Tableau Day - April 25th 2024

Purdue's first Virtual Tableau Day, hosted by the BICC, marked a significant milestone in the university's commitment to embracing data analytics and visualization. The event showcased the versatility of Tableau, highlighting the newly acquired Tableau Prep tool and delving into advanced features like Level of Detail (LOD) expressions and table calculations. Attendees had the unique opportunity to learn from a Purdue PhD student about the critical role of user experience in data visualization.

The day was a testament to the innovative ways Purdue's BI community is utilizing Tableau, offering insights into the behind-the-scenes processes that enable impactful data storytelling. This event not only served as a platform for knowledge exchange but also demonstrated Purdue's proactive approach to fostering a data-informed culture across its academic and administrative spheres.

Click on the titles to watch each presentation.

10:00 am

Welcome & Introduction

BICC & Tableau

Purdue IT uses Tableau Prep for leadership dashboards

Sebi Gomez, IT Business Solutions

An overview of how Purdue IT is leveraging tableau to build a CIO KPI dashboard and dashboards around projects and tickets all of which are leveraged by senior IT leadership. There will also be an overview of how Tableau Prep is utilized to combine the data from various systems. 

Fundamentals of User Experience with Data Visualization

Prakash Shukla, PhD Student

An overview of the fundamentals of user experience in data visualization. A look into essential aspects such as context, visual perception, cognitive load, accessibility, and the use of color. Discuss the concepts of chart junk and visual embellishment. This talk is designed to equip participants with the knowledge to create user-centered and accessible data visualizations

11:00 am

Data Cookbook Visualizations

Cole Wetzel, IDA+A

A look into how Data Cookbook usage is used to develop user personas for new employee onboarding, and to tailor communications to enhance user engagement. These visualizations illustrate efforts to promote Data Cookbook as a primary resource for data definitions and report specifications.

Student Success with IDA+A

Rhianna Setsma, IDA+A

This presentation explores the development of a Transfer Student Dashboard, addressing the pressing need to analyze and support this critical student demographic within our institution. We will discuss the challenges of defining and integrating transfer student data and demonstrate how we used Tableau to build an intuitive dashboard for insightful analysis, enabling better decision-making and support strategies.

Using Data Science with Tableau for Energy & Utilities

Darshan Bhansali, IDA+A

Brittany Pierson, IDA+A

A high-level overview of the models and a demonstration of the dashboard used for forecasting utilities consumption, including campus steam usage, electricity, total system power, and chilled water. The presentation continues with a description of the model employed for cost analysis sequencing, outlining the framework for generating daily plans while accommodating system constraints. Followed by a dashboard demonstration of the optimized sequences tailored to minimize costs while allowing users to explore alternative scenarios.

12:00 pm

Introduction to Tableau Prep

Jeremy Weatherall, Tableau

• Describe Use Cases for Tableau Prep and look at the interface
• Walkthrough a simple example using a text file
• Walkthrough complex example using survey data
• Time permitting start to look into advanced concepts

1:00 pm

Talent Acquisition

Lisa Farr, Human Resources

A look into the insights and features that have been most helpful for understanding talent acquisition to help manage the hiring process including Color by filter and action filter drill downs.

Talent Loss Dashboard

Anthony Ott, Human Resources

A look into the talent loss at Purdue with information around separations. Various types of charts are used including a heatmap. 

Tableau Demo from Financial Planning & Analysis

Michelle Lewis, Financial Planning & Analysis

Presentation of the SFA Trends workbook that includes a donut chart, a bar in bar chart, drill down, and a highlight table/heat map. Demonstrating the use of parameters to show different views, using action filters, and how swapping sheets out instead of creating a different dashboard page.

2:00 pm

Overview of Administrative Operations Dashboards

Amanda Carlson, Administrative Operations

This session will go over various dashboards being utilized by Administrative Operations to see the various functionality they are taking advantage of including maps and Gantt charts. Dashboards include Cost per GSF, CAM projects, Door Counter, Travel, and Workforce. 

Tableau Techniques

Jeremy Weatherall, Tableau

• Showcase a Quick Look at LODs - simple use case
• Filtering using Table Calcs - why would you want to do this
• How Sets can be used in multiple ways
• Explain Data

Closing

BICC