Turn Boring Spreadsheets into Interactive Online Graphs… Free!

We know that a page of numbers in a spreadsheet communicates almost no information. On the other hand, we know that a visual, such as a chart, conveys lots of information in just a glance.

So, obviously, we need to convert organized numbers (raw data) into information. Better yet, how about converting the graphed data into an interactive chart, where the user can pursue his interest?

But how?

Management systems have not done a very good job of helping an agency easily understand the data contained within that system. Yes, there are reports that can be run. But, they are hard to understand.

Let me introduce you to a company offering a free solution that just might work for your agency. It’s called Tableau Public.

I could try and explain what it does, but you will better understand the service by watching this video. Go ahead and watch it now at http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/

A Warning: the resulting graph created from your data uploaded to the Tableau website is public so make sure you don’t put any private information into the interactive graph.

A paid version of the program is also available. You may find, after experimenting with this software, that the paid version is well worth the cost to be able to more effectively understand and interpret the data created by your agency. 

Tableau Public
http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/