Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class – Zurich

Date:
Monday, March 12, 2012 – Tuesday, March 13, 2012
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Central Europe Time

Trainer speaks: English, German, Dutch

Location:
act-Academy GmbH
Obstgartenstrasse 29
Kloten CH-8302
Switzerland
Get Location Map

Full Course Description

Cost (USD): $1,390

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 used in Tableau to
move from simple to complex visualizations and learn how to combine them in interactive
dashboards.

Prerequisites: None

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. The student will be able to use this knowledge to effectively create the most
  powerful visualizations.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom
  aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations.
• Able to represent your data using the following visualization types:

• 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 how to deal with data changes in your 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.Click here to go and book the Course! Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class

Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class – Brussel

Date:
Monday, February 20, 2012 – Tuesday, February 21, 2012
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Central Europe Time

Location:
Altimate Belgium (Learnwise)
Woluwedal 30a
Sint-Stevens-Woluwe
Belgium
Get Location Map

Full Course Description

Cost (USD): $1,390

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 used in Tableau to
move from simple to complex visualizations and learn how to combine them in interactive
dashboards.

Prerequisites: None

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. The student will be able to use this knowledge to effectively create the most
  powerful visualizations.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom
  aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations.
• Able to represent your data using the following visualization types:

• 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 how to deal with data changes in your 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.Click here to go and book the Course! Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class

Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class – Berlin

Date:
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – Thursday, February 16, 2012
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Central Europe Time

Trainer speaks: English, German, Dutch

Location:
New Horizons
Zimmerstrasse 23
Berlin 10969
Germany
Get Location Map

Full Course Description

Cost (USD): $1,390

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 used in Tableau to
move from simple to complex visualizations and learn how to combine them in interactive
dashboards.

Prerequisites: None

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. The student will be able to use this knowledge to effectively create the most
  powerful visualizations.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom
  aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations.
• Able to represent your data using the following visualization types:

• 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 how to deal with data changes in your 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.Click here to go and book the Course! Tableau Fundamentals 2-Day Class

Step 1: On your dimension pane, right-click and select Create Calculated Field.

Name: Instructions

Formula : “Hover over for Instructions ->”

Step 2: Drag the Calculated Field Instructions onto the Rows Shelf and then select the Mark of your choice on the Marks shelf.

You may also want to increase the size of the mark.

Step 3: Go to your Dashboard and drag the instruction sheet onto your dashboard and remove all field labels and titles from the view.

Step 4: You now have a blank field on your dashboard that has a tooltip you can edit to contain instructions. Now when you hover your mouse on the circle, your     instructions will appear in the tooltip.

(“Hover Help”) idea from Steve Wexler)

The aggregate functions that Tableau makes readily available to the user are Sum, Average, Count, Maximum, Minimum, Standard Deviation, Standard Deviation (Pop.), Variance, Variance (Pop.)  You can see this list of all readily available predefined aggregates by dragging a measure to a shelf, right clicking and hovering over Measure.  In this case, because most measures’ default aggregate state is Sum, it is listed in parentheses next to the measure.  If you had selected something else, you’d see that corresponding aggregation instead.

Of all the functions listed, Sum (represented as SUM in Tableau) is probably the most familiar to all users.  SUM simply takes a sum of values in a set and, as suggested, sums them.

Average (AVG) is also quite familiar to most users; it will take a group of values and provide the familiar calculation.  Note that averaging as a measure of central tendency is sensitive to outliers.  Therefore, if you desire that sort of knowledge, consider the use of the median as well, which we will address at a later date.

Count (CNT) simply counts the number of items in a particular group.  Tableau also has a Distinct Count function (COUNTD) which can be used in custom calculations as well.

Maximum (MAX) and Minimum (MIN) will output the largest and smallest values within a group, respectively.

More statistical in nature are the presence of Standard Deviation (STDEV) and Variance (VAR) aggregates. Standard Deviation and Variance are related according to their usual definitions: standard deviation is the square root of variance, and both are a measure of how diverse your data set is.

You probably notice that there are two versions of each measure: one version is done under the assumption that you are using a sample population while the other assumes that you are using an entire population (hence the additional Pop. tag that you see at the end) Consider the following comparison of the two standard deviation functions:

It is hard to tell the difference here, so let me zoom in.

You can see the similarities in each year in this combination chart:

You’ll notice that I had to zoom in pretty far to resolve the differences in the bar graphs; in fact, the tool tip shows that there is only one dollar difference between the two standard deviation measures in 2012.  And, with the combination chart directly above, you can see both measures overlapping nicely. You won’t notice too much of a difference for a data set as small as this one; for larger ones, the Pop. versions of these aggregate calculations will produce more accurate results.  And this rule applies to the variance function as well.

Another important point on the topic of predefined aggregates is the data set you are working with.  Tableau is great in that it can interface with almost any data source you may be working with and create visualizations from that data; however, it cannot perform the predefined calculations on every data source that it encounters.  For example, when working with Excel spreadsheets, Tableau cannot perform the Distinct Count function mentioned above because Excel does not support that function.   Also, Data Cubes are designed such that all aggregations need to be done before Tableau gets its hands on it, so Tableau has very limited functionality in working with cubes.  The aggregate functions available in Tableau will only be those directly supported by your data source.

There is a way to enhance the functionality of some (not all) data sources.  If working with a relational data source, you can have Tableau convert your data into its own proprietary data extract format.  A data extract, or .tde file, is Tableau’s way of arranging your data for optimal performance, and, again, can only convert relational data sources, so data cubes aren’t able to be converted.  Furthermore, because .tde files are native to Tableau, there are no calculation restrictions when working data in that format.  In the case of connecting to Excel spreadsheets or Access databases, Tableau actuallyadds functionality because you can take advantage of the Distinct Count function only when converted into an extract.  Therefore, to take full advantage of all the aggregation tools, definitely convert your data into an extract.

2. Keep dashboards to 4 panes and imagine a Z pattern of importance from upper left to lower right.

3. Don’t build grids or pivot-table-looking dashboards. Use visual analytics and bring details in on demand via filter actions, jump filters, annotation or customized tooltips.

4. Pimp your tooltips at the end. If you don’t, you will create more work for yourself.

5. Use color sparingly and never more than 2 ways in a single dashboard. Preferably one.

6. Avoid pie charts for one to many comparisons.

7. Use bullet graphs or bar charts.

8. Don’t repeat the same chart type in dashboards – its boring.

9. Leverage data blending for ad hoc analysis to add meaning and WOW factor.

10. Strive for a high data to ink ratio – eliminate color, shape, size or text that doesn’t add information or is redundant.

Finally, be aware of the three types of data and in what contexts they arise.  And, to insure success….get training….preferably a 2-day onsite to learn technique….from InterWorks.

2011 was the year I started working for Interworks.  Working for Interworks has been the single best working experience of my life.  I’ve always believed that the only way to grow as a professional is to surround yourself with people that are better than you.  I crave the sort of challenge I get from working with the best of the best.  I’ve found that team at Interworks.

I try to learn something from everyone I encounter.  I look for mentors everywhere.  This year I learned the most from three members of my team.

Dan Murray (Twitter) taught me how to look at problems with the eyes of a disruptor.  Look for opportunities to disrupt the status quo.  Don’t be afraid to ask ‘Why are you doing it that way’; don’t be afraid to say that there’s a better way.  I’ll let you in on a secret about my team, we’re all disruptors and we’re led by an anarchist (Dan).  Sounds crazy, but it works.

Brian Bickell’s (Twitter)  tagline on twitter is ‘Hide your bad data and screwed up processes, I’m the bad guy with the flashlight.’  This year Brian taught me to grab a flashlight in one hand, a keyboard in the other and dive into the dark places where the bad SQL goes to hide.  Working with Brian has reminded me how much I love problem solving.

The member of my team that’s surprised me the most has been Ben Bausili (Twitter).  Ben is the most creative problem solver on our team.  He’s come up with solutions that astound me.  When I get stuck, I go to Ben.  His solutions are clean, simple … elegant.  In a world of complicated problems, preconceptions and arbitrary limits Ben cuts through the crap and finds the simple answers.  I’m still trying to learn that trick.

This year I’ve learned the difference between contracting and consulting (brother, there are a LOT of differences).  I’ve worked with clients in health care, government and education.  I’ve worked with mega huge companies and very small mom and pop shops.  I’ve learned how to work from home (a first for me) and how to work on the road (another first).  I’ve never worked harder in my life and I’ve never been happier with my work.

Next year I hope to learn more, do more, and be more.  I want to lose some weight and spend some more time with my kids.  I want to be a better husband for my wife.  I want to keep loving what I do every day.  I hope for the same for you.

One of my favorite traditions is the year end retrospective blog post.  This has been a fun year for the DFW.TUG.  We had a lot of great content this year.  The highlights for me were the sessions that members of our group presented.   Sonia Raval did a great talk on data blending and Matt Krzysiak shared a talk on how his workflow has changed since adopting Tableau.  Matt did a version of this talk during out very first session; it was a real pleasure to see it again and to see how his workflow has changed in the last year.

This has been a great year for our group, next year promises even more fun.  We’re planning some sort of event (either a group night or maybe a half day training session) in Dallas, another in Fort Worth and regular group nights in Las Colinas.  This year we’re hoping to do at least one virtual session (Andy Cotgreave will share his Tool Tip magic with us).  There has been some talk of a Dallas Iron Viz challenge where we bring together masters of different analytics tools (like Reporting Services, Qlikview, Tableau) to face off in a data viz showdown.  It will be an epic battle, in the end there can be only one!  (Come on!  I’m allowed at least one gratuitous sci-fi reference per post! – tc)

If you live in the DFW area or find yourself visiting during the third week of any month email me atTim.Costello@Interworks.com and I’ll help you connect with the group.  We’ll be the ones getting geeky with our data!