Why dashboards combine multiple views in Tableau - Business Case Study

Scenario Mode

👤 Your Role: You are a business analyst at a retail company.

📋 Request: Your manager wants a dashboard that shows sales performance from different angles to help make quick decisions.

📊 Data: You have monthly sales data by region, product category, and sales channel.

🎯 Deliverable: Create a dashboard that combines multiple views to show overall sales trends, regional sales breakdown, and top product categories.

Sample Data

Month	Region	Product Category	Sales Channel	Sales Amount
Jan	North	Electronics	Online	12000
Jan	South	Clothing	Retail	8000
Feb	North	Electronics	Retail	15000
Feb	East	Clothing	Online	7000
Mar	West	Home Goods	Retail	9000
Mar	South	Electronics	Online	11000
Apr	East	Home Goods	Retail	13000
Apr	North	Clothing	Online	6000
May	West	Electronics	Retail	14000
May	South	Home Goods	Online	7500

1

Step 1: Create a line chart showing total sales amount by month to see overall sales trends.

Rows: SUM(Sales Amount), Columns: Month

Expected Result

Line chart showing sales increasing and decreasing over months.

2

Step 2: Create a bar chart showing total sales amount by region to compare regional performance.

Rows: Region, Columns: SUM(Sales Amount)

Expected Result

Bar chart with sales amounts for North, South, East, and West regions.

3

Step 3: Create a pie chart showing sales distribution by product category to identify top categories.

Slices: Product Category, Size: SUM(Sales Amount)

Expected Result

Pie chart showing percentage sales for Electronics, Clothing, and Home Goods.

4

Step 4: Combine the three charts into one dashboard to provide multiple views in one place.

Add line chart, bar chart, and pie chart to dashboard layout with clear titles and legends.

Expected Result

Dashboard showing overall sales trend, regional sales, and product category sales side by side.

5

Step 5: Add interactivity by linking charts so selecting a region filters the other views.

Use dashboard actions to filter line and pie charts when a region is selected in bar chart.

Expected Result

Selecting a region updates the sales trend and product category charts to show data for that region only.

Final Result

Dashboard
+----------------------+---------------------+
| Sales Trend (Line)   | Regional Sales (Bar) |
|                      |                     |
|   /\                 |  |  |  |             |
|  /  \                |  |  |  |             |
| /    \               |  |  |  |             |
+----------------------+---------------------+
| Product Category (Pie)                      |
|   (Electronics, Clothing, Home Goods)      |
+--------------------------------------------+

✓Sales trend shows fluctuations over months with peaks in February and May.

✓North and West regions have higher sales compared to East and South.

✓Electronics is the top product category contributing most to sales.

Bonus Challenge

Add a filter to the dashboard to select sales channel (Online or Retail) and see all views update accordingly.

Show Hint

Use a dashboard filter action connected to all charts to filter data by Sales Channel.

Practice

1. Why do dashboards combine multiple views in Tableau?

easy

A. To reduce the amount of data shown

B. To make the dashboard load slower

C. To provide a complete picture by showing data from different angles

D. To confuse the user with too much information

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of multiple views

   Multiple views allow users to see different aspects of data in one place.

2. Step 2: Recognize the benefit of combining views

   Combining views gives a fuller, clearer understanding of the data story.

3. Final Answer:

   To provide a complete picture by showing data from different angles -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Multiple views = complete picture [OK]

Hint: Think: multiple views = full story in one place [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking dashboards slow down on purpose
• Believing more views confuse users
• Assuming dashboards reduce data shown

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add multiple views to a Tableau dashboard?

easy

A. Drag multiple worksheets onto the dashboard canvas

B. Write SQL queries inside the dashboard

C. Use only one worksheet per dashboard

D. Add views by typing formulas in the dashboard

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify how Tableau dashboards are built

   Tableau dashboards are created by dragging worksheets (views) onto the canvas.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect methods

   SQL queries and formulas are not added directly to dashboards; only worksheets are placed.

3. Final Answer:

   Drag multiple worksheets onto the dashboard canvas -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Drag worksheets = add views [OK]

Hint: Drag worksheets to dashboard, not code or formulas [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to write SQL inside dashboards
• Using only one worksheet per dashboard
• Typing formulas directly on dashboard

3. Consider a dashboard with a sales map and a sales table. If you click a region on the map, what happens to the table if the views are linked by an action?

medium

A. The table filters to show sales only for the selected region

B. The table shows sales for all regions regardless of selection

C. The map zooms out automatically

D. The dashboard refreshes and clears all selections

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard actions linking views

   Actions connect views so selecting data in one filters or highlights related data in another.

2. Step 2: Apply this to the map and table example

   Clicking a region on the map filters the table to show only that region's sales.

3. Final Answer:

   The table filters to show sales only for the selected region -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Linked views filter related data [OK]

Hint: Click map region filters table if linked [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking table ignores map selection
• Assuming map zooms out automatically
• Believing dashboard clears selections on click

4. You created a dashboard with multiple views but clicking on one view does not filter the others. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. The views are on different dashboards

B. The data source is missing

C. Tableau does not support interactive filtering

D. Dashboard actions linking the views are not set up

Solution

1. Step 1: Check interactive filtering setup

   Interactive filtering between views requires dashboard actions to be configured.

2. Step 2: Identify missing setup

   If clicking does not filter others, likely the dashboard actions are not created or enabled.

3. Final Answer:

   Dashboard actions linking the views are not set up -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Missing actions = no filtering [OK]

Hint: Set dashboard actions to link views [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming data source is missing
• Thinking views on different dashboards still filter each other
• Believing Tableau lacks interactive filtering

5. You want to create a dashboard that shows sales by region, product category, and time. How does combining multiple views help users understand the data better?

hard

A. It hides details so users only see total sales

B. It lets users explore sales trends by time, compare categories, and see regional differences all in one place

C. It forces users to look at one view at a time

D. It slows down the dashboard and confuses users

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the benefit of multiple views for complex data

   Showing sales by region, category, and time separately helps users see patterns and relationships clearly.

2. Step 2: Explain how combined views improve understanding

   Users can explore data from different angles without switching dashboards, gaining deeper insights.

3. Final Answer:

   It lets users explore sales trends by time, compare categories, and see regional differences all in one place -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Multiple views = better exploration [OK]

Hint: Multiple views show different data angles together [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking multiple views hide details
• Believing users must view one chart at a time
• Assuming multiple views confuse users