the get-well guide for excel analysts

THE GET-WELL GUIDE
FOR EXCEL ANALYSTS
Analysts are working with more and bigger datasets than ever
before. In addition, the amount of data sources they need to
access continues to expand. While Microsoft Excel readily solves
many ad hoc needs, it does not fit the data blending and
advanced analytic needs that analysts require today.
OVER-DEPENDENCE ON EXCEL
CAN RESULT IN THE POOR
HEALTH OF YOUR DATA AND
YOUR ANALYST.
5 SYMPTOMS OF EXCEL
OVER-DEPENDENCE
Most illnesses carry some telltale symptoms, and analysts with Excel
Over-Dependence are no different. These symptoms affect analyst
outcomes and contribute to their lack of productivity. DO YOU HAVE THE TELLTALE
SYMPTOMS OF EXCEL
OVER-DEPENDENCE?
WARNING
SIGNS:
Do you feel unfulfilled by your existing Excel
workflow, learning curve, or lost productivity?
Do you aspire to things you believe could never be
accomplished with your existing analytics tools?
Do you wish you could tap into all of your
unrealized data analyst potential?
IF YOU SAID YES TO ANY OF THESE,
ALTERYX MIGHT BE RIGHT FOR YOU.
SYMPTOM
MULTIPLE DATA
SOURCE INSOMNIA
More data means more sources of data. In Excel, blending multiple
data sources such as Access, SQL, cloud-based data, social media data,
and other spreadsheets can be complex or even impossible without
the help of a crew of data specialists or other tools.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
I.T. ISN’T AVAILABLE FOR A
LAST-MINUTE CRUNCH?
Scripting, lookups, and SQL queries in Excel are not
for the faint of heart—especially at 2 AM.
REMEDY
ALTERYX
By removing the need to manage multiple Excel files, open multiple
Excel windows, and construct complicated VLOOKUP or join
commands, Alteryx allows analysts to access and blend data of any
type and source through easy-to-use drag-and-drop tools. You may
even get a good night's sleep.
SYMPTOM
MANUAL DATA PROCESSING
& CALCULATION FIXATION
Analysts must often juggle many cross-updating
spreadsheets and tabs within spreadsheets linked by
VLOOKUPs and other functions in perfect harmony.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PERFECT
SPREADSHEET CALL GOES WRONG,
LEAVING ONLY VAGUE ERRORS LIKE
#NAME, #REF, AND #NA?
REMEDY
ALTERYX
Fixate no more. Alteryx’s workflow enables you to actually see
each step, function, filter, join, and select—without harming the
data—as data progresses.
THAT WAY, IF YOUR CALCULATIONS OR
DATA SOURCES CHANGE, IT'S EASY TO
KNOW WHERE TO START AND WHAT
NEEDS TO CHANGE.
SYMPTOM
DIRTY-DATA-PHOBIA
DATA CAN BE DIRTY, FRAUGHT WITH
ERRORS, AND OFTEN MISSING PARTS
ALTOGETHER.
Excel limits the ability to cleanse, restructure, and reformat data,
leading analysts to rely on I.T. to deliver the data sets they need.
REMEDY
ALTERYX
FEAR NOT. ALTERYX USES EASY
DRAG-AND-DROP TOOLS TO CLEANSE DATA.
Now you can readily restructure, reformat, transform, and replace missing
values [useful for those annoying NULL() values] with confidence.
SYMPTOM
REPETITION
MALAISE
MANY ANALYSTS ARE FACED WITH THE TEDIOUS
CHORE OF REPEATEDLY PRODUCING THE
SAME REPORTS AND TASKS.
Although some automation is doable, it often requires creating
macros (or Visual Basic scripting) and manual intervention (or
fragile hacks) to succeed.
REMEDY
ALTERYX
Imagine effortlessly emailing a report without VBA or macros. With the
intuitive, self-documenting workflow of Alteryx, it’s easy. Better still...
ONCE CREATED, A WORKFLOW CAN BE
MODIFIED OR ENHANCED FOR FUTURE
UPDATES AND ANALYSIS.
SYMPTOM
ANALYSIS
PARALYSIS
Today's analysts are often asked to provide actionable, timely insight
through a combination of geospatial data, predictive models, and visualizations.
Without on-staff Excel gurus, analysts often struggle to find the
techniques and right tools to pull this off...
POTENTIALLY STOPPING A
PROJECT IN ITS TRACKS.
REMEDY
ALTERYX
Designed to encourage creative data exploration, Alteryx empowers
every analyst to delve deep into data blending and advanced analytics...
CREATING DEEPER INSIGHTS
IN HOURS, NOT WEEKS.
EXCEL OVER-DEPENDENCE
CAN BE SERIOUS...
BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERMANENT.
Combining best-of-breed data blending, analytics, and reporting with 60+ built-in tools for spatial and
R-based predictive analytics, you too can experience the unparalleled ease and freedom of the fastest
analytics platform in the industry: Alteryx.
+
+
+
=
SEE HOW OTHER LEADERS IN THE FIELD HAVE OVERCOME
THEIR OWN EXCEL OVER-DEPENDENCE WITH ALTERYX.
CASE STUDY 1
MAJOR U.S. HEALTH
CARE PROVIDER
With Alteryx, one major U.S. health care provider can now pull data from a
variety of sources through automated, scheduled processes; perform data
blending from more than six different sources; and transform data to make
effective business decisions. Facilitating inter-departmental communication, Alteryx was used to create a
customer communication outreach decision tree that pushes notifications
to a SharePoint list. Using Alteryx, the company can now readily blend
data from phone calls, reprocessing requests, complaints and customer
master data—creating a unified, scalable solution for easy analysis and action.
CASE STUDY 2
GLOBAL MANUFACTURING
COMPANY
With Alteryx, this global manufacturing company consolidated
three difficult challenges into one elegant automated solution.
No 1.
No 2.
No 3.
Produce clean
Point the clean
Refine and analyze
monthly Excel
data at Tableau for
the data in Tableau,
CSV survey
reshaping that often
requiring numerous
data files
pressed Excel limits
calculations before
as extracts grew
reporting on the
unwieldy
outcome
With Alteryx, they consolidated everything into one clean workflow,
resulting in business process improvements and automatic contact for
stakeholders in the field.
ALTERYX SIDE
EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE:
Designed to encourage creative data exploration, Alteryx
empowers even the most junior of analysts to delve deep
into data blending and predictive and geospatial analytics
—creating valuable insight in minutes or hours, not days.
PREDICTABLE
PREDICTIVE
ANALYSIS
ENHANCED
PRODUCTIVITY
FEELINGS OF
EUPHORIA
ASK YOUR ANALYTICS DOCTOR IF
ALTERYX IS RIGHT FOR YOU!
VISIT ALTERYX.COM/DOWNLOAD TO
GET A FREE 14 -DAY PRESCRIPTION.
NEWFOUND
OFFICE
POPULARITY
IMPROVED
SELF-ESTEEM
FROM DATA
EMPOWERMENT
ENVIABLE
GEOSPATIAL
AWARENESS