Alter.Nation
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Today’s ACE spotlight is @CharlieS! Keep reading to learn more about Charlie and what makes him a unique Alteryx super user.
Tell us a bit about your professional background.
My degrees are in economics, and I was hired at Buxton as a Predictive Analyst. I built predictive models for a variety of clients and industries but soon found that I had a proclivity for developing tools (in Alteryx) [macros] for those models. My role changed to take charge on creating and updating the Alteryx processes throughout the company. These days I work on everything from data pipelines and data engineering to tools and methodology for new Buxton products.
What is one fun thing about you that community members might not know?
At 6'6" tall, you might say I'm a big fan of Alteryx.
What is your favorite Alteryx tool, and why?
The Tile tool. I like the organization it brings to a field of data and the "Unique Value" setting is a useful Group By RecordID tool for many situations.
What has been your favorite Alteryx project?
I've accumulated a few of these in 10 years of using Alteryx products. Buxton specializes in spatial data analytics, so most of my projects involve the spatial tools. The overarching trend is the capability of Alteryx to process large amounts of spatial data like no other software platform.
I had a project where I needed to take a set of polygons, identify which were multi-polygons, and make the smallest edits possible to bridge pieces and escape holes so these newly simplified polygons could be used for visualizations in another platform. I created a solution for this with a series of batch and iterative macros.
The image below is an example of the input into these macros—a polygon area with many discrete polygons.
And here is an example of the output—the map now has one continuous polygon with tiny lines connecting all the island areas.
What is your favorite Alteryx memory?
The Inspire conferences always have many amazing moments getting to connect in person with all the brilliant people surrounding this software. Being active on the Alteryx Community, you get to know usernames but at Inspire you can meet these “celebrities” in person and share your analytic stories.
The memory that means the most to me might be my journey to Expert Certification. Not just the final notification that I had passed, but my failed attempts before and pushing myself to keep at it.
What advice do you have for new community members?
There are so many people using Alteryx is so many ways. Use the Community to see how others are using Alteryx in other applications and in ways you haven't thought of yet to expand your repertoire.
What is your favorite way to engage as an ACE? Also, what area of the online community do you spend the most time in?
Designer Discussions is generally my jam, but I always enjoy engaging with my local user group (Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas!)
Silly question... if you were a kitchen appliance/utensil, what would you be and why?
A good set of glass bowls and lids. Containers like this are crucial for practicing "mise en place” which make cooking organized, efficient, and more enjoyable.
Ok, now finally, let’s do a quick “This or That” to get to know your Alteryx preferences!
Tune in next week to meet another amazing ACE!
Want to learn more about what ACEs do and how to become one? Check out this page to see details about the program.
