Hi Christine,
You can do what alteryx does with Excel or SQL, and there is crossover with many other analytic tools. But one strength of Alteryx is the visual representation, represented by each tool, of each change to the workflow. This makes it infinitely tweakable in a way that other processes are not. Alteryx also can be used with minimal coding skills, so is easier for people who are not in computer science fields.
Advice, use the interactive lessons, then go to the weekly challenges and practice the tools you just learned in the lessons. At the top of the Weekly Challenges list they have an Index pinned, when you look at that it will tell you which challenges are basic, intermediate, or advanced. Do as many of these as you can, hands-on practice is the way.
I'm excited for simple updates like being able to expand or close all of the fields in the Formula tool!
Have fun,
StellaBon
How does Alteryx compare to other data analytics tools you've used, and what do you think are its strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths : No coding required, Easy to learn.
Weaknesses : Expensive
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting to learn Alteryx, and what resources or learning materials do you recommend?
Go through all the interactive lessons from Alteryx Community.
How has Alteryx evolved over time, and what new features or capabilities are you most excited about in the latest version?
Predictive Analytics. In future, I would love to see Chat GPT integration with Alteryx.