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Most data analysts love their job, but many may not love every aspect of what’s required to get the business what it needs to make the best decisions. During last week’s webinar we went through the top five challenges below and demonstrated how highly visual workflows foster a practical and efficient alternative compared to traditional approaches to analytics.
How? Let’s start with the need to jump over multiple hurdles on a daily basis. Data analysts often need to master multiple steps and tools just to complete one analysis - from ftp downloads of raw data sets, to Excel, to ESRI, to Access, to SAS, and beyond. Mastering a myriad of tools can be relatively easy, but schlepping the data from tool-to-tool is harder, especially when data needs to be ported using a common format like CSV files.
- Eliminate the Wait: Alteryx provides an end-to-end platform for LOB data analysts. The ability to build and execute all the steps in a single platform eliminates dependencies on other teams, and removes the need to cart data from tool-to-tool.
Next comes the need to learn, build, and debug coding. The more robust the analysis, the more time spent debugging your code. Once you finally find out which of the multiple tools/steps is the root cause of any suspected error, you may need a skilled specialist to help guide you through to the fix.
- Innovate Faster: The Alteryx Designer provides a highly visual drag-and-drop environment that eliminates complex coding. It enables you to build new analytic workflows in a fraction of the time required to painstakingly code predictive analytics or debug complicated SQL scripts.
Mastery and management of many tools in the process becomes exponentially harder when you need to make changes. Mid-process is the worst. You have to rip open your analytic process, insert your new logic, ensure that all the pieces are connected correctly, and then stitch everything back up and pray everything works as expected.
- Deliver on Target: Change is good, especially when you can iterate until you have exactly what the business and decision maker require. Alteryx takes care of the mess, letting you add in and re-arrange the steps in your workflow until you have exactly what you need.
Need to rerun or change your analysis months later? Documentation becomes the necessary evil. Not fun but required for consistent execution and apples-to-apples comparisons. Often users get away with some combination of Microsoft Word and Visio, but many are forced to add a dedicated documentation tool to the mix. More is not always better.
- Eliminate Documentation: Use the Alteryx Designer Desktop and the same platform that you use to build and execute analytics is the same platform you use to document what’s happening. The visual workflow and your embedded commentary make it easy to re-use and adjust
what you’ve already built. Less pain, more gain.
Finally there’s the ever-present question of “what if”? What if I’m wrong? What if there’s an error in the process? What if only catch it after the sixth set of analysis that I’ve just sent to my VP? Due diligence, vigilance and a lot of manual effort are required to build confidence in the answers.
- Increase Confidence: Hit “run” and watch the data work its way through your workflow. Potential issues are flagged immediately before they slip into an executive report. Automation also eliminates the need to do manual error checking, freeing up your time to get answers much quicker.
Workflows are a practical, intuitive approach to building analytics that fosters creativity and productivity. Check it out yourself: download Project Edition for free and start building robust workflows for your next analytic project!
Dipesh Patel
Director of Product Marketing at Alteryx.
