section then, dragging the desired fields from the “Dimension” and lastly editing to portray the desired colors, fonts, size among others.
Data Diagram in Tableau
A data diagram in Tableau refers to a visual representation that visualizes the flows and relationships between multiple elements. It exhibits a flow through a system using multiple dimensions (Ohmann & Floyd, 2015). For instance, a relationship in sales volumes and how it is split between two given dimensions. In other words, data diagrams depict the flow from one set of values to others (shows connections).
References
Cunningham, L. M., & Stein, S. E. (2018). Using Visualization Software in the Audit of Revenue Transactions to Identify Anomalies. Issues in Accounting Education .
Curt, F., (2015). Tableau 9 Essential Training. Lynda.com retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Tableau-tutorials/Tableau-9-Essential-Training/386886-2.html
Garae, J., & Ko, R. K. (2017). Visualization and Data Provenance Trends in Decision Support for Cybersecurity. In Data Analytics and Decision Support for Cybersecurity (pp. 243- 270). Springer, Cham.
Levy, N., (2017). Tableau unveils new subscription pricing model for data visualization products. Geek wire news. Retrieved from https://www.geekwire.com/2017/tableau-software-continues-move-to-subscription-model-releases-new-prices-for-data-visualization-products/
Mackinlay, J., & Winslow, K. (2015). Designing Great Visualizations. Tableau Software .
Murray, D. G. (2013). Tableau your data!: fast and easy visual analysis with tableau software . John Wiley & Sons.
Ohmann, A., & Floyd, M. (2015). Creating Data Stories with Tableau Public . Packt Publishing Ltd.
