Question

3. Discuss the similarities and differences of having created the visualizations in both Tableau and Power BI. a. At the start of the semester, when discussing job descriptions, both Tableau and Power BI had been mentioned. Which would you recommend an organization use and why? Research the web to support your answers. Include a work cited page using APA

Answer 1

Tableau and Power BI Similarities and Difference:

Introduction:

Tableau:

Tableau offers robust BI tools to enhance data visualization and discovery for all types of organizations and business users. With simple drag-and-drop features, users are able to easily analyze key data, share critical insights across the enterprise, and create innovative visualizations and reports. In addition, Tableau offers the option to embed dashboards into existing business applications, such as SharePoint, for quick analytics.

Power BI:

Microsoft Power BI is a cloud-based analytics and business intelligence platform that offers a full overview of an organization’s most critical data. It simplifies data sharing and evaluation for users by connecting to all of their data sources and offers scalable dashboards that make it easy for users to choose various visualizations as blueprints, then drag and drop the data from a navigation into the visualization.

In case of Visualizations,

Tableau: Tableau lets users create 24 different types of baseline visualizations, including heat maps, line charts and scatter plots. It boasts an interface that doesn’t require coding knowledge to develop sophisticated and complex visualizations. In addition, users have the ability to ask “what if” questions of the data, as well as the freedom to use any number of datapoints in their analysis.

Power BI: The tool makes uploading data sets a breeze. Users can choose numerous visualizations as blueprints, then insert data from a sidebar into the visualization. In addition, Power BI lets users create visualizations by asking queries with natural language. This is done through the Cortana personal digital assistant with Power BI Online. However, Power BI places a 3,500 datapoint limit when it comes to drilling down into datasets to conduct analysis.

Difference between them:

Both Tableau and Power BI allow business managers to set up sophisticated visualizations that help spot patterns, reduce costs, speed up processes and generate consensus. However, Tableau allows users to leverage any number of datapoints for conducting analysis – something Power BI doesn’t offer.

In case of Data Sources,

Tableau: Tableau offers support for hundreds of data connectors including online analytical processing (OLAP) and big data options (such as NoSQL, Hadoop) as well as cloud options. When users add data from multiple sources the relationships are determined by Tableau automatically. In addition, Tableau gives users the ability to modify data links or create them manually based on their company’s preferences.

Power BI: Power BI is also very capable of connecting to users’ external sources including SAP HANA, JSON, MySQL, and more. When users add data from multiple sources the relationships are determined by Power BI automatically. In addition, it enables users to connect to Microsoft Azure databases, third-party databases, files and online services like Salesforce and Google Analytics.

Difference between them:

Both Tableau and Power BI allow users to connect to various data sources. However, Tableau offers better support for connecting to a distinct data warehouse, whereas Power BI is heavily integrated with Microsoft’s portfolio, including its Azure cloud platform.

In case of Customer Support,

Tableau: Direct support is available by phone and email as well as logging into the customer portal to submit a support ticket.

Tableau also offers a comprehensive knowledge base, which is categorized by its three subscription categories: Desktop, Server and Online. Users can access support resources tailored to their version of the software, including getting started, best practices and how to optimally use the platform’s top features.

Users can also access the Tableau community forum and attend training and other events.

Power BI: Customer support functionality is limited for users with a free Power BI account. All users can submit a support ticket, however, users with a paid account receive faster support.

Power BI also offers robust support resources and documentation, including guided learning, a user community forum and samples of how partners use the platform.

Difference between them:

While both platforms offer extensive digital resources for customers to self-serve, Tableau offers more comprehensive customer support options in terms of direct contact. Power BI users with a free account have limited support, while users with Pro and Premium accounts receive faster support.

In case of Pricing,

Tableau: Tableau recently debuted its new subscription offerings that tailor to user needs. They are: Creator, Explorer and Viewer. Prices are listed per user, per month, billed annually. The Creator plan includes full functionality of Tableau, and costs $70/user/month, regardless if whether the platform is deployed on-premise on in the cloud. The Explorer plan targets users that want self-service analytics without the data prepping and cleaning. It costs $35/user/month for on-premise deployment, and $42/user/month if deployed in the cloud.

Finally, there’s Tableau Viewer for users that want to access already-created visualizations. Companies can deploy it on-premise for $12/user/month or have Tableau host it for $15/user/month. Note that Tableau Viewer requires at least 100 viewers in order to purchase the plan.

The platform offers a 14-day free trial for users who wish to test it before making a purchase.

Power BI: Power BI offers three subscription tiers: Desktop, Pro and Premium. Desktop is free for individual users. Pro starts at $9.99 per user per month and offers additional features like data governance and content packaging and distribution. Pro offers a 60-day free trial.

The Premium plan starts at $4,995 a month per dedicated cloud compute and storage resource.

Difference between them:

When it comes to cost, Power BI is generally a more affordable option. For users who prioritize free trial capabilities, Power BI offers a robust 60-day Pro trial, while Tableau’s free trial is 14 days. Additionally, Power BI starts at $9.99 per user per month, while Tableau Explorer starts at $35.

Tableau and Power BI have varying strengths and weaknesses that are common when comparing BI tools. Tableau allows users to integrate an infinite amount of datapoints in their analysis and offers comprehensive support options. Power BI, on the other hand, may be better for smaller companies who are looking for a more affordable business intelligence solution.

However, choosing one over the other depends on the user’s business size and needs.