Get to Know Semantic Models
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Explain the primary function of a semantic layer.
- Describe how to create and customize semantic models in Tableau Semantics.
- Identify the key benefits of using semantic models in Tableau Semantics.
Meet Semantic Models
Tableau Semantics, an AI-infused semantic layer integrated in Data Cloud, powers Tableau Next with business-rich data. At the heart of Tableau Semantics is the ability to create semantic models. Semantic models map your raw data to business-friendly terms and logic, making it easier to interpret and reuse in dashboards, reports, and other data-driven experiences. Build semantic models from scratch, extend existing models, or even use data kits to build your models. Then, customize fields, relationships, and metrics to match your business needs.
Use Tableau Semantics to access your semantic models from a single source of truth, and centralize your data and metrics in a unified and governed environment. You can share your semantic models with others and vice versa, ensuring consistency throughout Tableau Next. Creating and reusing a semantic model standardizes how data model objects (DMOs) connect, establishes a common language for field names, and ensures reliable and accurate calculations.
You can also use the Tableau Semantics connector for Tableau Desktop, and Cloud to connect and use semantic models in Data Cloud just like you can in Tableau Next. For more information, see Salesforce Help: Tableau Semantics Connector.
How It Works
Tableau Semantics, combined with Tableau Next, unlocks conversational analytics by translating natural language questions into semantic queries. It delivers accurate responses that include text, visualizations, explanations, and actionable insights. Use Tableau Semantics to define business logic in a standardized way, such as creating a calculated field that establishes the cutoff for a high-value sales opportunity or defining criteria for an overdue case in various service tiers.
You can access Tableau Semantics in Tableau Next from a workspace or through a visualization. In a workspace, you can create or open semantic models and even add them as existing assets.
You can also add a semantic model as an existing asset.
When you’re in a visualization, you can open semantic models and modify them to suit your needs.
After you create semantic models, you can then customize them in your workspace to meet your specific needs.
Customize Your Semantic Model
Tailor semantic models for specific domains by combining multiple DMOs, data lake objects (DLOs), or calculated insights (CIs) from Data Cloud. With semantic models, you can create flexible relationships across objects, or lock in specific joins and unions with a logical view. You can also add calculated fields either manually or automatically using AI-powered features to include additional fields that don’t exist in your raw data. You can even create new metrics to enhance your analysis. For more information about metrics, check out Metrics in Tableau Next.
Here’s an example of a semantic model that contains multiple DMOs and a defined relationship.
Key Benefits
With Tableau Semantics, you can take advantage of the power of your data and AI with business knowledge.
- Unify and scale trusted data by centralizing your data and metrics in a single, governed layer.
- Accelerate time to insight by providing self-serve analytics and reduce manual and repetitive effort with AI-powered features, such as relationship suggestions.
- Refine agents with business context by getting more accurate and relevant answers from your data.
Summary
Use Tableau Semantics to create semantic models, build relationships, and add definitions on top of your data in Data Cloud to serve as a single source of truth within Salesforce. By using semantic models in Tableau Next, you can spend less time shaping your data and more time analyzing it to find the data-informed answers to your business questions. Now that you know more about semantic models, head over to Tableau Next and check them out for yourself!