How Tableau and Salesforce Help you Visualize Results
Salesforce recently completed the purchase of Tableau, an amazing data reporting and visualization tool. This solution nicely complements the existing Einstein Analytics product and adds some critical capabilities to the platform. A common question is when do I use Einstein Analytics vs Tableau? The first step to answering that question is to understand the differences in the two systems. Here’s a High-level summary:
Tableau vs. Einstein Analytics
Einstein Analytics is purpose-built to interact with Salesforce data and provide advanced analytics on the content contained therein. It can incorporate other external data sets but is most effective when the data is Salesforce-centric. Tableau, on the other hand, has over 70 data connectors available in the package and can bring together widely disparate data sources into a cohesive analysis environment, with Salesforce of course as one of those data sources. While both are powerful analytics tool, consider using Tableau if your company has multiple data sources and would benefit from centralized analysis.
Another benefit of Tableau is that it can be run either as an on-premise solution – which of course can be virtualized – or as an online service. Quite the technological feat, the desktop toolset used to create the analyses is ambivalent to which back end infrastructure is used.
Tableau in Action
Tableau is used by many companies for many use cases, but two examples of Tableau in action stand out. The first is an analysis that Tableau put together on the status of the COVID-19 spread. The dashboard connects directly to an open data source and is updated in real time as changes occur. The data paints a picture of our ever-changing reality, and the ability to understand the current situation in real time and respond accordingly is invaluable.
The second example is actually many examples contained within the Tableau Public Gallery, where you can see analyses that others have built and even try them out yourself. In the gallery you can set up a profile, download the desktop application and then start your very first data visualization using Tableau. You can also ‘favorite’ certain visualizations you are interested in and subscribe to the ‘Viz of the Day,’ where you will receive emails daily on new entrants to the mix.
Where to start?
HigherEchelon is in the process of getting certified in Tableau and already has staff on board that have worked with it extensively. We think it is worth investing in and hope you do too. Reach out to us today if you have any questions about the tool or our Salesforce implementation services.