Tableau Desktop Fundamentals

Course Objectives

Working within an engaging, hands-on learning environment led by our Tableau expert practitioner, attendees will learn to:

• Connect to your data.
• Edit and save a data source.
• Understand Tableau terminology.
• Use the Tableau interface / paradigm to effectively create powerful visualizations.
• Create basic calculations including string manipulation, basic arithmetic calculations, custom aggregations and ratios, date math, logic statements and quick table calculations.
• Represent your data using the following visualization types:
• Cross Tabs
• Geographic Maps
• Heat Maps
• Distribution Charts
• Tree Maps
• Pie Charts and Bar Charts
• Dual Axis and Combo Charts with different mark types
• Box Plots
• Highlight Tables
• Scatter Plots
• Use Reference Lines to highlight elements of your data.
• Use groups, bins, hierarchies, sorts, sets, and filters to create focused and effective visualizations
• Use Measure Name and Measure Value fields to create visualizations with multiple measures and dimensions.
• Handle changes in your data source such as field addition, deletion or name changes.
• Share your visualizations with others.
• Combine your visualizations into Interactive Dashboards and publish them to the web.

Course Prerequisites

This is an introductory-level Tableau course geared for attendees new to using the desktop edition of the tool, or for those who want a refresher of the basics or newer features.  Ideal attendees would be beginner Tableau users who want to quickly get up to speed with next-level Tableau features and functions.  Individuals working with data-regardless of technical or analytical background are a fit for this course.

Course Agenda

Introduction

• Tableau Desktop and the Tableau Product Line
• Application Terminology
• Visual Cues for Fields
• Getting Started in Tableau Desktop
• Elements of a Visualization

Connecting to Data

• Creating a Live Data Connection
• Saving and Editing a Data Source
• Metadata Grid
• Understanding Changes to Data
• Data Connection Options
• Sharing Options

Simplifying and Sorting Your Data

• Data Filtering
• Creating Date Filters
• Sorting

Organizing your Data

• Using Groups
• Creating and Using Hierarchies

Slicing your Data by Date

• Working with Dates in Tableau
• Using Discrete Date Parts
• Defining a Fiscal Year
• Creating Custom Dates

Using Multiple Measures in a View

• Using Measure Values and Measure Names in a View
• Combo Charts
• Combined or Shared Axis Charts
• Creating Dual Axis Charts

Showing the Relationship between Numerical Values

• Creating Scatter Plots
• Using Sets

Mapping Data Geographically

• Mapping in Tableau
• Geographic Mapping
• Background Maps and Layers
• Navigation and Selection in Maps

Viewing Specific Values

• Creating Heat Maps
• Creating Crosstabs
• Creating Highlight Tables
• Grand Totals, Sub-Totals, and Changing Aggregation

Customizing your Data

• Calculation Types
• Parts of a Calculated Field
• Options for Creating Calculated Fields
• Strings, Dates, and Type Conversion Functions
• Calculations and Aggregations

Analyzing Data with Quick Table Calculations

• Using Quick Table Calculations

Showing Breakdowns of the Whole

• Pie Charts and Parts of the Whole
• Creating Tree Maps

Viewing Distributions

• Bins and Histograms
• Box and Whisker Plots

Highlighting Data with Reference Lines

• Using Reference Lines
• Reference Bands
• Using the Analytics Pane
• Instant Analytics

Making Your Views Available

• Building Dashboards
• Dashboard Actions

Course Materials

Each student will receive a Student Guide with course notes, code samples, software tutorials, diagrams and related reference materials and links (as applicable). Our courses also include step by step hands-on lab instructions and and solutions, clearly illustrated for users to complete hands-on work in class, and to revisit to review or refresh skills at any time. Students will also receive the course environment software and set up files, project files (or code, if applicable) and solutions required for the hands-on work.