Hallmark is a century-old greeting card manufacturer offering products in over 30 languages and 100 countries. Their goal is to bring people together through meaningful products and experiences. Diane Kakareka, Advanced Analytics Manager, discusses how Hallmark implemented internal user groups to support Tableau users—holding five trainings scheduled two weeks apart—to create a "constant drumbeat of Tableau." Alexs Thompson, Data Scientist, describes how user groups encourage analysts to find new ways to analyze data and ensure that they have all of the tools they need to maximize their work with Tableau. Since implementing user groups, Hallmark has seen an improvement in collaboration across the company. With Tableau, analysts can now access data more efficiently, and in turn, drive their effect on the business.
Tableau: Can you tell me a little bit about your internal user groups? Diane Kakareka, Advanced Analytics Manager, Hallmark Cards: We have built a user group that has right now five main training sessions and they're two weeks apart. So it's a constant drumbeat of Tableau. The need came about because we have had an influx of users. Tableau: What benefits have you seen with the internal user groups? Alexs Thompson, Data Scientist, Hallmark Cards: The internal user group became really crucial for us to drive new ways of looking at data and ensuring that our analysts had all the skills they needed to go to the maximum ability with Tableau. So it was a great way for us to really ensure that Tableau was being used to drive the business in the way we believe it can be.
World headquarters for Hallmark Cards, Inc. located in Kansas City, Mo. Photo courtesy of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Tableau has changed the way that analysts learn their craft...Working with Tableau gives analysts more access to data and it just changes the way that they think about the business and how they do their job.
Tableau: What reactions have you seen from your employees? Alexs: The outcome of our internal user group has been to actually—not just on paper, but to actually build a group of people who are working together, collaborating, sharing their skills and just sort of pushing each other forward. So it's been really exciting. Diane: There is more of a community now. Often, what people will do is they'll use our Lync or Instant Messenger capability to say, "Hey, you got a minute? I have this question in Tableau." Or if people kind of sit near each other, they might pop up and say, you know, "Hey, I have a question, do you know how to do this in Tableau?" Tableau: How has Tableau impacted your company? Alexs: Tableau has changed the way that analysts learn their craft because it starts off as a conversation about Tableau, but then it's like, well, wait, what is a waterfall chart, or what is this that I'm doing in Tableau—and is there a better way to do it? Working with Tableau gives analysts more access to data, and it just changes the way that they think about the business and how they do their job.