Focus on the most important and most often overlooked factor in a successful Tableau project—data. Without a reliable data source, you will not achieve the results you hope for in Tableau. This book does more than teach the mechanics of data preparation. It teaches you: how to look at data in a new way, to recognize the most common issues that hinder analytics, and how to mitigate those factors one by one. Tableau can change the course of business, but the old adage of "garbage in, garbage out" is the hard truth that hides behind every Tableau sales pitch. That amazing sales demo does not work as well with bad data. The unfortunate reality is that almost all data starts out in a less-than-perfect state. Data prep is hard. Traditionally, we were forced into the world of the database where complex ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) operations created by the data team did all the heavy lifting for us. Fortunately, we have moved past those days. With the introduction of the Tableau Data Prep tool you can now handle most of the common Data Prep and cleanup tasks on your own, at your desk, and without the help of the data team. This essential book will guide you through: The layout and important parts of the Tableau Data Prep tool Connecting to data Data quality and consistency The shape of the data. Is the data oriented in columns or rows? How to decide? Why does it matter?What is the level of detail in the source data? Why is that important? Combining source data to bring in more fields and rows Saving the data flow and the results of our data prep work Common cleanup and setup tasks in Tableau Desktop What You Will Learn Recognize data sources that are good candidates for analytics in Tableau Connect to local, server, and cloud-based data sources Profile data to better understand its content and structure Rename fields, adjust data types, group data points, and aggregate numeric data Pivot data Join data from local, server, and cloud-based sources for unified analytics Review the steps and results of each phase of the Data Prep process Output new data sources that can be reviewed in Tableau or any other analytics tool Who This Book Is For Tableau Desktop users who want to: connect to data, profile the data to identify common issues, clean up those issues, join to additional data sources, and save the newly cleaned, joined data so that it can be used more effectively in Tableau

For self-service data preparation, Tableau Prep is relatively easy to use—as long as you know how to clean and organize your datasets. Carl Allchin, from The Information Lab in London, gets you up to speed on Tableau Prep through a series of practical lessons that include methods for preparing, cleaning, automating, organizing, and outputting your datasets. Based on Allchin’s popular blog, Preppin’ Data, this practical guide takes you step-by-step through Tableau Prep’s fundamentals. Self-service data preparation reduces the time it takes to complete data projects and improves the quality of your analyses. Discover how Tableau Prep helps you access your data and turn it into valuable information. Know what to look for when you prepare data Learn which Tableau Prep functions to use when working with data fields Analyze the shape and profile of your dataset Output data for analysis and learn how Tableau Prep automates your workflow Learn how to clean your dataset using Tableau Prep functions Explore ways to use Tableau Prep techniques in real-world scenarios Make your data available to others by managing and documenting the output

Make your data work for you! Tableau For Dummies brings order to the chaotic world of data. Understanding your data and organizing it into formats and visualizations that make sense to you are crucial to making a real impact on your business with the information that's already at your fingertips. This easy-to-use reference explores the user interface, and guides you through the process of connecting your data sources to the software. Additionally, this approachable, yet comprehensive text shows you how to use graphs, charts, and other images to bring visual interest to your data, how to create dashboards from multiple data sources, and how to export the visualizations that you have developed into multiple formats that translate into positive change for your business. The mission of Tableau Software is to grant you access to data that, when put into action, will help you build your company. Learning to use the data available to you helps you make informed, grounded business decisions that can spell success for your company. Navigate the user interface to efficiently access the features you need Connect to various spreadsheets, databases, and other data sources to create a multi-dimensional snapshot of your business Develop visualizations with easy to use drag and drop features Start building your data with templates and sample workbooks to spark your creativity and help you organize your information Tableau For Dummies is a step-by-step resource that helps you make sense of the data landscape—and put your data to work in support of your business.

Explore common and not-so-common data transformation scenarios and solutions to become well-versed with Tableau Prep and create efficient and powerful data pipelines Key FeaturesCombine, clean, and shape data for analysis using self-service data preparation techniquesBecome proficient with Tableau Prep for building and managing data flows across your organizationLearn how to combine multiple data transformations in order to build a robust datasetBook Description Tableau Prep is a tool in the Tableau software suite, created specifically to develop data pipelines. This book will describe, in detail, a variety of scenarios that you can apply in your environment for developing, publishing, and maintaining complex Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) data pipelines. The book starts by showing you how to set up Tableau Prep Builder. You'll learn how to obtain data from various data sources, including files, databases, and Tableau Extracts. Next, the book demonstrates how to perform data cleaning and data aggregation in Tableau Prep Builder. You'll also gain an understanding of Tableau Prep Builder and how you can leverage it to create data pipelines that prepare your data for downstream analytics processes, including reporting and dashboard creation in Tableau. As part of a Tableau Prep flow, you'll also explore how to use R and Python to implement data science components inside a data pipeline. In the final chapter, you'll apply the knowledge you've gained to build two use cases from scratch, including a data flow for a retail store to prepare a robust dataset using multiple disparate sources and a data flow for a call center to perform ad hoc data analysis. By the end of this book, you'll be able to create, run, and publish Tableau Prep flows and implement solutions to common problems in data pipelines. What you will learnPerform data cleaning and preparation techniques for advanced data analysisUnderstand how to combine multiple disparate datasetsPrepare data for different Business Intelligence (BI) toolsApply Tableau Prep's calculation language to create powerful calculationsUse Tableau Prep for ad hoc data analysis and data science flowsDeploy Tableau Prep flows to Tableau Server and Tableau OnlineWho this book is for This book is for business intelligence professionals, data analysts, and Tableau users looking to learn Tableau Prep essentials and create data pipelines or ETL processes using it. Beginner-level knowledge of data management will be beneficial to understand the concepts covered in this Tableau cookbook more effectively.

Transform your organization's data into actionable insights with Tableau Tableau is designed specifically to provide fast and easy visual analytics. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface helps you create interactive reports, dashboards, and visualizations, all without any special or advanced training. This all new edition of Tableau Your Data! is your Tableau companion, helping you get the most out of this invaluable business toolset. Tableau Your Data! shows you how to build dynamic, best of breed visualizations using the Tableau Software toolset. This comprehensive guide covers the core feature set for data analytics, and provides clear step-by-step guidance toward best practices and advanced techniques that go way beyond the user manual. You'll learn how Tableau is different from traditional business information analysis tools, and how to navigate your way around the Tableau 9.0 desktop before delving into functions and calculations, as well as sharing with the Tableau Server. Analyze data more effectively with Tableau Desktop Customize Tableau's settings for your organization's needs with detailed real-world examples on data security, scaling, syntax, and more Deploy visualizations to consumers throughout the enterprise - from sales to marketing, operations to finance, and beyond Understand Tableau functions and calculations and leverage Tableau across every link in the value chain Learn from actual working models of the book's visualizations and other web-based resources via a companion website Tableau helps you unlock the stories within the numbers, and Tableau Your Data! puts the software's full functionality right at your fingertips.

Whether you're a beginner just learning how to create data visualizations or a Jedi who's already used Tableau for years, this cookbook has a recipe for everyone. Author Lorna Brown provides more than 100 practical recipes to enhance the way you build Tableau dashboards--and helps you understand your data through the power of Tableau Desktop's interactive datavisualizations. With this cookbook, Tableau beginners will learn hands-on how this unique self-serve tool works, while experienced users will find this book to be an ideal reference guide on how to employ specific techniques. It also links you to online resources and community features, such as Tableau Tip Tuesday and Workout Wednesday. By the time you reach the end, you'll be a competent user of Tableau Desktop. You'll learn how to: Build both basic and complex data visualizations with Tableau Desktop Gain hands-on experience with Tableau's latest features, including set and parameter actions Create interactive dashboards to support business questions Improve your analytical skills to enhance the visualizations you've already created Learn data visualization skills and best practices to help you and your organization

Build, design, and improve advanced business intelligence solutions using Tableau's latest features, including Tableau Prep Builder, Tableau Hyper, and Tableau Server Key FeaturesMaster new features in Tableau 2021 to solve real-world analytics challengesPerform geo-spatial, time series, and self-service analytics using real-life examplesBuild and publish dashboards and explore storytelling using Python and R integration supportBook Description Tableau is one of the leading business intelligence (BI) tools that can help you solve data analysis challenges. With this book, you will master Tableau's features and offerings in various paradigms of the BI domain. Updated with fresh topics including Quick Level of Detail expressions, the newest Tableau Server features, Einstein Discovery, and more, this book covers essential Tableau concepts and advanced functionalities. Leveraging Tableau Hyper files and using Prep Builder, you'll be able to perform data preparation and handling easily. You'll gear up to perform complex joins, spatial joins, unions, and data blending tasks using practical examples. Next, you'll learn how to execute data densification and further explore expert-level examples to help you with calculations, mapping, and visual design using Tableau extensions. You'll also learn about improving dashboard performance, connecting to Tableau Server and understanding data visualization with examples. Finally, you'll cover advanced use cases such as self-service analysis, time series analysis, and geo-spatial analysis, and connect Tableau to Python and R to implement programming functionalities within it. By the end of this Tableau book, you'll have mastered the advanced offerings of Tableau 2021 and be able to tackle common and advanced challenges in the BI domain. What you will learnGet up to speed with various Tableau componentsMaster data preparation techniques using Tableau Prep BuilderDiscover how to use Tableau to create a PowerPoint-like presentationUnderstand different Tableau visualization techniques and dashboard designsInteract with the Tableau server to understand its architecture and functionalitiesStudy advanced visualizations and dashboard creation techniquesBrush up on powerful self-service analytics, time series analytics, and geo-spatial analyticsWho this book is for This book is designed for business analysts, business intelligence professionals and data analysts who want to master Tableau to solve a range of data science and business intelligence problems. The book is ideal if you have a good understanding of Tableau and want to take your skills to the next level.