Version 7 Tableau launches in 2012
Qlikview and Cognos have promised for big releases in 2012. Oracle BI already a great product threathens similarly for 2012. Here at MXI we have seen the Tableau 7 launches in Amsterdam and London this January. On hand in London was Tableau senior consultant Meredith Dicks formerly with Qliktech to do the heavy lifting for the Tableau presentation for the hundreds of interested attendees.
MXI - Whitepaper - Trends in BI 2012
And the best new features in Tableau Version 7 are?
Some of the key improvement are : “Show Me” function. This features which automatically suggests a visualisation that best suits your data. This is now is now instant and interactive. Tableau BI “Show Me” is already a stand out feature reading the measures and dimensions in your data. Now its faster and more interactive. Free Trial Tableau
Tableau Enterprise Server capabilities
The server upgrades which drew the biggest applause (yes applause at the Las Vegas Tableau conference) were the most awaited. Namely multi tenant capability, data extracts in Version 7 are now common to the workbooks consequently tableau caching is much more efficient. Administration, security and control all improve as a result.
This brings Tableau BI closer to the enterprise server as well as expanding on the Self service BI element. BI without IT. Tableau contiues to grow up elegantly.
It's all about the User stupid.
In the UK business intelligence model there remains a disconnect between the decision support tools and the decision-making process.
UK IT claims tremendous success for the infastructure and delivery side for BI, data storage, integration, access and delivery. But the business decision maker, couldn’t care less; answer to question are the remit not a lecture on the success of IT.
What Business Analyst & Managers want, certainly not excuses.
• Which are the most profitable customers? How do we raise their profitability?
• Is there enough stock to meet orders?
• What mixture of product and service offerings will best drive our revenue goals this quarter?
• What is the right mix of cost, pricing, marging to meet growth targets?
• Where should we be focusing our sales people at this time? Split territories?
Strategic decisions, are most often made at the executive and upper management levels within the enterprise.Tactical strategic decisions usually impact many divisions and functional areas within the business, they occur less frequently than day to day tactical decisions. Strategic decision support usually means providing consolidated and cross functional data. Data analysis at the strategic decision-making level often/always leads to additional information requests.
MXI Whitepaper - Business Intelligence without IT
How can MXI UK help you?
At MXI we help enterprise in the UK achieve jsut that, we define the information needs of the department, company or enterprise. No noise just data that helps you manage your business better. Working in conjunction with IT dept, the CTO's office and business users, we deliver Dashboards, Reports, visualisations, scorecards that make business run better every day. See out latest short guide trends in 2012 Business Intelligence.
Latest WhitePaper - Just Released - 2012 Trends in BI
Examples of Strategic Decisions:
• Shall we go to market with new product / product lines?
• What global distribution channels should we pursue?
• Whats more important market shrare, growth, revenue, margin?
• What are the funding implications for internal investment in Manufacturing, investment in market development. Etc.
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Mapping data provides true insight.
The ability to see business data with a location context, layered with other relevant data naturally provides real insight. BI data mapped Example
Business Intelligence (BI) means different things to different users. BI often refers to complex business applications, tools, and technologies focused at understanding business metrics and performance. This includes such concepts as data warehouses, data cubes, dimensional analysis (where time is often one of the dimensions), and performance monitoring. BI often involves users accessing this data in spreadsheets, pivot tables, and reports. BI typically represents systems where business data is aggregated from different enterprise systems with the goal of uncovering trends and insights.
Part of the issue is BI tools require sophisticated understanding and specialized skills. Portals now feature in many BI scenarios, where business data can be visualized in score cards or dashboards providing quick access for targeted use i.e. VP of Sales can log into their intranet portal site and see sales trends and details.
Naturally data mapping is ideal for data visualisation.
The term Data Visualization is often used in these scenarios and applications are targeted at providing better visualization of business data. Some Geospatial Information System (GIS) vendors have been offering solutions and services in the BI space, in which data can be analyzed geographically. However this does not typically address the issues of cost, complexity, and ease of use. Most organizational datasets have a location component, such as assets, competitors, sales territories etc.
The ability to see business data with a location context, layered with other relevant data naturally provides real insight.
However, more often than not, these applications are point solutions i.e. solutions implemented specifically for a short term departmental need and not part of a larger strategy. Enterprise needs to review BI features as a set of capabilities that can be leveraged over and over again quering in a rapid fire ad hoc fashion. Business Intelligence vendors offer various products that enable business intelligence and data visualization solutions. This includes capabilities for creating business data and data aggregates, storage of spatial and non-spatial data, processing and querying of business data, with reporting and data visualization.
Jan 2012 Whitepaper - The Power of Mapping
For example Industry Microsoft’s Business Intelligence strategy enables better business insights for all users, not just specialized BI, GI. Web mapping platforms like Bing Maps also add specific value to Business Intelligence solutions, providing intuitive and cost effective data visualization capabilities. This can be enabled by using familiar reports (with embedded maps), tools (e.g. Spreadsheets), maps, and portals to allow any users to access business insights in an intuitive manner.
Industry leaders in this category include Qlikview, Tableau and Spotfire. Tableau is rated by Gartner to be the most effecting data mapping and Geo coding specialist particularly with the release of Tableau Version 7 in January 2012
Tableau Software is the fastest growing business intelligence tool for creating rapid data visualizations and analytics.
Tableau Software is an incredible business intelligence tool creating dashboards and analytics views, but it does take some training to understand the real power of this software. MXI is a Tableau Partner, offering custom training and consulting services to Tableau users. Learn the fundementals of using Tableau.
While Tableau provide an excellent resource of training videos YOU NEED BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANSWERS NOW! There is no better way to achieve this than through human lead training.
The MXI Tableau Experts are available for:
- Customized On-site Training Sessions
- One-on-One Consulting
- Off-site Consulting Engagements
- Short or Long Term Availability
We support Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, and Tableau Reader. Our Tableau training and consulting services are based on your needs and data. Stop losing valuable time, get the knowledge you need today!
Areas covered in the Foundation Course
• Understand the many options for connecting to data
• Understand the Tableau interface / paradigm – components, shelves, data elements, and terminology.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations
• Use Trend Lines, Reference Lines and statistical techniques to describe your data
• Understanding how to use group, bin, hierarchy, sort, set and filter options effectively
• Work with the many formatting options to fine tune the presentation of your visualizations
• Understand how and when to Use Measure Name and Measure Value
• Understand data changes in data source such as field addition, deletion or name change
• Understand all of your options for sharing your visualizations with others
• Combine your visualizations into Interactive Dashboards and publish them to the web
What does Financial Modelling answer?
Financial Modelling allows us to see more than in today’s hazardous economy, the answers to these three rudimentary performance questions are more important than ever and must be answered and queried for business intelligence immediately.
- Why are “off track” and by how much.
- What are we doing against budget.
- What should we do to address performance gaps quickly.
Best Practice - Don't use Excel anymore for financial modelling
Auditors, Regulators and others constantly warn that Financial Modelling and business intelligence derived from Excel is very suspect. They warn organisations of Excel overload and in the case of large Audit Practice there is whiff of self interest as they too are business consultants selling modelling and IT services. In the UK, Inland Revenue also warns against use of Excel for Tax returns. Nonetheless Enterprise needs to put the right information into the right hands of the right people in the form they need it. The need for a coordinated approach requires flexible planning, analysis and reporting aligning financial and operational targets in one connected, integrated dynamic solution.
Whitepaper - Questions every CFO should ask.
Click here
Big Data, Good analytics all improve business performance
At MXI our financial modelling solutions provide a complete modelling, analytics and planning platform for business critical company-wide performance management reporting activity.
Financial modelling tools such as Quantrix or SaaS based tools enable real scenario based planning with best case, worst case planning and modelling capabilities. This gives Financial Planners and Analysts (FP & A) and Finance teams the means to understand the business in depth and with far more reliability than Excel. This is real business intelligence as you are actually analysing the likely outturn using real business variables. For example, lower sales, higher costs, what is the real cost of corrective action.
Screen based sliders are an invaluable tool aiding Managers, Business Analysts, FP & A come to management decisions based on data which is thoroughly validated and modelled. Providing the business with the greatest chance of a successful outcome.
Down our financial modelling software today for free. 14 day trial.
30 year old pop song is a great metaphor for change in BI
Video killed the radio star, so the song goes and it was true the arrival of music video changed everything in the music industry. Now 30 years later visualisation is changing the way you see your data. Data Analytics and analysis improved hugely and made much more accessible by the business intelligence technique "visualization". Products like Qlikview, Spotfire and Tableau are leading the way. Now Business Intelligence is something you can see easily expressed graphically in beautiful visualisations. Perhaps not as big change on the BI community as MTV and music industry but an excellent metaphor for the change.
Data Visualization Examples
A picture may be worth a thousand words, in modern times it is worth potentially tens of thousands of rows. No matter how well an organization's data has been integrated; no matter how good the data integrity may be; no matter how minimal the latency of tactical information, or all-encompassing its breadth of business knowledge, corporate performance management will have deficiencies if visual analysis capabilities are lacking.
What better way to use information that paint pictures from it.
It behoves everyone (people, Government, Enterprise)to use information in the most effective way. It must drive change and improvement. But first we must be able to use it, analysis the data and ultimately convince others. Data analytics is only improved by data visualization. Data which cant be displayed is useless.
Download our white paper on Visual Analysis for Everyone:
Visual Analysis for Everyone
Data Sourcing options in Self service Business Intelligence
While there will normally be a primary data source such as an ERP system it is likely the this will not encompass all of the required data which the user will want to report on and analyses. There is normally a profusion of data sources, whether they are personal, such as an Excel workbook, or other business specific system such as a forecasting or budgeting system.
2012 Whitepaper - Business Intelligence without BI
ETL and Data Warehousing is not Self Service Business Intelligence
While a data warehouse and ETL tools will allow users to combine data from multiple sources this is not self service BI. The BI tool itself should encompass the ability to combine data on the fly.
WhitePaper - Visual analysis for everyone
Meta data is helpful to Self Service BI
Meta Data, or data about data, simply put is the labels referring to the database field, the data type (string, numeric, date, datetime etc.). The meta data on many system is a standard shipped with an associated product such as an ERP system. It is unlikely that this description will be accurate in all cases, it is normal to change the use of some fields within system and having the ability to simply change the type and description of these fields within a BI system adds greatly to the ease of use of the system. While this is often achieved using a Data Warehouse this is again inconsistent with self service BI. The BI tool itself should have the ability to perform this task on the fly and make these changes.
What is Rapid-Fire business Intelligence?
There are occasions when you need analysis now, and require the ability to perform "Data Discovery" . Data discovery is becoming ever more important, as competitive companies look for information which would give them a competitive advantage. Having the ability to explore beyond the bounds of a traditional BI report with fixed structures and following predetermined 'drill paths' allows the user to exceed the initial purpose of the report and find new information.
Whitepaper - Business Intelligence without IT
Qlikview, Spotfire, Tableau are very fast
The in memory products, such as Qlikview and Tableau have an advantage here giving blistering performance. Though Qlikview requires that all data is loaded into memory and requires that the data be cut until it fits your memory limitations, this is performed via scripting and may be beyond the casual or 'application' user, more of an IT or 'Super User' function. Tableau has no such limitation.
Cognos is Enterprise focussed Business intelligence
Rapid-Fire also covers the development cycle from purchase through to the eventual enterprise roll out. Products such as Cognos from IBM are widely used but the development cycle for dashboard production does not match that of the new products to the market place and they tend to be more rigid. IBM Cognos meets the need of the high end enterprise market.
MXI are pleased to announce a 2 day Fundamentals course in Dublin on 24th & 25th January 2012.
Audience:
This course is designed for the beginner to intermediate-level Tableau user. It is for anyone who works with data – regardless of technical or analytical background. This course is designed to help you understand the important concepts and techniques to move from simple to complex visualisations and learn how to combine them in interactive dashboards.
Register Here
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this class, the student will be able to:
• Understand the many options for connecting to data
• Understand the Tableau interface / paradigm – components, shelves, data elements, and terminology.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations
• Use Trend Lines, Reference Lines and statistical techniques to describe your data
• Understanding how to use group, bin, hierarchy, sort, set and filter options effectively
• Work with the many formatting options to fine tune the presentation of your visualizations
• Understand how and when to Use Measure Name and Measure Value
• Understand data changes in data source such as field addition, deletion or name change
• Understand all of your options for sharing your visualizations with others
• Combine your visualizations into Interactive Dashboards and publish them to the web
Course includes: This course will include extensive hands-on activities to re-enforce the skills and knowledge attained.
REGISTRATION
Data Visualisations, A picture paints a thousand words.
If you want to look up a single value or need a total, "Sales of wigdets for period X" then a cross tab report is by far the best way to go. However our requirements tend to be more complex. How did we do is an important question, how are we doing a more important question and the answer we all would like to know is how are we going to do. As such we rely on trends, and numbers do not communicate trends as well as visualisations. A wonderdul example of a simple visualisation or data vizualization is the London underground in the UK. A simple map that is a recognised emblem of the UK and London the world over.
Need to grab someone attention fast!
There is no doubt that charting / mapping / visualisating your data will make for a more effective presentation. Visualisations have progressed beyond the pie chart. Today we expect a choice of chart and increasingly maps, as well as having the option to drop in appropriate background images. Google does this very well with Maps and street level view.
A picture paints a thousand words.
Gartner states Tibco, Qliktech and Tableau are leaders in visualizations.
If Visualisations are the most important feature for you then Tibco Spotfire is worth a look, however it was reported on as a high-end niche product by Gartner and has higher than average licence costs than Tableau for example. Qlikview from Qliktech is another strong contender, connecting quickly to data and visualisation.
For further information on the use of visualisations it is worth referring to Stephen Few who is a leading authority on this subject and has a number of publications.
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