Why I No Longer Use the Wrong BI Tool. Ever.
By: Holger Nösekabel
Tags: Strategic Planning, Tools, Business Intelligence, Data Science, Data Visualization

A Look at BI Tools

Following these requirements, let us focus on tools that are worth a closer look. The following is a shortlist that I have developed from my experience, including tools that are both popular and also some secret gems.

Tableau Desktop screenshot from https://www.tableau.com/products/desktop

Tableau

Tableau is the go-to solution across all industries, acquired by Salesforce in 2019. Download and install on Mac or Windows, feed in data from an Excel sheet. Select a visualization and configure it. Runs on your laptop, making it easy for you to try out. It is also easy to share inside your organization, at least if you buy the Tableau Server / Tableau Online product.

Since it is a mass-market tool, there is a host of training and information material available for free. Elsewhere, like on Stack Overflow, only the “tableau-API” tag gained some traction. And here on Medium? Over 2,000 stories with the “Tableau” tag.

In summary, I feel that Tableau is best for smaller, individual data analysts.

Power BI screenshot from https://powerbi.microsoft.com/

Power BI

Power BI is from Microsoft, the largest market player in this field. Microsoft sure knows how to develop, promote, and handle software like this. As a caveat, Power BI only runs on Windows. Did I mention Microsoft develops it? The workflow is identical to most BI tools; put your data in an Excel sheet, or connect with an external data source. Then click together your dashboard, selecting from a variety of charts.

Looking at Stack Overflow again, there are several Power BI-related tags. You find a high number of questions posted there, though not a high number of answers. On Medium, you will find around 1,500 stories with the “Power BI” tag.

Overall, Power BI is best integrated into a Microsoft-based corporate structure.

Datorama

Datorama is my first hidden gem. Also distributed by Salesforce, and essentially an in-house competitor to Tableau. Datorama best addresses the needs of larger marketing corporations. Almost a decade of development went into it. This can be a go-to choice for advertising agencies or marketing departments. But you cannot take it for a spin. There is no download and no demo portal access that I could find.

I felt a bit patronized because of this. You either need to put your internal staff through a certification process or hire a certified external supplier to set up and manage this solution for you. This also reflects its popularity here on Medium. Compared to Tableau with 2000 tags, I found ten stories with the “Datorama” tag over the last three years.

Datorama is best for larger- or mid-sized marketing corporations.

Pulse screenshot from https://pulse.tdreply.de/

Pulse

Pulse is the second hidden gem. Build by TD Reply, it is a web-based solution and not installed on your laptop. Users can manage all data uploads, data pipelines, and visual configuration. Sharing access to your organization is as easy as sharing a link. Fine-tuned rights and roles systems ensure that data does not travel astray. Access to demos is possible and encouraged. It requires no extensive training or certification. Whether you want a managed dashboard or a solution that you administer yourself. Both options are workable. And it looks good, too!

Pulse is most suitable for mid-sized companies — or larger — across different departments like corporate strategy, sales, and marketing.