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Data at WSU

Visualization Tools and Platforms

Elevating data: Transformative reporting tools at WSU
Illustrated image of a man at a computer with various data and reports around

Elevate Data Management at WSU.

Effective reporting tools and platforms are essential at WSU for transforming data into actionable insights. These tools enable faculty, staff, and administrators to efficiently manage and analyze data, supporting informed decision-making across the university.

By leveraging advanced reporting solutions, WSU enhances transparency, boosts research capabilities, and promotes a data-driven culture, ultimately driving academic and operational excellence.

Tableau

Unlock the power of WSU data with Tableau.

Tableau is a leading visual analytics platform that empowers WSU faculty, staff, and students to explore, manage, and share data insights easily. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, users at WSU can connect to various data sources and create interactive visualizations that support data-informed decision-making.

Tableau’s powerful data visualization and analytics tools play an important role in enhancing research and administrative efficiency at WSU. Key features such as real-time data exploration, machine learning integration, and smart data preparation empower faculty, staff, and students to uncover insights and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, Tableau’s secure collaboration capabilities facilitate the seamless sharing of insights across campuses and departments, fostering a data-driven culture at WSU​.

To request access to Tableau, please email us with the following details:

  • Full name of the person requiring the license
  • Contact information
  • Job position
  • Type of access needed and the purpose for requesting it
Request Tableau Access
Log in to Tableau

Official Tableau Resources:

  1. Tableau Online Help 
    This is the official documentation from Tableau, offering comprehensive guides on how to use Tableau, from essential to advanced features.
  1. Tableau Community 
    An excellent place to ask questions, share tips, and connect with other Tableau users.
  1. Tableau Public 
    A free platform to create and share data visualizations online, helpful in showcasing what Tableau can do.

Tutorials and Courses:

  1. Tableau Training & Tutorials  
    Official Tableau training videos and tutorials covering various aspects of using Tableau.
  1. Coursera: Data Visualization with Tableau 
    A course offered by Coursera to learn data visualization using Tableau.
  1. Udemy: Tableau 2023 A-Z: Hands-On Tableau Training for Data Science 
    A highly rated Udemy course that covers Tableau comprehensively.

Blogs and Articles

  1. Tableau Blog
    Official Tableau blog with articles on best practices, new features, and customer stories.
  1. The Flerlage Twins 
    A popular blog run by Tableau Zen Masters Kevin and Ken Flerlage, offering tips, tutorials, and advanced Tableau techniques.

WSU Tableau User Group

A hub for discussions, best practices, and resources for WSU employees

Join on Teams (WSU Employees only)

Higher Education Tableau User Group

A community-driven group for higher education professionals to learn and share best practices in using Tableau

Join on Tableau's site

OBIEE

OAC Classics (OBIEE) is the analytics tools on the university enterprise data warehouse.  Users can access hundreds of pre-built dashboards and reports including Admissions, Student Records, Legacy Financial and HR data.

The university maintains the following current and historical data warehouses on the Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) platform, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE). It contains:

  • Current and historical student data and financial data (since Fall 2012) regarding student accounts and non-grant accounts receivable is maintained within the OBIEE Student Data Warehouse.
  • Historical and official snapshots of student data (since Fall 2012) is maintained within the OBIEE Census.
  • Current and historical nightly snapshots of Admissions data (since January 2015) is maintained within the OBIEE Admissions Snapshot.
  • Historical financial data and snapshots (prior to January 2021) is maintained within the OBIEE Legacy Financial Data Warehouse.
  • Historical student data (prior to Fall 2012) will be maintained within the OBIEE Legacy Student Data Warehouse for reference purposes.
  • Historical student data (prior to Fall 2012) is maintained within the Business Objects Student Data Warehouse for reference purposes
Learn more about OBIEE at WSU

For access to the warehouse subject areas, follow BPPM 85.48.

Policy: Data Warehouse Access
Learn more about OBIEE access

PowerBI

Microsoft Power BI is a data visualization and business intelligence tool that transforms raw data into interactive reports and dashboards. It connects to various data sources, allowing users to analyze and visualize data from multiple perspectives.

At WSU, Power BI helps faculty, staff, and students gain valuable insights into data, whether it’s tracking student performance, analyzing research, or monitoring operations. By presenting data in a clear, visual format, Power BI supports more informed decision-making and enhances our efforts in academic excellence and innovation.

A free version of Microsoft Power BI is available to WSU employees and students. Power BI Professional is also available for purchase for those seeking more advanced functionality.

Explore Power BI Free
Explore Power BI Professional