it_user712779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Works at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Time saved by allowing the tool to make necessary changes is definitely worth my company's money
Pros and Cons
  • "Data Interpreter: Which can identify issues or potential errors with your imported data."
  • "The user experience for less savvy or non-technical people (from my experience)."

What is most valuable?

  • Data Interpreter: Which can identify issues or potential errors with your imported data.
  • Split: When you need to split columns.
  • Pivot: Good for changing date columns.
  • Metadata: This selection can clean up field names, especially after a pivot.

How has it helped my organization?

  • Data Interpreter: Can rid your data of null value fields.
  • Split: Click on the column you want to split, identify how you want to split it, and where you want to split the data.
  • Pivot: Great when you have many columns of dates. Just highlight your date columns, then right click and select Pivot. That's it. Now, your totals and region data will be based on any particular year.
  • Metadata: You can select the second icon above your previewed data source. You can select the dropdown arrow for each Field Name you would like to change and you can split the names here as well, or double click on the Pivot name and correct the name where it makes more sense for the type of data you are using. You can create alias names as well.

What needs improvement?

Tableau is always good at improving, but I typically get so busy with utilizing what is there, I have not had any needs yet for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

More recently in the past few months.

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March 2024
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What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No deployment issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No stability issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No scalability issues.

How are customer service and support?

Customer Service:

I have not had to use customer service for Tableau. I just go online and google my needs typically.

Technical Support:

I have not had to use technical support for Tableau yet. As with customer service, I just go online and google my needs typically.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I really like the user-friendly (usability, user experience) layout of Tableau. The visual layout for me is very appealing.

How was the initial setup?

It is really straightforward, but I can see if someone has issues with the download and setup, you may want to contact technical support.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was in-house on my own. It was easy.

What was our ROI?

I have not measured this, but the time saved by allowing the tool to make the necessary changes instead of going back to the spreadsheet is definitely worth my time and the company's money.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Not sure about this, except that Tableau can be costly (but this can be indefinable, such as user experience vs. cheaper etc.)

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Again, this was more based on learning curve and user experience for me. I've worked with MicroStrategy and BusinessObjects (learning curve is higher for me for these, then Tableau). Big thing here is the user experience for less savvy or non-technical people (from my experience). I'm sure MSTR and BO are good tools, just not my preference.

What other advice do I have?

As I had mentioned above in regards to improvements, I believe every tool or application or databases for that matter can always use improvement. That's why we work in the field of data and/or IT, it's ever changing and improving, so we need to change and improve as well. Keep abreast of new things in the market and the improvements of the tools or apps you use on a daily basis. The last thing we want in our industry is to become complacent. Then again, we should never become complacent in any facets of our lives.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user493419 - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager - Emory University (Tableau) at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Data cleaning: helpful in showing you where there are holes or mistakes in your data.

What is most valuable?

For visual data analysis, discovery analysis and usability, it is the best product on the market.

For data cleaning, it can be very helpful in showing you where there are holes or mistakes in your data.

How has it helped my organization?

In our Project Management office, it has provided us better insight into the breadth of our work and made it much easier to see which projects are at risk. Once we retire our old reporting system (Word docs/PowerPoint), we will be saving about 20 people four hours per week. You can do the math on the annual impact.

Getting buy-in from all of the department leaders has been the toughest part. They are tentative about letting go of the old systems, we have to really prove that our Tableau dashboards fully meet their needs.

What needs improvement?

This is tough to answer. The company puts more $$ into R&D than any other in the industry and I don't even use all of its current abilities. They put out releases regularly, so at this point this is more about keeping up with the changes and understanding how they are useful to us.

The tool was not created for data structuring, but does provide some functionality.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for about 15 months, off and on, at times more than others. I use it on any piece of analysis I can.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

We were unable to use LDAP or Active Directory, so all server users have to be created locally. Stability and scalability are not issues; we are just trying to grow adoption. Of course, we have experienced some growing pains but that is normal with any new technology.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer support always gets back to me within 24 hours. However, they are not always able to help me resolve my issue.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have the EBI tool, Oracle OBIEE. Although I never used it personally, our department has experience with several of the top competitors of this product. Despite owning licenses to those tools and using them, the decision was made that Tableau offers self-serve BI better than any of the others. (I was not a part of this decision process, but was moved over from another team to manage the product once the decision was made.)

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup was straightforward. One thing Tableau excels at is documentation that is user friendly. We did bring in a consultant to help this go smoothly but honestly I think he did more harm than good. Could have just followed the playbook.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was done by a vendor team and in-house. Our middleware team did the heavy lifting and we brought in a vendor team with experience to help us.

What was our ROI?

ROI has yet to be determined as the implementation is less than a year old. Adoption has been slower than expected but gaining momentum lately. I attribute the slower adoption to the fact that using Tableau is a shift in thinking for those wanting to use it and therefore involves some growing pains that some are hesitant to embrace. However, those that have embraced it are beginning to reap the benefits.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is a little steep. However, if used correctly, the improvements in productivity will more than outweigh the cost.

What other advice do I have?

It does require you to think about your data in a slightly different way as this is totally different than Excel, so take a little extra time when starting out.

Tableau helps people see and understand their data, answering valuable business questions and giving insight into mountains of information collected over time.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Tableau
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Tableau. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
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Syed Fahad Anwar - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal System Developer at HHRC
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Substantial amount of customization available, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has a lot of customization when comparing to Microsoft BI."
  • "The customization requires a lot of effort and should be simplified. The performance could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We use Tableau for the analytic dashboards.

How has it helped my organization?

Tableau as a BI solution provides a platform to develop user-friendly, story telling dashboards, which provide insights to help management take decisions.

What is most valuable?

The solution has a lot of customization when comparing to Microsoft BI.

What needs improvement?

The customization requires a lot of effort and should be simplified. The performance could be better. When comparing the performance of Tableau to other solutions, such as Microsoft BI, they are not as good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Tableau has good scaling capabilities.

We have approximately 30 to 40 users using this solution in my organization.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good for Tableau. However, if we ask for a certain feature they will not entertain us, unless other customers are also asking for the same feature.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously were using Microsoft BI and we switched to Tableau because of the increased level of customization it provides.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is complicated and took us approximately four hours.

What about the implementation team?

It would be best to use an integrator or other professional assistance for the implementation.

We have approximately two engineers that handle the maintenance of the solution.

What was our ROI?

Our management can take decisions based on insights provided by Tableau, which are smart and help us reduce costs and data issues.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license for the use of this solution and it is on a per-user basis. The server is free but the users you have to pay for.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We performed a POC before going with Tableau, we tried Power BI because Power BI is competing against tableau. But to use Power BI at its full potential, you need the Power BI cloud edition, which our organization cannot go with. So the obvious choice was to go with Tableau.

What other advice do I have?

Tableau is very good, but customers have to understand the requirements of hardware and software the way Tableau works. If they have some requirements that Tableau cannot meet, they will understand how to do it in an alternate way.

I rate Tableau an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Nicolas MRSIC - PeerSpot reviewer
Responsible for Domaine Applicatif at NRJ
Real User
The solution has a very dynamic evolution with its updates
Pros and Cons
  • "Any feature I am looking for usually is part of the next upgrade within a few months. They have a very good dynamic evolution."
  • "The user story model is the most deceptive part of Tableau. It is a big marketing option, however, the reality is that it is not enough."

What is our primary use case?

We can do many things with Tableau. I only use it for simple cases, but you can do many things with the device.

What is most valuable?

Tableau makes changes frequently. Any feature I am looking for usually is part of the next upgrade within a few months. They have a very good dynamic evolution.

What needs improvement?

The user story model is the most deceptive part of Tableau. It is a big marketing option, however, the reality is that it is not enough.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Tableau is a good product. 

What other advice do I have?

The advice I would give to someone looking to use Tableau would be to get prepared.

I use Tableau for BI and business subject, I would rate it a 9 out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Data Product Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good solution for routine dashboards but its visualization could be stronger
Pros and Cons
  • "Tableau is good for routine dashboards, and it has integration with Slack, through which it can send you daily updates."
  • "Areas for improvement would be visualization and augmented analytics. In the next release, I would like to see automated insights from the data added to the dashboard."

What is most valuable?

Tableau is good for routine dashboards, and it has integration with Slack, through which it can send you daily updates.

What needs improvement?

Areas for improvement would be visualization and augmented analytics. In the next release, I would like to see automated insights from the data added to the dashboard.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for about six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Tableau can be a little slow when loading, and it can fail with higher gigs or terabytes of data.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From working with my data analyst, I get the impression that Tableau can't take the load when scaling.

How are customer service and support?

We had embedded technical support from Tableau in our enterprise, who was awesome and kept Tableau updated at all times.

What other advice do I have?

Tableau is pretty good, interface-wise - it's easy to understand and to download data. It also has the most functionalities and capabilities of any tool. However, it doesn't have anything that differentiates it from its competitors, unlike Adobe Analytics' strength in visualization and data capture. If someone is looking for routine dashboards and wants operational dashboards, Tableau is the best solution. However, if they want to drive strategic decisions, they may have to look into a different product. I would rate Tableau as seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Sr. Manager at a non-profit with 201-500 employees
Real User
Easy to use, good interface, but installation could be simplified
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the solution easy to use and the interface is very good."
  • "The setup was easy but we are having some problems with the configuration that is taking a long time. We have done some initial tests and some of the delays could be from bandwidth issues. However, the whole installation process should be simplified."

What is most valuable?

I have found the solution easy to use and the interface is very good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for two weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable compared to others solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was easy but we are having some problems with the configuration that is taking a long time. We have done some initial tests and some of the delays could be from bandwidth issues. However, the whole installation process should be simplified.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated Domo, Microsoft BI, and Qlik, and we have found Tableau is much better.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Tableau a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Process Data Engineer (Subsurface and Wells) at Shell
Real User
Platform to automate and make user-defined customized dashboards

What is our primary use case?

  • Creating dashboards to generate value out of data
  • Great features and functionalities with customized dashboards
  • Very intuitive and massive user support base.

How has it helped my organization?

It has helped to save millions by making informed decisions which are data driven. Visualization of data with great efficiency has helped to integrate dashboards across the organization.

What is most valuable?

  • Platform to automate and make user-defined customized dashboards. 
  • Very well integrated with other applications which helps to move data from one application to another with much ease.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes it crashes because of the huge database. This could be fixed so that it works smoothly with large databases.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Pre-Sales Technical Consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Consultant
Leaderboard
Active Online Community Provides Guidance, Decreasing Learning Curve

What is most valuable?

The drag and drop in development, design and usage; the Show Wizard feature.

How has it helped my organization?

As a BI and data visualization enthusiast and provider, I have compared Tableau against other BI and data visualization tools. It provides tremendous ease of use and a shorter learning curve when compared to the rest. Provides astonishing visualizations as well.

What needs improvement?

The user interface and ease of use requires a bit of a learning curve to pick up. No drag and drop functionality at the development stage, unlike its competitors.

The data preparation is quite good but not as powerful as the one I use or would recommend for data manipulation and cleansing as well. Tableau seems to focus on the data visualization end and provides, or has partnered with, some other software for data preparation.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

None at the moment.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Tableau, as noted above, does not provide much in terms of data preparation. Handling of large volumes of data sometimes does not work well with this all-in-one purpose tool making it less ideal for business users.

How are customer service and technical support?

The Tableau online community is rich and vibrant and provides quick guidance on getting started with the basic use of Tableau.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

None.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward for personal use, except when looking at deploying on local premises. Doing so entails some configuration during the installation process.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Tableau pricing and licensing is on the high side for a small company, but it’s competitive among its peers. They offer a monthly subscription for their cloud service.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

As a consultant in the area of Business Intelligence and data analytics, I have personally evaluated BI tools such as QlikView, Qlik Sense, Power BI and MicroStrategy.

What other advice do I have?

Invest in the memory and RAM of the PC or server you intend to use with Tableau. Though most database sources are available for connection, you should still ensure you have all the necessary resources and connectors installed for proprietary databases.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.