Sr. Manager at a non-profit with 201-500 employees
Real User
Easy to use, good interface, but installation could be simplified
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the solution easy to use and the interface is very good."
  • "The setup was easy but we are having some problems with the configuration that is taking a long time. We have done some initial tests and some of the delays could be from bandwidth issues. However, the whole installation process should be simplified."

What is most valuable?

I have found the solution easy to use and the interface is very good.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for two weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable compared to others solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was easy but we are having some problems with the configuration that is taking a long time. We have done some initial tests and some of the delays could be from bandwidth issues. However, the whole installation process should be simplified.

Buyer's Guide
Tableau
April 2024
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Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated Domo, Microsoft BI, and Qlik, and we have found Tableau is much better.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Tableau a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Process Data Engineer (Subsurface and Wells) at Shell
Real User
Platform to automate and make user-defined customized dashboards

What is our primary use case?

  • Creating dashboards to generate value out of data
  • Great features and functionalities with customized dashboards
  • Very intuitive and massive user support base.

How has it helped my organization?

It has helped to save millions by making informed decisions which are data driven. Visualization of data with great efficiency has helped to integrate dashboards across the organization.

What is most valuable?

  • Platform to automate and make user-defined customized dashboards. 
  • Very well integrated with other applications which helps to move data from one application to another with much ease.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes it crashes because of the huge database. This could be fixed so that it works smoothly with large databases.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Tableau
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Tableau. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Data Analysis Team Leader at Viber
Real User
There are some best-practice shortcuts for tables, which can facilitate implementation.
Pros and Cons
  • "Easy for beginners to use"
  • "Tableau has many different connectors for different databases. It's very easy to connect to MySQL, SQL Server, Amazon EMR, Presto, Redshift, BigQuery, and so on."
  • "Lacks machine learning algorithms that you can implement using R, SPSS Modeler, and Python."

How has it helped my organization?

Three years ago, Viber didn't have any visualization tool to present its massive data inside the company. One month after implementing Tableau, inside Viber we were able to understand much better the business, opportunities and technical problems.

What is most valuable?

  • Drag and drop: It's easy for beginners to use Tableau as it's very intuitive and simple to create insights.
  • Quick table calculations: There are some best-practice shortcuts for tables, which means Tableau can be implemented very quickly.
  • Data Connectors: Tableau has many different connectors for different databases. It's very easy to connect to MySQL, SQL Server, Amazon EMR, Presto, Redshift, BigQuery, and so on. Just name it and they have the connector; the work they do is very impressive.

What needs improvement?

Data science: Tableau lacks machine learning algorithms that you can implement using R, SPSS Modeler, and Python. It has clustering and time-series forecasting abilities which are helpful, but adding machine learning capabilities like decision trees, CHAID analysis and K-means would make this product perfect! Tableau has a connector to R; you can use the ML algorithms there and visualize it back in the Tableau.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Previous versions suffered from instability but that has been fixed in later versions. The current version has no issues with stability as far as I can see.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Tableau is not scalable on the desktop version. On the server version, you can scale it by adding more machines and configuring Tableau to use all of them.

How are customer service and technical support?

One of Tableau’s secrets is that they have one of the best tech support in the world of BI. The community of developers is great, with a lot of contributors; very nice and helpful – for beginners and professionals.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In the past, I used QlikView as the BI solution. It's also a great tool with many features and great support. The problem with QlikView is that it's expensive and it takes longer to implement inside organizations.

How was the initial setup?

It's very simple and quick to implement Tableau in an organization; you can have helpful dashboards in a matter of hours.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Tableau pricing is low compared to other solutions that are in the market; for small-medium businesses, that would provide good cost-effectiveness. For big business, Tableau could be expensive as having a lot of Tableau server users (entering with a browser to reports) could be a bit expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We compared Tableau to QlikView, Panorama Necto and TIBCO Spotfire. We evaluated them by:

  • Price
  • Ease of use
  • Speed of implementation
  • Use-case visualizations

What other advice do I have?

Don't visualize more than 2M data points in a report. Use extracted data and not a direct connection to the database; it will run faster. Don't use too many sections in a report; 3-4 at most. Make most calculations during the ETL process and not in Tableau; every calculation that Tableau does will make the report go slower.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Managing Member at Christina M. Durta, CPA, LLC
Vendor
The ability to make interactive graphs, tables, and maps that can be shared on social media, linked to, or embedded on a website are the most valuable features.

Valuable Features:

The ability to make interactive graphs, tables, and maps that can be shared on social media, linked to, or embedded on a website are the most valuable features. The ability to allow readers to view and download the underlying data is another valuable feature.

Improvements to My Organization:

I just did an analysis of real estate sales in my county (Bay County, FL) and it allowed me to share the results with the public in a way they can make their own discoveries beyond what I have presented. 

Room for Improvement:

Tableau Public is free, which is incredible. However, the paid version is too expensive per user. They need to reduce the cost of the user that is not making the analysis, but only reading / drilling down on the results. It is hard to get a client to pay that kind of money to view reports.

From my conversations with Tableau, their product Tableau Online is what allows others to view and interact with data online privately. The cost per online user is $500 per year. There is a free Tableau Reader, but it is limited. So, if I wanted to make data visualizations for a client or within my own company, I would have to pay for the desktop software to make the visuals plus pay an additional fee for everyone who wants to use the full functions online. Tableau Public is free and an awesome tool, but it is all publicly available.

Deployment Issues:

I've had no issues with deployment.

Stability Issues:

I've had no issues with stability.

Scalability Issues:

I've had no issues with scalability.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user3678 - PeerSpot reviewer
BI Consultant, Author, Trainer on Tableau Software, Speaker with 51-200 employees
Vendor
I would like to see some additional calculation functions but no one has come close to unseating Tableau

What is most valuable?

Ease of use. The power to do anything I want to do. The ability to connect to any data. The ability to merge ("Blend" data from multiple sources). Built in "best practices" in data visualization. Statistical capabilities with the "R" integration.

How has it helped my organization?

I'm a consultant - specializing in Tableau. It allows me to go into a client and be productive immediately. Also, it's ease of use helps me get in the doors, initially - I can walk in, connect to a client's real data, and find insights from that data, in a 30 minute meeting.

What needs improvement?

Everytime I make a request for a new feature, it is, typically, in the next release. I would like to see some additional calculation functions - maybe some statistical one for clients that do not want to have to learn R. As in every product, there are things it does not do, but, I've never had a user need I could not meet.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started with Tableau Desktop in 2005. At that time I had been using Brio Query, Cognos, and some others. Once I saw Tableau, talked to the founders and heard where they were going, I started leaning toward Tableau & I've never looked back!

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

I've had no deployment issues. With some clients that have "specialized/custom designed environments", it may take a few minutes/hours longer to get everything running, but, Tableau Support has always been there for me.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have had a couple crashes - usually linked back to something stupid I did in my Windows machine. I've done some work with the latest Mac version - have had no issues, in it...

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Never. I do a BILLION+ record demo on my notebook, with sub-second response time. As in any other tool/application, proper design is still needed. Tableau affords me the advantage of being able to implement increment aggregate data sets without having IT involvement. THAT is BIG!

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service: Excellent - best Customer Service in the industry, from my experience. I've never had a question or issue where I did not feel like I was their top priority...Technical Support: They suffered some growing pains, for a while. But, they seem to have implemented processes and procedures that aid in the support function. Right now, I rate them as excellent.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was a Cognos and a Brio user / developer. Every update became more fragmented and harder to use - always seemed to be from acquisition, not smart & integrated, development. As an experienced BI consultant, I saw that Tableau's direction was where they all should have been going. Switching was the smartest business decision I ever made!

How was the initial setup?

Server and Desktop install the same way. Double-click on the installer program - click "Next" a few times. Done. You can customize the Server installation, along the way. in many cases, that is not needed. The whole process is easy and fast. Desktop installs in a minute. Initial Server installation can take 10 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

I've always done my own Tableau installations and upgrades - too easy to think about paying someone. There are consulting companies, that specialize in Tableau, for businesses that have too few resources, or, might have a complex environment. For the most part, Tableau Support can help with installation issues. Once set up, I advise clients to work with experienced consultants, for a short period of time, to set up a "production process".

What was our ROI?

As an independent consultant, I have no "projects" of my own. Two comments, 1. My entire income from consulting is based on my Tableau knowledge. In that sense, my ROI is an infinite percent. 2. I've seen clients find actionable insights so fast, and with so much bottom line impact, that the cost of implementing an enterprise environment was paid for, up front, from a two week trial copy of Tableau Desktop.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Tableau Desktop is $1999 per named user (Professional version). There are no add-on fees. Mapping, census demographics, R interface, ALL data connectors - are all included... From my perspective, and from my client's perspectives, the pricing model is ideal. You get it ALL for one price - no issues after the fact...

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes & no. No real "project" to review where I was going. Many times, the client dictates what I would be using. As I developed into more a higher level consultant, I was always looking at new products, and updates from existing ones. In the last nine years, no one has come close to unseating Tableau as my choice...

What other advice do I have?

Start NOW, In the free, full offering trial (2 weeks), coupled with the free on-demand training and passionate & active user community, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Many find they PAY for it, BEFORE they buy it! If you need help, there is Tableau Support, Tableau Consulting and a bunch of us in the independent world, all ready to assist.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
CEO at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 20
With a straightforward initial setup phase in place, the tool is useful for businesses to analyze their sales and service inventory
Pros and Cons
  • "Tableau's initial setup was straightforward."
  • "I don't have the ability in Tableau to create a tooltip and see the picture of a piece of jewelry or watch that is a best seller."

What is our primary use case?

I use Tableau in a jewelry company to analyze sales and service inventory.

What is most valuable?

I can't comment on the valuable features of Tableau. I am familiar with some of the other tools, but I can't point out one specific big feature of Tableau.

What needs improvement?

A specific thing in Tableau is that I have looked at how to add pictures to the reports. I don't have the ability in Tableau to create a tooltip and see the picture of a piece of jewelry or watch that is a best seller.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for over five years. I don't remember the version of the solution I am using, but I feel it is the upgraded version. Maybe the server is not the latest one, which might be behind by a year. I am a customer of the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Tableau does break down a little bit. The server version of Tableau doesn't allow you to see what is going on, making it a part of Tableau that is not great. Tableau's server version doesn't provide the ability to extract the information to see why the reports or dashboard didn't run properly. When you refresh in Tableau, you can't see what it's doing, and nothing happens since it doesn't show you what's going on, and then Tableau gets fixed all of a sudden.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

One of my biggest problems is getting all the users to use Tableau, but that's not a specific problem of the tool alone since it is one of the most common problems among BI tools.

I only have ten Tableau licenses that are used in my company.

How are customer service and support?

I have only sought some local support within Israel for Tableau. The only way to solve the problems in Tableau is through checking on forums.

How was the initial setup?

Tableau is deployed on-premises.

Tableau's initial setup was straightforward. When you need to make complicated dashboards, that can be very difficult in Tableau, but the initial setup was very quick. Connecting the data sources was very easy in Tableau.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing for Tableau is the same as the other products in the market. I haven't checked Tableau's price recently, but I don't think it is a factor when choosing the tool.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing Tableau, I had checked QlikView, which is now Qlik Sense, and I preferred the way Tableau works over Qlik Sense. Tableau made me feel independent and not dependent on programmers, making it more user-friendly.

What other advice do I have?

I would look at Microsoft Power BI. I am unsure if I would push Tableau since it is not a widely used tool. I don't know if others in the field of jewelry use Tableau.

Overall, I rate the solution between a seven and eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Fleet Reporting Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Very easy data analyzation; user friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "Very user friendly."
  • "Implementation requires a technical background."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to create dashboards, analyze data and create presentation of data to have discussions with clients. We also use it to sort huge amounts of data. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is very user friendly, particularly in terms of the ease of analyzing data.

What needs improvement?

Tableau would be difficult to implement without training or the in-house technical support we have.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good, especially now that they've joined with Salesforce.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have support from within the company. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward because the solution is already set up in the company. It was just a matter of requesting it and downloading.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have a global package but I'm not involved in licensing and don't know the cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I had a look at Qlik but didn't get a chance to really evaluate the benefits from one platform to another, other than what you find on the internet. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution nine out of 10, there's always room for improvement. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Manager Analytic & Insights at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A powerful, secure, and flexible end-to-end analytics platform
Pros and Cons
  • "Tableau is easy to use and it has great predictive features."
  • "It would be nice if we could export more raw data. Currently, there is a limit as to how much data you can export."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to process and create reports for management. 

Within our organization, 10 people in marketing use this solution.

How has it helped my organization?

With Tableau, we can create our own reports which in turn, saves us tons of time as we don't have to wait for IT to do it.

What is most valuable?

Tableau is easy to use and it has great predictive features. 

What needs improvement?

It would be nice if we could export more raw data. Currently, there is a limit as to how much data you can export.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Tableau for roughly three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Tableau is very stable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is pretty good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite straightforward. It's not too complex.

What about the implementation team?

We deployed this solution on our own.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of this solution could definitely be lower. It's quite expensive. We're on a monthly subscription — I am not sure exactly how much we pay.

What other advice do I have?

Tableau allows us to go deep inside the data — other solutions, like Excel, don't allow you to do that.

As a BI tool, I would give Tableau a rating of eight out of ten — it's one of the easiest BI tools available; however, it's not that easy to manage orders. It's really user-friendly for individual users, but it may not be suitable for large organizations.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.