Next Level Tableau

This course is geared for experienced Tableau users who want to advance their skills to the next level and become a Power User. You will learn the tips and tricks within Tableau that will accelerate your day to day tasks.

What you'll learn

Join an engaging hands-on learning environment, where you’ll learn to:

• Build advanced chart types and visualizations
• Build complex calculations to manipulate your data
• Work with statistics and statistical techniques
• Work with parameters and input controls
• Implement advanced geographic mapping techniques and use custom images and geocoding to build spatial visualizations of non-geographic data
• Implement all options in working with data: Joining multiple tables, data blending, performance considerations, working with the Data Engine, sharing your connections as meta data, and understand when to implement which connection method
• Build better dashboards using techniques for guided analytics, interactive dashboard design, and visual best practices
• Implement many efficiency tips and tricks
• Understand the basics of Tableau Server and other options for sharing your results

This course has a 50% hands-on labs to 50% lecture ratio with engaging instruction, demos, group discussions, labs, and project work.

Course Syllabus

Introduction and Getting Started

• Why Tableau? Why Visualization?
• The Tableau Product Line
• Level Setting – Terminology
• Getting Started – creating some powerful visualizations quickly
• Review of some Key Fundamental Concepts

Filtering, Sorting, and Grouping

• Filtering, Sorting, and Grouping are fundamental concepts when working with and analyzing data
• Advanced options for filtering and hiding
• Understanding your many options for ordering and grouping your data: Sort, Groups, Bins, and Sets
• Understanding how these options inter-relate

Working with Data

• Learn the difference between joining and blending data, and to do each
• Consider the implications of working with large data sets, and options for when and how to work with extracts and the data engine.
• Investigate best practices in “sharing” data sources for Tableau Server users.
• Data Types and Roles
  • Dimension versus Measures
  • Data Types
  • Discrete versus Continuous
  • The meaning of pill colors
• Database Joins
• Data Blending
• Working with the Data Engine / Extracts and scheduling extract updates
• Working with Custom SQL
• Adding to Context
• Switching to Direct Connection
• Building meta data via shared Data Source connections
• Performance considering and working with big data
• OLAP considerations

Working with Calculated Data and Statistics

• Understand the intricacies of manipulating data within Tableau
  • A Quick Review of Basic Calculations
  • Arithmetic Calculations
  • String Manipulation
  • Date Calculations
• Quick Table Calculations
• Custom Aggregations
• Custom Calculated Fields
  • Logic and Conditional Calculations
  • Conditional Filters
• Advanced Table Calculations
  • Understanding Scope and Direction
  • Calculate on Results of Table Calculations
  • Complex Calculations
  • Difference From Average
  • Discrete Aggregations
  • Index to Ratios
• Understanding where Calculations Occur
  • Statistics
  • Reference / Trend Lines
  • Statistical Calculations
  • Summary Stats
  • Cohort Analysis
• Working with Dates and Times
  • Continuous versus Discrete Dates
  • Dates and Times
  • Reference Dates

Advanced Mapping

• Learn the intricacies of working with the mapping function within Tableau including working with custom geographies and geo-coding, working with an alternate WMS server, and spatially visualizing non-geographic data
• Fundamentals Review: Building basic maps
  • Fixing geographies
  • Geographic Fields
  • Map Options
• Built-in Demographics / Layering
• WMS – working with a Web Map Service
• Importing Custom Geographies
• Assigning Geographies to Non-Geographic fields
• Distance Calculations
• Spatially Visualizing non-Geographic Data using background images and geo-coding

Working with Parameters

• How to use parameters to modify our title, create What-If analysis, etc.
• Parameter Basics
  • Data types of parameters
  • Using parameters in calculated fields
  • Inputting parameter values and parameter control options
• Advanced Usage of Parameters
  • Using parameters for titles, field selections, logic statements, and Top X

Building Advanced Chart Types and Visualizations / Tips and Tricks

• Create chart types and visualizations that may be less obvious in Tableau, as well as more common tips and tricks / techniques to assist customers in
• solving more complex problems
• Bar in Bar
• Box Plot
• Bullet Chart
• Custom Shapes
• Gantt Chart
• Heat Map
• Pareto Chart
• Spark Line
• KPI Chart

Best Practices in Formatting and Visualizing

• Formatting Tips
  • Drag to Legend
  • Edit Legend
  • Fill 100% Black Line
  • Highlighting
  • Labeling
  • Legends
  • Working with Nulls
  • Table Options
  • Annotations and Display Options
  • Introduction to Visualization Best Practices

Building Better Dashboards

• How to build effective and interactive applications via dashboarding
• Interactive Dashboards
  • Quick Filters
  • Dashboard Objects
  • Filter Actions
  • Highlighting and Actions
  • Performance
  • Publish to Web
  • Zones
• Guided Analytics
  • Cascading Filters
  • Highlighting
  • Quick filter Options
  • Select then See Visual
  • Self-populating Dashboards
  • Shortcuts
  • URL Actions

Overview – Working with Tableau Server

• Publishing to Tableau Server – Overview of publishing, scheduling and security options
• Tableau Server Usage – Interacting with Published Visualizations