Tableau Dashboard

The Concept

A dashboard simultaneously displays multiple, previously constructed items, usually mostly data visualizations, on the same layout. Presumably, the reason for displaying the multiple visualizations simultaneously is that they all share a common theme. For example, consider sales analysis. We can observe sales by geographical region, by product, and over time. All three corresponding data visualizations can be placed on a dashboard along with some overall sales values and profitability.

A Sales dashboard is presented here, using the Tableau superstore data, which lists sales by customers over a range of products from 2021 through (at least on my version) 2024. The previously constructed Tableau items that will compose the dashboard each have their own worksheet. So, first we construct a new item we have not previously encountered, a header worksheet that displays numbers: overall profitability and sales and the number of customers. Then, we repeat types of visualizations we have already accomplished, a choropleth map of sales by state, a bar chart of sales by product, and the time series chart of sales over months.

When these four worksheets are complete, we are ready for the dashboard.

Data: Tableau Superstore

The Worksheets

The link to the video of constructing these four worksheets follows.

Video: Four Worksheets. [7:47]

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Sales Statistics

Here, we pursue a new form of a worksheet, a data summary without a visualization.

Construct

1. Drag Sales to the Sheet

2. Drag Profit on top of Sales and release when you see Show Me

3. Orient the table horizontally:
   Drag Measure Names to the columns shelf

4. List Sales before Profit:
   Drag SUM(Sales) on the Measure values card ahead Profit

5. Compute and display the number of unique customers:
   Customer Name –> Create –> Calculated Field
   Name: # Customers
   Formula: COUNTD([Customer Name])
   Drag: # Customers to the Measure Values card

Format

Any formatting is optional, and, of course, many more possibilities exist than what is shown.

1. Center headings:
   Click on Text mark
   Alignment: Choose Center

2. Increase headings font size:
   Right-click on a heading
   Choose Font the left margin, 14 pt

3. Increase text font size:
   Right-click on the Text mark
   Select
   Choose 18 point font size

4. Remove horizontal lines:
   Select the Border option
   Under Row Divider choose None

Sales by State Map

Create a choropleth sales map. The data cover the states of the United States and the provinces of Canada.

Construct

1. Show the hierarchy locations to identify our geographic regions by which to show Sales:
   Click on the arrow at points to the location under Location

2. Double click on State/Province

3. Drag Sales to the Color mark

Format

1. Remove other countries from the map:
   Right-click on the map
   Choose Background Layers
   Drag the Washout slider to 100 percent

2. Get rid of the header borders:
   Right-click on the map
   Choose Format
   In the left margin, choose Borders
   Choose Row Divider
   Set Pane to none

Sales by Month Time Series

Construct

1. Set the time unit:
   Drag Order Date to the Column shelf
   Right-click Month
   Month is aggregated by Year, can leave as is or choose Month/Year to see each individual month
   

2. Drag Sales to the Rows shelf

Format

1. Abbreviate month labels:
   Right click on any month
   Select Format Months in the left margin
   SelectDates, then Abbreviation

2. Remoce Order Date header:
   Right-click on Order Date
   Select Hide Field Labels for Columns

Sales by Product

Construct

1. Click on the arrow for the product hierarchy to reveal the sub-category

2. Drag subcategory to the Rows shelf

3. Drag Sales to the Columns shelf

Format

1. Sort descending from the toolbar

2. Remove header:
   Right-click on the sub-category label for the columns
   Select Hide Field Labels for Rows

3. Remove the Sales horizontal axis label:
   Right-click
   Select Format and remove the label Sales

The Dashboard

The link to the video of constructing the dashboard follows.

Video: Four Worksheets. [6:08]

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Construct

1. Begin by clicking on the New Dashboard icon at the bottom of the Tableau window.

2. If needed, adjust the size of the dashboard in the left margin under Size:
   Set to a size in which the entire dashboard is visible, here, Width: 1050 Height: 625

To place the individual worksheets on the dashboard, use the Tableau concept of horizontal and vertical containers. The container provides control for aligning the individual worksheets horizontally and vertically on the dashboard. We group related items together into their shared container so that their sizes can be adjusted separately from other items outside the container. Moreover, containers can be nested within each other.

Horizontal container

Arrange the items placed within it side-by-side in a row. Can adjust width.

Vertical container

Stack the items within it on top of each other in a column. Can adjust height.

1. Vertical container to cover entire dashboard:
   Drag under Objects, the Vertical Container to the top of the worksheet
   Click the Layout tab
   Position: x=0, y=0 `Size``: w=1050, h=625

2. Add dashboard title:
   Drag the Text Object to the worksheet, call Sales Analysis
   Increase font size

3. Add the map to the extreme right side:
   Drag Sales by State to the top right corner
   Edit width by the down pointing arrow at top right of map

4. Create a new vertical container:
   Drag a Vertical Container to the left of the Title in that container
   Drag the Title by the handle into that container

5. Drag Stats underneath the Title

6. Drag a Horizontal Container object under the Stats to allow Time Series and Bar Chart to be next to each other:
   Drag the Time Series to the left of the container Drag the Bar Chart to the right of the container

Format

1. Sizes:
   Set Title height to 85
   Set Stats to fit entire view and height
   Set width of bar chart to 350

2. Borders and padding:
   Select Dashboard on the main menu, choose Format Dashboard Shading: Light Gray Remove the Dashboard Format menu

3. Each item, Title and the four worksheets:
   Select the item
   Right-click Format
   Set Outer Padding and Inner Padding to 10
   Set Background to White Border to Light Gray
   

Filters

In addition to the simultaneous display, another advantage of Tableau dashboards is that all items are linked in terms of filtering. Filter one item by choosing a specific value and all the other items on the dashboard update accordingly. For example, to see monthly sales and sales by product for California, select that state in the map display.

Filter:
Click on any item
Select the Filter icon
Select a specific value, such as a Month, Product, or State/Province depending on the item