Last week the Tableau Conference on Tour took place in London, an event for Tableau clients. I was happy to attend the Conference just one week before joining the Data School 6 cohort. The attendees were all passionate about data driven decision making and driving change with visual analysis.  We took part in tens of sessions and shared experiences and tips about Tableau and data analysis. Not to mention the great Data Night Out. More details on : http://ontour.tableau.com/london

Before starting with the Data School, I wanted to hear from The Information Lab customers what their experiences with Tableau and Alteryx were like. My aim was to attend as many customer case study sessions as possible. Thankfully the conference delivered. The examples of the customers talked about were many.  Companies such as Adidas, NHS, IAC Publishing Labs all had great data stories that they’d shared.
Stories of Inmarsat and Jaguar Land Rover had particularly struck a chord with me. Inmarsat’s Dr. Laura Schofield talked about how she used to analyze SIM card usage on ships using their satellite communications. She pointed out exactly how Tableau has translated visual analysis of a problem into actionable insight that created value for them and didn’t interrupt service for their customers.
Jaguar Land Rover example was presented by Clive Benford. The company has implemented a self-service analytics culture built around Tableau. The company is using it as an analytical tool in all areas of business with a great vision for the future.

The importance of design in visual communication was demonstrated by Andy Cotgreave and Ryan Sleeper. These presentations flowed well together as they both focused on visual design and how to best use it so it helps and not hinders the communication of the messages we are showing. As with all communication, the most important aspect of it is to have the audience in mind. When initially starting the analysis it’s important to consider who will be using it and for what purpose.

Attending the conference, it is impossible not to feel the passion that drives the Tableau Community. The same passion that inspires Tableau users to drive change in their organizations and built their culture around data analysis.
The best part about Tableau Conference on Tour is meeting people and connecting with companies that really have the same thing in common, passion for data.