How Retail Analysts can overcome data volume challenges in Tableau and Power BI.

In today's data-driven world, retail businesses heavily rely on robust analytics tools like Tableau and Power BI to extract meaningful insights from vast amounts of data.

However, as the volume of data continues to grow exponentially, analysts often encounter challenges related to the ability of these tools to handle massive datasets efficiently.

Tableau and Power BI are powerful visualisation and analytics tools widely used in the retail sector. While they excel in handling moderate-sized datasets, they can face performance issues and limitations when dealing with massive volumes of data. These challenges typically arise due to memory constraints, slow query processing, and increased load on network bandwidth.

Solutions for Analysts:

1. Data Compression and Optimisation: Leveraging data compression techniques can significantly reduce the storage requirements of large datasets without compromising data quality. Both Tableau and Power BI offer options for compressing data sources, such as Tableau's Data Extracts or Power BI's compression algorithms. By compressing data, analysts can improve query performance and reduce the overall memory footprint, enabling smooth data exploration and analysis.

2. Data Aggregation: One effective approach to overcome data volume limitations is to aggregate data in the data warehouse. This is the most common approach and involves grouping multiple rows of data to create a summary row. For example if you are a retailer, instead of keeping each row of every transaction, you might summarise by day and SKU giving the total number of each product sold on a single day. The downside of this approach is the loss of detailed information at the individual customer and transaction level.

3. Data Sampling: This approach takes a representative subset of the dataset. There are different techniques available such as random or stratified sampling. It is critical to ensure the sampled dataset does accurately represent the whole if using this approach.

4. Data Partitioning: Partitioning data involves dividing large datasets into smaller, more manageable subsets based on specific criteria, such as time periods or geographic regions. This partitioning strategy allows analysts to work with smaller subsets of data at a time, improving performance and reducing resource requirements. Additionally, it enables analysts to focus on specific segments of their business, leading to more targeted and actionable insights.

5. Utilising Data Blending: Data blending refers to the process of combining data from multiple sources into a single dataset for analysis. Instead of loading all data into a single Tableau or Power BI workbook, analysts can blend the necessary subsets of data from different sources on-demand. This approach minimises the impact of large volumes of data on performance, enabling analysts to work with the most relevant information when needed.

Hacks and Tips for Analysts:

1. Filtering and Aggregating at the Source: Before loading data into Tableau or Power BI, analysts can optimise performance by applying filters and aggregations at the data source level. By removing unnecessary rows and columns, analysts can reduce the data volume and improve query response times.

2. Avoid Live Query: Data extracts (Tableau) or Import Mode (PowerBi) are subsets of data that Tableau and Power BI create and save in a highly optimised format. By utilising these approaches instead of connecting to live data sources, analysts can significantly improve performance and mitigate issues related to data volume. Extracts can be refreshed periodically to ensure up-to-date insights.

3. Parameterisation and Dynamic Queries: To optimise query performance, analysts can use parameterisation techniques that allow them to dynamically adjust query conditions. By parameterising filters and calculations, analysts can minimise the volume of data returned from the database, improving both query speed and overall performance.

The ability to handle massive volumes of data efficiently has profound implications for retail businesses. By overcoming the limitations of Tableau and Power BI, analysts can unlock valuable insights and make data-driven decisions with confidence. These solutions and workarounds empower businesses to:

1. Identify Trends and Patterns: Efficient data analysis enables retail analysts to uncover hidden trends and patterns, helping businesses make proactive decisions regarding inventory management, customer behavior, and market trends. By leveraging the full potential of data, businesses can gain a competitive edge and optimise their operations.

2. Enhance Customer Experience: In the retail sector, understanding customer preferences and behavior is crucial. With the ability to process massive amounts of data effectively, analysts can derive actionable insights that drive personalised marketing campaigns, targeted promotions, and enhanced customer experiences.

3. Optimise Supply Chain and Inventory Management: Efficient data analysis facilitates improved supply chain management, demand forecasting, and inventory optimisation. By harnessing the power of Tableau and Power BI to analyse vast amounts of data, businesses can minimise stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and streamline their operations.

While Tableau and Power BI are excellent tools for retail analysts, they can face challenges when handling massive volumes of data. By implementing the suggested solutions, adopting hacks, and following optimisation tips, analysts can mitigate these limitations and extract actionable insights from their data. Embracing these workarounds not only empowers analysts but also drives business growth, enhances customer experiences, and enables retail organisations to make data-driven decisions that shape their success in a highly competitive market.

There may come a point where the volume of data or the detailed level of insights required cannot be achieved through the techniques detailed in this article. If you are reaching that point you might find this article useful.

You can also get in touch with us via email at info@pivotanalytics.com.au or calling 1300 475 510.