What is our primary use case?
In our organization, we use
Tableau for several use cases. The first one is the sales dashboard, which includes sales performance reports, leads, and opportunity status dashboards. The second use case involves financial analytics dashboards, such as 'what-if' analytics in financial terms.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of
Tableau include the drag-and-drop functionality and the ease of use of the user interface. A significant feature for me is the real-time connection to data sources because it effectively manages large data sets. Additionally, the real-time data processing eliminates the lack of timely reports or dashboards, allowing for hour-by-hour updates instead of monthly or weekly ones.
What needs improvement?
An area for improvement in Tableau is the Explorer license type. It is not as useful, and the product owner should enhance its benefits or clarify its role. Additionally, the frequent updates with many versions available for download can be confusing and could affect stability. They should avoid providing access to older versions on their website.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Tableau for three years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The deployment process involves creating the dashboard on my PC or notebook and then sending the workflow to the IT team, who helps with the deployment. Only two people were needed for control and training, making it cost-effective.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability a five or six because Tableau updates very often with new versions or patches. This requires downloading the latest version, but older versions are also visible, which can lead to confusion.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of Tableau at eight. Tableau is easy to use across various dimensions, whether on-premises or on the cloud. Whether it's installation, configuration, dashboard creation, or deployment, it's seamless in both environments.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and support for Tableau in Thailand are excellent. They provide quick email and phone responses and have Thai-speaking personnel. Being part of
Salesforce adds to their efficiency and responsiveness.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Power BI and
Oracle Analytics Cloud before Tableau. My decision to switch wasn't due to the inadequacy of the tools but primarily influenced by the end user's needs and the integration with existing infrastructure. For instance, if a client is already using
Google Cloud, they prefer
Looker; for on-premises, Tableau is preferred.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup an eight, as it is easy to complete. You can download the necessary software from their website and then license it by adding the license key. It's a straightforward process.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment involved myself and another person for training and control. We were able to manage the deployment internally without the need for external help.
What was our ROI?
The ROI of using Tableau extends to its seamless integration across various platforms, as it's from
Salesforce and thus not limited to any specific cloud provider. This enhances connectivity and saves on total project costs.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Tableau is rated an eight because it is pretty expensive compared to alternatives like Power BI. The pricing could be reconsidered based on the region, especially in Asia Pacific, considering local budget constraints.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated alternatives like Power BI,
Looker Studio from Google, and
Oracle Analytics Cloud before choosing Tableau. The choice was primarily driven by the need to align with the client's existing IT infrastructure.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Tableau as an eight out of ten. While its features and integration capabilities are impressive, there's room for improvement in the stability brought about by frequent updates.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner