What are the best practices for using Tableau in IT Consulting?

1 Planning and Designing

Before you start creating dashboards in Tableau, you need to plan and design your project carefully. This involves defining your objectives, audience, data sources, and key metrics. You also need to consider the layout, navigation, and interactivity of your dashboards, as well as the visual elements, colors, and fonts. A good practice is to sketch your ideas on paper or use a wireframe tool to create mockups. This will help you organize your thoughts and get feedback from your clients and stakeholders.

3 Optimizing Performance

To ensure that your dashboards run smoothly and efficiently, you need to optimize your Tableau performance. This involves reducing the size and complexity of your data sources, using filters, aggregations, and extracts wisely, and avoiding unnecessary calculations and custom SQL queries. You can also leverage Tableau's features, such as Data Source Filters, Context Filters, and Extract Optimization, to improve your query speed and performance. Additionally, you can monitor and analyze your Tableau Server or Tableau Online performance using the Admin Views, the REST API, or the Server Logs.

4 Enhancing Security

To protect your data and dashboards from unauthorized access or modification, you need to enhance your Tableau security. This involves encrypting your data at rest and in transit, using strong passwords and authentication methods, and applying the principle of least privilege to your users and groups. You can also use Tableau's features, such as Row-Level Security, User Filters, and Data Source Credentials, to restrict the data access and visibility of your dashboards. Furthermore, you can audit and review your Tableau Server or Tableau Online security settings using the Security Views, the REST API, or the Server Logs.

5 Fostering Collaboration

To increase the value and impact of your dashboards, you need to foster collaboration among your clients, stakeholders, and team members. This involves sharing your insights, feedback, and best practices, as well as enabling interactivity and engagement with your dashboards. You can use Tableau's features, such as Comments, Subscriptions, Alerts, and Web Editing, to communicate and interact with your audience. You can also use Tableau's features, such as Projects, Workbooks, and Views, to organize and manage your workspaces and permissions.

6 Learning and Improving

To keep up with the latest trends and developments in Tableau, you need to learn and improve your skills and knowledge. This involves exploring new features, functions, and techniques, as well as seeking inspiration and guidance from other Tableau experts and communities. You can use Tableau's resources, such as the Help Center, the Knowledge Base, the Training Videos, and the Forums, to learn and troubleshoot. You can also use Tableau's resources, such as the Gallery, the Blog, the Podcast, and the User Groups, to discover and connect.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?