Blibli’s Tableau Hack: Optimize Your Insights Instantly!
Optimizer is a powerful tool for identifying and providing recommendations to fix issues against best practices effortlessly. This enables users to experience faster load times and seamless interactions with visualizations. With features like fine-tuning calculations and improving data blending, it helps create visually appealing dashboards for instant insights. In this article, we will explore specific optimization techniques frequently used to enhance Tableau’s performance, along with practical examples for you to use.
How To Use Workbook Optimizer
The workbook optimizer feature is available in the top tab called “Server” Then you can the “Run Optimizer”
After running the optimizer, the user will get a new popup window named “Optimize Workbook” and will see several optimizer categories.
Optimizer Categories
There are three categories of optimizers: “Take action,” “Needs review,” and “Passed.” Each category has its level of urgency.
- Take action: Additional actions are required to enhance performance. Users can follow best practices by clicking on each of the categories. Tableau also provides information on the specific items that require modification. Tableau recommends making changes to these categories.
- Needs review: This implies that adhering to these best practices may necessitate additional modifications to the workbook, such as restructuring a data source or simplifying a dashboard.
- Passed: The passed categories indicate those items in your workbook that already adhere to best practices.
Typically, when an item is labeled ‘take action,’ it is advisable to promptly implement improvements. However, if an item is categorized as ‘needs review,’ it can be considered whether it is still necessary. If it is, and further optimization is not possible, then it is acceptable as it is. However, if further optimization is possible, then optimization can be carried out.
Here Are Some Guidelines That I Frequently Use
There are 20 tips to optimize a Tableau workbook, but I will only discuss the ones that I frequently use.
Create Extracts and Hide Unused Fields Before Extracting
Optimizing the performance of your Tableau dashboard involves several key considerations, with a fundamental step being the creation of data extracts rather than relying on a live data connection. This choice can significantly enhance your dashboard’s responsiveness. When you create an extract, Tableau stores a subset of your data within its file format, allowing for faster data retrieval and analysis. This is especially beneficial when dealing with large datasets or complex calculations. By having a local copy of the data in the Tableau extract, the need to repeatedly query the database for each interaction within the dashboard is eliminated. This reduction in database queries is critical because they can be resource-intensive and time-consuming, causing delays in the dashboard’s performance.
We also need to establish and configure a schedule for when the data source should undergo an extract refresh, whether it’s on a daily or monthly basis. Furthermore, we can tailor the specific time for this process according to our preferences.
Additionally, it is essential to ensure that your data extract remains as streamlined as possible. One way to achieve this is by hiding any fields that are not actively used in your dashboard. This action helps reduce the size of the extract, leading to quicker load times and more efficient data processing. A smaller extract size means that Tableau spends less time loading and managing data, further contributing to an overall improvement in dashboard performance. Therefore, by creating extracts and meticulously managing the extracted content, you can optimize your Tableau dashboard to deliver a smoother and more responsive user experience, even when dealing with substantial datasets and complex calculations.
Perform Calculations in the Data Source
Indeed, optimizing the performance of your Tableau dashboard involves minimizing data manipulation within Tableau itself. A crucial strategy for achieving this is to conduct calculations within the data source whenever feasible. When calculations are executed at the data source level, such as in your database or data warehouse, it alleviates the processing burden placed on Tableau during dashboard creation and interaction. This approach is highly effective because databases are optimized for handling data operations efficiently, including complex calculations. By leveraging the capabilities of your data source, you can significantly improve the performance of your Tableau dashboard.
Moreover, it is essential to minimize the creation of calculated fields directly within the dashboard. While Tableau provides a range of powerful tools for creating calculated fields, performing extensive data manipulation within the dashboard itself can slow down performance. The more data manipulation that occurs within Tableau, the more resources it consumes, potentially leading to longer load times and less responsive interactions. Therefore, adopting a best practice of conducting calculations at the data source level and minimizing in-dashboard data manipulation not only enhances the speed and efficiency of your Tableau dashboard but also ensures a smoother user experience, especially when working with large datasets or complex analytical requirements.
The example of complex calculation is as follows, which requires lengthy logic, thereby burdening the application to process it before displaying the result. Example below is calculation that we can done in database.
To enhance optimization, consider transferring the calculation to the database by utilizing the following query.
CONCAT(
error_status,
IF(
payment_status_message IS NOT NULL
AND error_status = 'PAYMENT_AGING'
, CONCAT("\n", payment_status_message)
, ""
)
)By offloading intricate computations to the database, Tableau can process and present the results more seamlessly on the dashboard. This approach not only streamlines the visualization process but also improves the overall performance and responsiveness of the application. It reflects a strategy to optimize data handling and enhance the user experience by leveraging the capabilities of both the database and Tableau.
Minimize the Use of Multiple Data Sources
Tableau dashboard design efficiency can be achieved by minimizing multiple data sources. When you incorporate data from multiple sources, Tableau must combine and integrate these diverse datasets to present a unified view in the dashboard. This data blending process can introduce additional complexity and potentially impact performance. To ensure a faster and more streamlined dashboard experience, it is advisable to work with a single data source whenever possible.
This is an example of a Tableau workbook that has multiple data sources. If we can use only a few or a single data source, it will be simpler for Tableau.
By relying on a single data source, you reduce the need for complex data integration and joining operations within Tableau. This simplification speeds up the dashboard creation process and leads to faster dashboard performance during interactions. It is worth noting that Tableau is optimized for working with single data sources, so when you limit the use of multiple sources, you harness the full potential of Tableau’s capabilities.
In summary, by maintaining a single data source for your dashboard, you can enhance its performance and responsiveness. This approach minimizes the complexity of data integration, leading to quicker load times and smoother interactions, providing a more efficient user experience.
Reduce the Use of LOD Calculations
Minimizing the use of Level of Detail (LOD) calculations is a prudent strategy for optimizing the performance of your Tableau dashboards. LOD calculations, while powerful, can be slow compared to other calculation types. It is advisable to employ LOD calculations only when there are no viable alternative options.
Table calculations are often a faster alternative to LOD calculations, and they can address many analytical needs efficiently. Therefore, consider using table calculations whenever possible, as they provide better performance. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that in more complex scenarios or when dealing with specific requirements, table calculations may not suffice. In such cases, LOD calculations remain a valuable tool to achieve the desired results.
In summary, LOD calculations should be used judiciously, reserving them for situations where no better alternatives exist due to their potential impact on performance. While table calculations are faster, they may not be suitable for all scenarios. Therefore, a balanced approach that considers the specific requirements of each analysis is key to optimizing Tableau dashboard performance.
Use Apply Button in Filter
The “Apply” button feature in Tableau can significantly enhance user interactions and boost dashboard performance. It is important to note that while the “Apply” button can improve the user experience, it may also introduce the possibility of users making numerous selections before applying the filter. To ensure optimal performance, it is crucial to optimize your dashboard to handle potential complexity when users engage with multi-select filters.
When dealing with extensive lists of values, incorporating the “Apply” button can enhance user satisfaction. This functionality empowers users to make multiple selections before confirming their choices, eliminating the necessity for the dashboard to refresh following each selection. Consequently, this minimizes load times and elevates the dashboard’s overall responsiveness, delivering a more seamless and efficient user experience.
Conclusion
Tableau’s Workbook Optimizer proves to be a robust asset, enabling users to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of their data visualization processes. This tool is instrumental in ensuring that Tableau users can fully leverage the capabilities of their data, streamlining workbook design, optimizing data connections, and refining overall performance. With access to the Workbook Optimizer, the era of slow and inefficient workbooks is obsolete, ushering in a more streamlined and finely tuned Tableau experience that facilitates innovative approaches to data-driven decision-making.
For comprehensive and detailed guidelines on using the Workbook Optimizer, users are encouraged to consult the official documentation, accessible at this link: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/wbo_overview.htm
