Connecting to your data

Before you can build a view and analyze your data, you must first connect Tableau to your data. Tableau supports connecting to a wide variety of data, stored in a variety of places. For example, your data might be stored on your computer in a spreadsheet or a text file, or in a big data, relational, or cube (multidimensional) database on a server in your enterprise. Or, you might connect to public domain data available on the web such as U.S. Census Bureau information, or a cloud database source, such as Google Analytics, Amazon Redshift, or Salesforce.

For today’s session, we have already imported the data in the Tableau Workbook provided before the Conference. Please see instructions below on how to connect Tableau to an Excel file.

Make the connection and set up the data source

1. After you open Tableau, under Connect, click Excel.2. Select the Excel workbook you want to connect to, and then click Open.3. If your Excel file has one table, click the sheet tab to start your analysis.

You can connect to multiple Excel workbooks at the same time as long as each connection in the data source has a unique name.

Start Building a Visualization (a.k.a Viz)

Now that you have seen what Vizzes are and what Tableau can do, let’s go ahead and build one together.

The basic structure for every view is made of dimension and measure fields placed on the Rows and Columns shelves, and on different properties in the Marks card. You build visualizations by adding fields from the Data pane to the view. As you build a visualization, you can add as many fields as necessary to different areas of the view, and then move those fields around as you explore your data.

Dimensions contain qualitative values (such as names, dates, or geographical data).

Measures contain numeric, quantitative values that you can measure.

For today’s session, we are going to re-build the first dashboard we walked you through i.e. Departmental Analysis. A dashboard is a consolidated display of many worksheets and related information in a single place. It is used to compare and monitor a variety of data simultaneously.

Worksheet 1: Spend by Department

Step 1.1: Create a new blank sheet

At the top left of your screen, you will see ‘Worksheet’ on a menu bar. Click on ‘Worksheet’ and then click on ‘New Worksheet’ as shown below. Alternatively, you can also create a new worksheet by pressing Ctrl + M.

Step 1.2: Create your first view

a. On the left side of the screen, you will see various Dimensions and Measures. From Measures, select and drag ‘Approved Amount (USD)’ to Marks > Size as shown below.

b. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Department’ to Marks> Label. Once you have completed this step, this is what your worksheet should look like.

c. From Measures, select and drag ‘Approved Amount (USD) to Marks> Label. From the menu bar, click on Analysis > Percentage of > Table, as shown below.

d. From Measures, right-click and drag ‘Approved Amount (USD) to Marks> Label. This will open up a ‘drop field’ window. Continue to select ‘SUM(Approved Amount (USD)), as shown below.

e. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Expense Type’ to the Filters. Once you

drag it to the Filters, the filter window will pop-up. On the General tab, continue to select ‘Use all’ and click ‘OK’ as shown below.

f. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Department’ to the Filters. As above, continue to select ‘Use all’ and click ‘OK. Additionally, once you see ‘Department’ appear on the Filters, right-click on ‘Department’ in Filters and then select ‘Show Filter’. You should now be able to see the list of departments on the right side of your screen, as shown below.

g. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Approval Status’ to the Filters. Once the Filter window pops-up, under the General tab, click on ‘Select from list’. Continue to select ‘Approved’ and ‘Approved & In Accounting Review’ and click ‘OK’ as shown below.

h. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Payment Type’ to the Filters. As in previous steps, continue to select ‘Use all’ and click ‘OK.

i. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Transaction Date’ to the Filters. Once the filter window pops-up, double-click ‘Range of Dates’ and specify date range between 01/01/2017 and 12/31/2017 as shown below.

Worksheet 2: Employee Bar Chart

Step 2.1: Create a new blank sheet

At the top left of your screen, you will see ‘Worksheet’ on a menu bar. Click on ‘Worksheet’ and then click on ‘New Worksheet’ as shown below. Alternatively, you can also create a new worksheet by pressing Ctrl + M.

Step 2.2: Create Employee Bar Chart worksheet

a. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Employee Name’ to Rows as shown below.

b. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Department’ to Rows.

c. From Measures, select and drag ‘Approved Amount (USD)’ to Columns.

d. In order to sort the employees by spend, hover the mouse around the x-axis and press the sort button next to Approved Amount USD as shown below.

e. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘ Expense Type’ to Marks > Color.

f. From Dimensions, select and drag ‘Transaction Date’ to the Filters. Once the filter window pops-up, double-click ‘Range of Dates’ and specify date range between 01/01/2017 and 12/31/2017. Additionally, once you see ‘Transaction Date’ appear on the Filters, right-click on ‘Transaction Date’ in Filters and then select ‘Show Filter’. You should now be able to see the a date timeline on the right side of your screen.

g. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Expense type’ to the Filters. As above, continue to select ‘Use all’ and click ‘OK. Additionally, once you see ‘Expense type’ appear on the Filters, right-click on ‘Expense Type’ in Filters and then select ‘Show Filter’. You should now be able to see the list of all Expense Types on the right side of your screen.

h. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Payment type’ to the Filters. As above, continue to select ‘Use all’ and click ‘OK. Additionally, once you see ‘Payment type’ appear on the Filters, right-click on ‘Payment Type’ in Filters and then select ‘Show Filter’. You should now be able to see the list of all Payment Types on the right side of your screen.

i. From Dimensions again, select and drag ‘Approval Status’ to the Filters. Once the Filter window pops-up, under the General tab, click on ‘Select from

list’. Continue to select ‘Approved’ and ‘Approved & In Accounting Review’ and click ‘OK’

Dashboard: Departmental Analysis

Step 3.1: Create a new blank dashboard

At the top left of your screen, you will see ‘Dashboard’ on a menu bar. Click on ‘Dashboard’ and then click on ‘New Dashboard’ as shown below.

Step 3.2: Create a departmental analysis dashboard

a. Once you have a blank dashboard, you will see an area for Sheets on the left side on your screen as shown below.

b. Drag and drop both ‘Spend by Department’ and ‘Employee Bar Chart’ to the empty dashboard, individually. You should now be able to see both your worksheets on one dashboard. You can adjust the view by dragging and placing the worksheet in the order you prefer.

c. Adjust the fit of the view by right-clicking on a worksheet > fit > choose your option, as shown below.

d. To use a unified filter, click on any empty area on your ‘Total Spend by Department’ worksheet in the dashboard, and select the filter icon i.e. use as filter.

e. Fall in love with Tableau.