5 Secrets to Improve Tableau Productivity
I can’t help but analyze every part of my life. At this point, it’s deeply ingrained into my psyche. I even jumped on the latest fitness tracking craze to measure my activity level. For those that want to know, I use a Jawbone Up. This is largely because of the easily accessible CSV files to visualize in […]
Using Comments in Tableau
There’s something you can do to make your data easier to work with in Tableau, and I bet you’re not doing it. I love sharing this tip when I teach Tableau. Right-click on any dimension or measure in the Data pane and choose Default Properties > Comment. You’ll be presented with a text editor where […]
How to Handle the Headache of Leading Zeros in Tableau
This question comes up in training almost every time: “My data has leading zeros. When I connect to my datasource in Tableau, it strips them off. How can I get them back?” How, indeed. This solution actually came from a training attendee, which pretty much adds new meaning to the phrase “train the trainer.” […]
How I Went from Golf Pro to InterWorks Systems Administrator
It has always been interesting to ask people what they wanted to be when they were a kid and compare it to the career they actually embraced as an adult. Growing up, hands down, I was going to be a fireman. Putting out fires and being able to use all the cool equipment, saving people […]
Tableau 101: Mouse Control
Want to improve your efficiency in Tableau? One of the best pro-tips you can learn is how to properly utilize mouse functions in the tool. I know, I know … your first response was probably: “Really? We are going to discuss how to use a mouse?” ABSOLUTELY YES! Most of us think we have our […]
How I Went from Jack of All Trades to InterWorks Principal Consultant
I was one of those kids who always changed what they wanted to be when they grew up. “Architect!” I might say one day. A few days later, I might change that to Imagineer, scientist, artist, psychologist or game developer. I never wanted to pick one thing; there were too many things to learn about. […]
Questions from Tableau Training: Speeding Up Presentation Views when Using Tableau
Making presentations from Tableau can be a winning occurrence when you are able to make the production interactive. The world of the slide deck, with static images relaying only one objective, can be a thing of the past when using Tableau for your demonstrations. When you have multiple sheets in your workbook, the questions that […]
Monitor Your Tableau Server without the GUI
If you enjoy monitoring your Tableau Server cluster by constantly refreshing the admin view (image below), this might be for you. Whether it’s the repetitive clicking or the severe lack of sleep that’s got you down, this tip might give you a much-needed break. So, free up some time and enjoy life. Go running, explore […]
Tableau Terminology 101: Pills, Shelves and Dashboards, Oh My!
Tableau software is incredible in its own right, but it’s even more amazing once you actually understand all the words they throw at you in training. Most of it is pretty intuitive, and that’s exactly how Tableau wants it to be. But, there are a couple terms that completely threw me off. Learning their definitions […]
EqualLogic and VMware: Reclaim Unused Disk Space for EQL Volume
For many businesses, using thin provisioned volumes is the best way to optimize a virtual machine environment. This can be applied at both the hypervisor level and the storage area network level. In the case of VMware and EqualLogic (EQL), although both can be used in conjunction with one another and both will continue to […]