At the Tableau Conference 2024, the company known for its data visualization software announced a series of updates to its platform. These updates aim to make data analytics more accessible and automated, enabling more workers to utilize data in business decision-making.
Currently, only a fraction of workers incorporate data into their business decisions. Tableau’s initiative is to make analytics tools easier to use and more automated, allowing for data-driven recommendations to be more widely adopted.
The company views artificial intelligence (AI) as a key tool in making data analytics more user-friendly. A recent Forrester Research report indicates that organizations using AI technologies have seen cost savings in operations, and nearly half have developed AI-based data products that generate revenue.
The new features announced by Tableau are designed to enhance the experience for data analysts, broaden the reach of data analytics, and improve scalability for IT administration and governance. These updates are part of a comprehensive upgrade to the platform.
At the conference, Tableau will showcase over a dozen new features during the “Devs on Stage” session. This event allows Tableau Developers to demonstrate new features live. The session will highlight new tools that have been frequently requested by data analysts.
One of the key features introduced is Viz Extensions. These extensions allow users to create complex diagrams, such as Sankey Charts and Network Diagrams, more efficiently. A new extension for Sankey charts enables users to build these diagrams with fewer steps, simplifying the process that previously required intricate data preparation.
Viz Extensions are also available through an open API, which developers can use to create custom visualization templates. Tableau has highlighted extensions created by partners, including a KPI decomposition tree and rich text tables with data writeback capabilities, catering to users who work with data in spreadsheet formats. Another partner has introduced a tree diagram for hierarchical data representation.
These enhancements reflect Tableau’s commitment to expanding the capabilities of its platform and fostering a community of developers who contribute to its ecosystem.
Tableau Enhances Data Analytics with New Features
Tableau has introduced new features to its data analytics platform, announced at the Tableau Conference 2024. These features are designed to simplify the process of working with complex data from various sources.
Analysts often face the challenge of preparing and modeling data, which can be time-consuming. To address this, Tableau has developed Shared Dimensions and Composable Data Sources. Shared Dimensions enable the creation of intricate data models with multiple fact tables. Composable Data Sources allow analysts to add their data to existing sources without altering the base model.
These tools enable the creation of a single model that can support numerous data visualizations. For instance, a manufacturing company could merge data from different areas such as the assembly line, employee shifts, and supplier shipments into one model. This model could then be used to create dashboards and reports on a variety of topics, all based on a unified set of metrics.
Tableau is also expanding its educational initiatives with the Tableau Desktop Public Edition. This free version of Tableau allows users to work on data locally or share it on the Tableau Public platform. The aim is to support the next generation of data analysts by providing free access to software and learning resources.
The company is also focusing on making data analytics more accessible to business workers through AI. Tableau Pulse, introduced earlier this year, offers personalized insights using AI. New features for Pulse and the beta version of Einstein Copilot for Tableau have been announced. Einstein Copilot assists users in data exploration and visualization with AI support. It includes AI-assisted data transformation, which simplifies the data preparation process, and the ability to automatically generate data descriptions, making it easier for users to find and understand data sources.
Tableau Introduces New Features and Expands with Hyperforce
Tableau has announced updates to its analytics platform at the Tableau Conference 2024, focusing on personalized insights and scalability. Tableau Pulse, a feature of the platform, now offers enhanced capabilities:
- “Ask” Q&A: This feature allows users to query their metrics using natural language. For instance, a user can ask about the leading contributors to a marketing campaign, and Tableau Pulse will provide the insights directly on the user’s preferred platform, such as Slack or email.
- Metrics Bootstrapping: Within a Tableau dashboard, users can now save their calculations to the platform’s metrics layer. This enables continuous monitoring and generates proactive insights about trends and their drivers.
- Metric Goals: Users can set benchmarks or goals for their metrics, allowing them to track progress and compare it against targets throughout a period.
Additionally, Tableau has integrated Salesforce’s Hyperforce into its Tableau Cloud platform to enhance scalability. This integration allows Tableau to deploy new AI features more efficiently and meet data residency requirements for customers. The company has also introduced Tableau+, a premium bundle, and updated support models with Success Plans.
The use of Hyperforce is set to improve the performance of Tableau Cloud, making it more suitable for large-scale enterprise implementations. It enables faster expansion into new regions and data centers, catering to customers with specific data hosting needs and facilitating compliance with certifications like FedRAMP.
Perspective on the news:
“Tableau Conference is the data event of the year, and critically, a chance for us to say ‘thank you’ to our community who have been so supportive and made us successful as a business. We’re expressing that gratitude by bringing dozens of new features to market that we believe our customers will love,” said Ryan Aytay, CEO of Tableau. “I’m excited for the future and to also share the vision for the next generation of Tableau.
“At Merck, we are constantly looking for new ways to innovate so we can better serve our patients, customers, and partners,” said Walid Mehanna, Chief Data & AI Officer, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “Data and AI are an integral part of our strategy, and leveraging Tableau Pulse to access critical insights in real-time is going to make our decision-making faster and more precise than ever before.”
“Customers must consider a variety of factors when selecting data and analytics technologies,” said Chandana Gopal of IDC Research. “They need to leverage modern tools powered by AI or they’ll fall behind their competitors. But they also need systems that are easy to manage at scale. They need confidence that their platform of choice is supported by talent in the market to build out the staffing and processes required for a data-driven business. Platforms that offer all of these components, packaged in a way that customers can consume, are increasingly valued in today’s technical environment.”