Alteryx use case - gaps that Tableau prep have

[Baz123]

Hi,

I have done a bit of searching around and am building a case of where I need to use Alteryx over Tableau prep.

They both do data cleansing, but specifically I am after some information or advice of what features Alteryx has over Tableau prep specifically.

From various reviews I can see that the output to various file formats is a huge bonus, and the ability to cleanse data where you can say open an excel file and 'start on row 6' etc is great. Even publishing to a SharePoint site?

Does anyone know specific things like that, that you have to use Alteryx for over the other option? Most articles online seem to focus on broad advantages or disadvantages, so if anyone has some suggestions then it would be appreciated.

Thanks :)

[fsalmon]

I'm more familiar with Alteryx than Tableau prep. But Alteryx can do a lot of things that I believe Tableau prep can't:

• Tons of tools to cover loads of use cases
• Can make analytical apps where an end user who's unfamiliar with Alteryx can run workflow with specific App inputs
• Spatial functions -
  • you can do things like splitting a line at a specific point, 
  • Create spatial objects out of intersections of other spatial objects
• Reporting functions:
  • can Automate PDF/excel report creation
  • Send automated emails
• Machine learning / predictive analytics

[DataNath]

After watching the Tableau conference the other week, it’s clear they are quite far behind. They are only just set to release a few features which Alteryx has had for years, such as Record ID and multi-row functionality.

I have experience using both and would say that Alteryx is far more intuitive, especially for new or inexperienced users. The examples within each tool are brilliant and in terms of the interface itself, there’s a lot of guidance/self-explanatory configuration.

The predictive suite is awesome as well, with the option to bring in external tooling to allow for R/Python packages and also the ability to build and store custom macros and such, too.

Custom layout of the canvas in terms of where tools can be dropped and organised, also with the help of containers to help arrange sections of the flow and enable/disable groups of tools with one click.

As mentioned at the outset, Alteryx already has capability for multi-row and multi-field applications, along with other ‘low-hanging fruit’ features that are needed often, like Record ID. For other commonly-used tools like Summarize and RegEx I also find Alteryx way more user-friendly and less confusing to use.

The only major downside I can think of immediately is having to pay a decent chunk for each Alteryx license, whereas Prep (should) already be included with Desktop if your organisation already uses Tableau. Finally, the data interpreter is a nice little feature that Prep (and Desktop) has for quick and simple - but often necessary - fixes.

[ddiesel]

Hi @Baz123!

I train new users in both Tableau Prep and Alteryx. They are both great products! Tableau Prep gets the job done for basic data connections and light data transformations. It is easier to learn and has a more intuitive user experience for most beginner users. It is much less expensive.

However, advanced power users will want all the functionality that Alteryx offers. And Alteryx offers A LOT more. 

Alteryx has more input and output options. Check your data sources to see which are available in each product. This alone might be enough to build your business case. Alteryx also has significantly more tools that perform more functions.

IMO: Things Alteryx does that Tableau Prep doesn't (or doesn't do well yet):

Macros (standard/batch/iterative) 

Self-service applications

Custom renders of documents (PDF, Word, Powerpoint, etc) with multiple components (text, images, charts, etc.)

Custom emails with dynamic (to, from, subjects, etc.), text, images, and attachments

Detailed error logs for troubleshooting (errors, conversion errors, warnings, messages)

Union by position or manual instead of just by name.

Advanced parsing

Find and Replace all or part of a field

Transpose / Cross-tab / Pivot and Un-pivot your data in any direction

Webscraping

Block until done

Custom R / Python Tools

User created macros/tools to solve many data dilemmas 

Execute Run Commands

All of the dynamic tools (Dynamic Select, Dynamic Rename, Dynamic Replace, Dynamic Input)

Detours and other workflow controls 

Canvas customization

In-Database Tools

Imputation

Automated status checks for data quality / email notifications

Fuzzy Matching

Anything Spatial

Anything Predictive

Anything Machine Learning

Hope this helps!

Deb