Tableau (now part of Salesforce) is the gold standard for interactive data visualisation and business intelligence. Revenue and sales operations teams use it to build executive dashboards, pipeline reports, and revenue analytics that go far beyond what native CRM reporting offers.
Product Overview
Tableau connects to virtually any data source — from Salesforce and data warehouses to spreadsheets and databases — and allows analysts to create rich, interactive visualisations without writing SQL. Its Salesforce integration is first-class, making it the natural BI layer for Salesforce-heavy organisations.
Key Features
- Visual Analytics: Drag-and-drop dashboard builder with 24+ chart types and interactive filtering.
- Data Connections: 100+ native connectors to databases, cloud apps, and flat files.
- Tableau Pulse: AI-generated metrics summaries and anomaly alerts delivered to Slack or email.
- Published Data Sources: Governed, shared data sources that ensure consistent metrics across the organisation.
- Tableau Server / Cloud: Enterprise deployment with role-based access, version control, and scheduled refreshes.
Best For
Data-mature organisations that want powerful, flexible visualisation and have a dedicated analytics team to build and maintain dashboards.
Pricing
Tableau Creator at $75/user/month; Explorer at $42/user/month; Viewer at $15/user/month (billed annually).
Key Integrations
Salesforce, Snowflake, Google BigQuery, Redshift, S3, Excel, Google Sheets
Pros
- Most powerful visualisation capabilities
- Huge community and template library
- Excellent Salesforce integration
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Expensive
- Requires analyst skill to use effectively
