Data Visualization Assignment Using Tableau Business Analytics Software

Accounting information systems produce large amounts of data about a company’s business processes. Data visualization tools are one way of helping managers make sense of these data. The purpose of this assignment is to give you hands-on experience building a data visualization application using Tableau. Tableau is a leading software application for business intelligence. Tableau has interactive real-time functionality allowing users to build data viewing applications within an easy drag and drop interface. 

This assignment contains two parts. First, you will complete a tutorial designed to get you familiar with the basics of Tableau. Next, your task will be to design a data viewing application in Tableau to help a manager make sense of sales and profit data for an office supply superstore. Detailed information regarding this assignment and using Tableau follow the tutorial.

Following are general instructions (a tutorial) for a sample dataset (Sample - Superstore Sales (Excel).xls) to get you started. Please note that there are two different Excel files: one for the following tutorial (Sample Superstore Sales (Excel).xls) and one for the assignment you turn in (SuperDepotSales 2016-2018.xlsx).

Part 1. Tableau Basic Instructions

Note: These instructions show you the functionality of the software and provide an example of the functionality.  For your assignment, you need to decide what information is useful and how to best present that information, meaning that you should not create chart(s)/graph(s) exactly like these examples. Instead, you need to create your own chart(s)/graph(s).

Getting Tableau:

Option1:

1. Download the latest version of Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder here

2. Click on the link above and select “Download Tableau Desktop” and “Download Tableau Prep Builder”. On the form, enter your school email address for Business E-mail and enter the name of your school for Organization.

3. Activate with your product key:  TCSH-5F4A-F850-E7D0-EF69 (see the figure below)

4. Already have a copy of Tableau Desktop installed? Update your license in the application: Help menu → Manage Product Keys

Note: the key above is for your use only. Please don’t share as we have enough licenses for this course only. This key will allow you to activate Tableau Desktop for the duration of the course.

Option2:

You can use the trial version of Tableau or request a student license. I recommend requesting a one-year Desktop key through the Tableau for Students program. Each year you are enrolled as a full-time student, you can request a new one-year key.

New to Tableau? Check the free Data Analytics for University Students guide provided by Tableau to get started.

Note: 

Tableau offers several training videos at http://www.tableau.com/learn/training.  Select any of the On-Demand Training, specifically the Getting Started and The Tableau Interface. You may have to enter your data again to view the videos.

The above videos are also available from within Tableau from the Discover panel on the right side of your Tableau window when you first open Tableau (See Figure 1) or from the Help menu.

Even if you choose not to watch the videos, you definitely want to learn a little more about the terminology used in Tableau. Select Help from the Menu and select Open Help. Choose the Getting Started option from the Navigation pane on the left.  From there, click on The Tableau Environment and finally, The Tableau Workspace. See the screenshot and explanations below for a quick overview of the Tableau workspace.

Assignment

superdepotsales