Use Tableau with Salesforce Data
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- List the options for connecting data between Salesforce and Tableau.
- Describe tools that help you collaborate between Salesforce and Tableau to build visualizations and analyze data.
- Explain how to share data insights and automate workflows between Salesforce and Tableau.
Take the Reins of Your Analytics
Data-driven companies perform better, and better data helps you make better decisions across all departments. When you combine the world’s #1 CRM, Salesforce, with the world’s #1 analytics platform, Tableau, you give everyone in your organization the power to anticipate problems, take action in real time, and make decisions you can trust. Let’s see how Tableau and Salesforce data connect so you can make trusted decisions.
Connect to Salesforce Data in Tableau
Your analysis in Tableau begins with connecting to data. With Salesforce Data Cloud to wrangle your data objects and Tableau Semantics to model them, it's easy to explore and get insights with Tableau. You can pick whether to connect directly to Data Cloud objects in Tableau, or add in Tableau Semantics for your semantic layer before moving into Tableau. Use the built-in Tableau connector for Data Cloud or Tableau Semantics to seamlessly connect in Tableau and start using that data for deep-level analysis.
Tableau doesn’t just work with Data Cloud data, though. If your Salesforce data is not in Data Cloud, you can connect directly to Salesforce Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, or Marketing Cloud Engagement data from Tableau.
Tableau Connectors
Even if some of your data needs to stay outside of Salesforce, or if your data is spread across multiple Salesforce orgs, you can use one of Tableau’s 100+ supported connectors to ensure everything is included in your Tableau data source. This way, no data is left behind!
Tableau Next
If you're looking for a way to get real-time insights without moving or duplicating your data, Tableau Next can help. Built on the Salesforce Platform, Tableau Next gives you a unified analysis platform that connects with Salesforce apps and workflows. By combining the power of Tableau Semantics and Agentforce, you can get trustworthy insights and AI-powered automation.
To learn more about Tableau Next, check out Unlock Actionable Data Insights with Tableau Next.
Manage Data Access
With great quantities of data comes great data access responsibilities. To manage this, Tableau is data space aware, which means that the data available in Tableau is based on the OAuth login used in Data Cloud. This means you only see the data space you’re authorized to access in Data Cloud.
As we work with large volumes of data, we know that security and governance are important. Publishing data sources right to Tableau can help you to centralize data management and set access credentials to keep certain data restricted. To save time and increase efficiency, you can automate and simplify data prep by scheduling or sequentially running published flows.
Create Dashboards, Fast
You’ve connected, harmonized, and managed all that data. Go, data rockstar! But when you need to tell the story your data contains, you might need some help when you see the empty Tableau canvas.
Tableau Agent
Enter Tableau Agent. Tableau Agent is your generative AI assistant that can suggest analysis for your data or turn your requests into vizzes. Tableau Agent doesn't simply answer your questions, it creates the viz or calculation for you, which enables you to leverage the power of Tableau's interactive visuals. And calculations become a breeze when Tableau Agent can turn your natural language into Tableau formulas. Whether you use Tableau Agent to make recommendations based on your data or to start visualizing questions you already have, you'll end up with editable vizzes you can modify as you see fit.
Tableau Accelerators
Or, if your analytic needs align, check out accelerators built for Salesforce. Tableau Accelerators are pre-built dashboards tailor-made to specific applications like Salesforce and Salesforce Data Cloud, or for specific use cases like Salesforce Pipeline, Cloud Opportunities, or Service Cloud Voice Call. Tableau Accelerators are available for both Tableau Desktop and Tableau Cloud.
Easily accessible from Tableau Exchange or within Tableau Desktop or Tableau Cloud, you can grab an expert-built dashboard, map it to your data, and customize it to your needs. That empty Tableau canvas will be populated in no time!
Tableau and Salesforce APIs
Go beyond built-in functionality by leveraging developer tools like the Tableau REST API and the Data Cloud Developer Center. These developer tools help you create your own custom applications or script interactions with Tableau resources.
Use Tableau’s REST API if you want to make a list of Tableau dashboards available to specific users for an analytics catalog in Experience Cloud, or programmatically manage analytical extensions to run Einstein predictions. Learn how to build powerful data-powered experiences in Data Cloud, like embedding and integrating Tableau views into your web pages, or creating and customizing a connector from any database by checking out the Data Cloud Developer Center.
Bring Tableau Insights Into Salesforce
Now that you’ve uncovered some great insights, it’s time to share them. Previously, trying to do this involved pivoting between multiple applications, copying and pasting data, and losing much of the context along the way. Now, Tableau has made it easier to share and act on the findings with your team by using the native Tableau View Lightning web component, which embeds your Tableau dashboard into Salesforce Lightning pages. Just drag the component onto the page and add the URL for the Tableau view (another word for your Tableau visualization).
In addition, Tableau’s Slack application makes it easy to stay up to date on your data, search, and share Tableau content directly into your org’s channels.
With Tableau’s External Actions feature, you can create and interact with data-driven workflows directly from Tableau dashboards and automate your next steps using Salesforce Flow.
Summary
Tableau and Salesforce integrations help you seamlessly use the world’s #1 CRM with the world’s #1 analytics platform, enhancing your ability to uncover valuable insights from your data and make better business decisions.
Resources
- Tableau Help: Connect to Your Data
- Tableau Help: Salesforce Connector
- Tableau Help: Marketing Cloud Connector
- Salesforce Help: Use Data Cloud Data in Tableau
- Tableau Site: Salesforce Solutions