1.1 Watch 'Tableau at Splash - When to use Published Data Source vs Direct Data Warehouse connection' | Microsoft Stream (April 2021) - Salesforce data focus

• explains the difference between Splash published data sources and Splash data warehouse;
• explains the content and data structure of every option, when to select which option;
• shows the practical steps of how to connect to each;
• where to get help.

For additional info , after watching the video, please contact the Program Data team staff in your city.

1.2 Watch Intro to CommCare data analysis using Tableau-Recording (January 2023) - CommCare focus

• how CommCare data you collect looks in different systems: in Commcare and in the data warehouse tables (DWH). 
• Splash data tech stack 20221115 Splash MLE Overview.pptx (sharepoint.com) slides 32-34
• demo of how to access individual CommCare tables via live data warehouse connection (login instructions How to access the data warehouse - Asana 
• demo of how to access published data sources Programs Published Data Sources - Tableau Cloud
• Practice of querying data (Project WISE Phase 1 vs. 2, tricks for multi-select questions analysis, geography filters, etc.)

3.  Join Tableau Community project in Asana

4. See articles below

How to access the data warehouse

What's within the data warehouse (key & outline)

Other topics covered in the Asana page:

Resources for new Splash employees:

• Splash Tableau Reports and Dashboards for Viewers: Access and Navigation
• Splash Tableau Reports and Dashboards for Viewers: Splash Dashboard Catalog and Details (Programs Focus)

SharePoint folders with additional files to review prior to creating new dashboards:

MLE - Tableau Resources - All Documents (sharepoint.com)

1. Excellent article 7 tips and tricks from the dashboard experts
   • Steal like an artist
   • Avoid clutter
   • Use a grid layout
   • Use the right fonts
   • Simplify your use of color
   • BANs
   • Collaborate and iterate

2. Video: 10 Steps to Ensure Dashboarding Success: Leverage the Methods of Google, Apple and Tesla (Webinar Recording) ~ 30 minutes

3.  Five Keys to Successful Tableau Whiteboarding Workshops Deep Dive!

• Broad Stakeholder Engagement
• Tools Ready to Go
• Bring Questions to Ask
• Neutral Facilitator
• Approach and Mindset

4. Which Type of Chart or Graph is Right for You?

'You’ve got data and you’ve got questions, but what's the best way to visualize that data to get the answers you need? Transforming data into an effective visualization or dashboard is the first step towards making your data make an impact.'

5. Tableau : Visual Analysis Best Practices: simple techniques for making every data visualization useful and beautiful :

• Start with questions
• Choose the right chart type
• Create effective views
• Design holistic dashboards

6. Tableau : 10 Best Practices for Building Effective Dashboards

7. Tableau : Dashboard Layout and Design : do's and don'ts

• Simplicity
• Clarity
• Efficiency

8. Visual Vocabulary by Andy Kriebel

Quote: 'There are so many ways to visualise data - how do we know which one to pick? Click on a category below to decide which data relationship is most important in your story, then look at the different types of charts within the category to form some initial ideas about what might work best. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, nor a wizard, but is a useful starting point for making informative and meaningful data visualizations.'

Will formulas that I use in Excel work in Tableau calculations? Quick answer is : no. Even if you are an experienced Excel user and know how to create formulas in Excel, you will have to learn the Tableau approach. Resources below are an excellent start. 

Quote: 'Commonly used formulas like ABS(), MAX(), SUM() and LEFT() work in Tableau. According to Unilytics internal research, 30% of Tableau formulas have an exact match in Excel. And many others are quite close. For example, in Excel we would write IF([Cost]>=100, “Expensive”, “Affordable”). In Tableau it’s just slightly different: IF [Cost]>=100 then “Expensive” ELSE “Affordable” END, or if you only have a single if/then, IIF([Cost]>100, “Expensive, “Affordable”). 

Many other formulas in Tableau match the structure of SQL, which is used in Microsoft Access and database programs like SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL. The only formulas truly unique to Tableau are the Table Calculation and Level of Detail functions.'

1. Formatting Calculations in Tableau fundamental article, well organized, starts with basics

Quote: This article describes how to create and format calculations in Tableau. It lists the basic components of calculations, and explains the proper syntax for each.

2. Tips for Learning How to Create Calculations (follow link to see many helpful resources and details)

Quote: 'There is no easy way to know exactly how to create the perfect formula; it takes practice and research. However, here are some ways you can start to learn:

• Know your question or purpose
• Learn Tableau functions
• Learn how to format calculations
• Learn from other examples '

3.  Table Calculation Types This article describes the types of table calculations available in Tableau and when to use them. It uses simple examples to demonstrate how each calculation transforms data in a table. 

4. Tableau Essentials: Calculated Fields – Introduction / by Interworks Start of the excellent Tableau Essentials: Calculated Fields blog series.

 5. Creating a Calculated Field Comment - this is the best practice and must be used in Splash calculations. As always, pelase add your initials and comment date. 

Quote: 'The important part is to comment your intentions. In other words, comment what you want your calculated field to do (and why), not HOW the calculation works... a comment is your way of communicating with the person that will come along after you and have to maintain your Tableau dashboards.'

Example:

[Hygiene Infrastructure/Handwashing Station Installation Date]>= [Grant Allocation/Grant Period Start Date]

AND

[Hygiene Infrastructure/Handwashing Station Installation Date]<= [Grant Allocation/Grant Period End Date]

//ML 2020/05/15 Handwashing Station was installed within the Grant Start and End date period

6. How to Save time and stay consistent with a template of calculated fields / How to create a template workbook of calculated fields

Quote: 'First, create a Tableau workbook using very basic data source, like a single record Excel sheet with a date field, a string dimension, and a measure. From there, create every calculated field you commonly use (and any parameters that go with them). 

Next, go through and group calculations into folders. This allows you to better organize calculations for when you need them later. Finally, go through and add comments to all your calculated fields (additional details to come later). Then save the workbook as, for example "calculations workbook."'

7. Fixing Tableau Errors: Cannot mix Aggregate and Non Aggregate Arguments very common error in Tableau calculated field, refer to this article for explanation on why and how to fix it

 8. Business Day Calculations this is the approach Splash uses to calculate the # of business days between 2 days.

9. Nested IF Statements in Tableau useful tricks for those of us who are comfortable writing formulas in Excel but have trouble with Tableau calculations

Quote: 'If you are coming to Tableau from Excel you are probably familiar with nested if statements. Nested IF statements occur when you have multiple criteria that need to be satisfied to return a certain output. Tableau’s if statements are a little different than other tools.'

Containers are hard to start using but once you do, they make the dashboard creation and changes simpler and faster. Review the select resources below to start learning. All Splash dashboards use containers!

Article Understanding Layout Containers in Tableau | InterWorks

Layout Containers in Tableau 8 force spatial relationships between dashboard components. Conceptually, they allow the dashboard designer to format common elements and move multiple dashboard objects at the same time. 

Layout Containers come in one of two options: Horizontal or Vertical. 

• Horizontal layout containers allow the designer to group worksheets and dashboard components left to right across your page and edit the height of all elements at once. 
• Vertical containers allow the user to group worksheets and dashboard components top to bottom down your page and edit the width of all elements at once.

Video overview 6 minutes : Tableau Layout Containers Explained in Under 10 mins : 2020 Updated - YouTube

Video with practical step-by-step 45 minutes : Mastering Containers in Tableau - YouTube (highly recommended by Simon Beaumont)

https://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2019/5/save-dashboard-filters-custom-views-for-viewer-role-105941

Quote: 'A Custom View is a way to save the current state of a dashboard or view after you’ve made selections or changes like sorting, filtering, panning, zooming, drilling down, or altering parameters. Changes can be saved into scenarios, with each scenario being its own Custom View. You can easily save these scenarios as a default from the dialog menu so the interactions are reapplied automatically whenever you access this dashboard or view. Think of Custom Views as a way to bookmark your data.

How to create Custom Views

When you have a dashboard exactly as you want it, with all the filters, sorts, selections and zooms applied, click the View option in the toolbar. Enter a name for your Custom View that helps you remember what interactions it has. Then click Save to preserve the Custom View.'

Create a Subscription to a View or Workbook

Quote: 'Subscriptions email you an image or PDF snapshot of a view or workbook at regular intervals—without requiring you to sign in to Tableau Server or Tableau Online.'

Use PDF subscriptions, new in Tableau 2019.3, for report bursting

Quote: 'With the new PDF attachment to subscription, users can easily create a report bursting workflow in Tableau by combining PDF attachment in subscriptions and User Filters in workbooks.

If a sales analyst needs to send individual performance reports or dashboards to their salespeople on a regular basis, he or she needs a way to deliver the reports efficiently without having to create separate reports for each recipient. This is often called report bursting⁠—the ability to send user specific reports to a large group of recipients with data filtered for each⁠—and PDF subscriptions which is included in Tableau 2019.3 makes it possible.'

Splash use case: Splash typically uses live data from the Splash data warehouse, that is regularly refreshed to reflect the latest data in Salesforce and Commcare. Users outside of Splash and many internal users do not have or need access to the data warehouse. In this case a packaged workbook that uses a data extract ('snapshot' of data that does not refresh) can be useful.

Packaged Workbooks  - for Splash use and a workbook connected to a data warehouse data source, please follwo the steps in section 'Create a .twbx with non-file-based data sources'.

Beyond Google and many YouTube videos from around the world on how to solve a Tableau problem or best approach, here are a few highly recommended additional resources for your learning:  

https://community.tableau.com/s/

 'Library' of Tableau resources and a forum to ask/answer questions by other Tableau users from around the globe.

https://interworks.com/blog/

Clear examples and explanations. Blog is frequently updated with explanation and examples of the latest Tableau features.

Highly recommend the 'Tableau Essentials' series to learn/refresh skills, 30+ step-by-step blog posts on 3 main topics: Chart Types, Formatting Tips, Calculated Fields.

https://playfairdata.com/blog/

A Spreadsheet is Not a Data Visualization 

'... Spreadsheets are extremely valuable in business. They can be used in accounting, to store information, or to do calculations, just to name a few purposes.

However, a spreadsheet or text table view of data is not a data visualization. In my opinion, putting one or more of these text tables in one place does not make for a dashboard. To me, dashboards and data visualizations help users interpret data by leveraging the power of visualization...'

1. https://everydaydashboards.com/

Great examples of various dashboards by purpose, for inspiration.

'everydaydashboards.com is all about sharing real life dashboards. Dashboards made by real users. The purpose isn’t to show off clever charts, or amazingly designed infographics from fun personal projects. Instead we want to share what Tableau users are creating for work, with real dashboards for real users.

Real dashboards have time limits, they have requirements, they have users who insist on things you don’t want to do, they are built by users who haven’t had time to master tools like Tableau fully. They have their compromises and their faults, but at everydaydashboards.com we love a real dashboard and we want you to share you examples with us.'

2. https://www.makeovermonday.co.uk/gallery/

Very cool community initiative where people work on same data sets, to create ‘same’ Vizzes but end up with very different results and learn in the process!! I love seeing what people come up with and you can download and see how they got each result. Lots of archived Vizzes there to explore too!

'Makeover Monday is your weekly learning and development appointment with yourself and hundreds of passionate data people. For free! Join us every Monday to work with a given data set and create better, more effective visualizations and help us make information more accessible. The Makeover Monday community comes together every week from around the globe and we would love for YOU to become part of it, too.'

3. JLL Business Intelligence Style Guidance for Tableau

Splash's friend, Tableau Zen Master Simon Beaumont works at JLL, a global real estate firm. His team of Tableau viz specialists created this useful style guide/template where they share recommendations on how to create professional, 'on brand'-looking dashboards in Tableau. Many useful links and tips are included on each page!

'In JLL we use this as a playbook for creating consistency across our Dashboards & educate our analysts around data viz best practice; enabling a consistent, positive user experience, allowing people to see & understand their data.'

 4. Visualizing Survey Data by Data Revelations. Steve Wexler, guru of visualizations, watch video and download his examples from the 2014 Tableau Conference .

5. http://www.storytellingwithdata.com/blog and https://community.storytellingwithdata.com/

'Improve your graphs, charts, and data visualizations'

6. https://dataviz.love/ by Starchema

Visual Cues and Icons in Tableau Desktop

'Tableau provides many visual cues to help you evaluate the type of data that’s displayed in the Data pane and the state of a data view.'

• Data sources in the Data pane
• Fields in the Data Pane
• Fields on Shelves
• Fields on the Marks card
• Sheets in the Dashboards and Worksheets pane
• Fields in the Calculation editor

What to consider when using text in data visualizations : Text is maybe the most underrated element in any data visualization. There’s a lot of text in any chart or map — titles, descriptions, notes, sources, bylines, logos, annotations, labels, color keys, tooltips, axis labels — but often, it’s an afterthought in the design process. This article explains how to use text to make your visualizations easier to read and nicer to look at.

How to Filter Data Across Multiple Data Sources : Splash use case: a colleague sends you a list of 78 Salesforce Site IDs  and are asked to provide the contact name and population size for each. Follow this article's steps to filter out Splash data warehouse data source to only 78 Salesforce Site IDs in just a few steps.

What is a data dashboard? by Klipfolio (what is a data dashboard, how they work, how they are used, why you should visualize data, etc.)