How analytics is helping to accelerate, inspire, and connect with data—from racial equity to business transformation

Nearly 10 years ago I joined Tableau because I believed deeply in our mission to help people see and understand data. Since then, and over the last 18 months in particular, I’ve seen time and time again the transformational power of data. From managing through COVID-19 and fighting for justice and equity, to driving recovery and business transformation, data is a powerful tool in helping us navigate these challenges. 

The throughline from all of this incredible work? People and organizations are becoming more data literate and data-driven. Organizations are transforming and empowering their teams, while making a positive impact on the world. I am inspired by the dedication of Tableau customers, partners, community members and employees, and the stories I hear. As we look back on the last quarter, here are some of my favorite examples of the power of data.

Inspiring change through data 

I believe data can accelerate public discourse, connect advocates, and educate society at large. Like many of you, I am optimistic about the progress we are making towards recovery after the pandemic, though I know some of our friends, family, and colleagues around the world are still experiencing acute waves of COVID-19. As we continue to navigate this challenge, it’s critical we have a nuanced understanding of the factors related to the disease and global recovery. The COVID-19 Global Tracker, launched in March, is a tool that deepens that understanding. On a daily basis, the tracker pulls information from disparate data sources into one visualization, enabling people to use data to inform individual behavior, business decisions, and governmental policy.

Data-driven insights are crucial tools for improving the world we share. Earlier this year, we hosted our first virtual Tableau Foundation Summit to bring together our community of non-profit data leaders. We recently launched the Racial Equity Data Hub to help empower grassroots organizations in the movement towards equity and justice. We also celebrated longtime Tableau Foundation partner, Community Solutions, for receiving a $100M grant from the MacArthur Foundation. They have developed a replicable way to help communities across the U.S. achieve the reality of zero homelessness with their data-driven response. I wanted to recognize these amazing and important efforts!

Charting a digital future

While economic recovery accelerates in some parts of the world and stalls in others, there’s consensus on one thing: Businesses and consumers who have gotten used to online interactions are not going back. This digital transformation was already underway in many industries, but got a turbo-boost because of the pandemic. And at Tableau we know that every digital transformation requires a data transformation. A few examples of trailblazing data transformations from early 2021 include Avaya, a communications and collaboration software company using data to spot new ways to grow its business, Pfizer, which discussed the intersection of data and medicine, and leaders in government who talked about the importance of data cultures.

Innovating in data & analytics

From a technology perspective, it has been exciting to see new data and analytics innovations come to life. One of the most pivotal introductions in the first part of 2021 was Tableau Business Science, a brand-new class of AI-powered analytics that brings data science capabilities to more people. As part of that launch, we introduced the Salesforce Einstein Discovery engine in Tableau, marrying some of the best Salesforce and Tableau technology together. We like to say Salesforce and Tableau are like peanut butter and chocolate—two amazing things even better together. This was the first of many innovations we’ll deliver to customers together with a shared belief that the future of CRM is data. 

Connecting with data

One of my favorite aspects of Tableau is the Tableau Community. Full of data enthusiasts and data rockstars of all skill levels and expertise, I am invigorated when people come together to learn, grow, share, and change the world. In the first quarter, we launched the Tableau Community Hub, where data journeys are elevated and inspired. We moved forward with purpose and continued our efforts with the Tableau Community Equity Task Force. We also introduced the new 2021 Tableau Zen Masters, held our inaugural DataDev Day, DataDev Hackathon, and let’s not forget the 2020 partner awards. 

I am so proud of all our customers, partners, employees, and the Tableau #DataFam for innovating and driving transformation. The Tableau mission—to help people see and understand data—is more relevant now than ever, and we’ll continue working tirelessly to ensure that people and organizations of every size get more from their data.
 
If you’d like to read more stories about data transformation, creating a data culture, and using data for good, visit the Tableau blog.