It was a long time strap line for QlikView, and an enticing proposition, but does it actually stand true? The answer, as often is the case, is it depends.
There is a long running thread on QlikCommunities with the subject “I Thought QlikView Was Supposed To Be Easy To Learn”. As you may guess the thread was started by someone who felt mislead by the marketing line and was struggling to use the tool. Many comments have been added, some echoing the sentiment and many others offering help and links to the many excellent resources out there. It makes for an interesting read.
The good news is that QlikView is incredibly easy to use – as a data user. I have often said to people that I can teach you to use your dashboard in ten minutes – if you can tell the difference between green white and grey. I’ve even been able to deliver on this boast with time to spare.
So where’s the problem? Well, that is being shown how to use a well constructed dashboard – hosted on a web server at the end of a ‘Favourites’ link. Building a document from scratch is a different matter – and requires different skills. Is it difficult? No. Are there pitfalls? Yes.
The first problem can come from connecting to the data source. QlikView can connect to virtually any data source – so it should be no surprise that some present more issues than others. The wizard added on opening QlikView 10 is a welcome addition for new users – but some data sources require a bit more ingenuity. If you are able to import data into SQL Server or Excel and deal with rogue values etc. then you should be well equipped to do the same in QlikView – if not it may take bit more persistence, or a helping hand. This is in no way a fault of the tool.
Once the data is in then there are other challenges ahead. To create a truly first class dashboard a number of very different skills are required. A good understanding of data, maths and the business are all required. Understanding charts and rules for using them is also essential – all too often I see line charts across non-linear dimensions, averages being added together, pie charts of unrelated items – the list goes on. The dashboard designer is presenting important data – they have a duty to treat it right.
Similarly, design and layout are critical to a successful dashboard. The QlikView developer needs to have an eye for presentation in the same way a web designer does. Crimes against design can lead to completely unusable dashboards.
Fortunately for both data presentation and design there are good books out there that can teach you the basic rules.
The final pitfall I want to mention briefly is performance. Again this is only a pitfall due to expectations. We are told that QlikView offers lightning fast analysis, which it does, but what works for a small data set may not work for a wide set of data with millions of rows. Again you need to know what you are doing. There are many tips and best practices for tuning – too many to list here, but there are good articles out there.
So, in short, QlikView is wonderfully simple to use as an end user of a pre-built dashboard, but you should not assume just anyone can build a dashboard. As someone considering QlikView, or as an existing user, you should be evaluating how you should invest in getting the most from your data. It may be sending staff on the QlikTech training courses, investing time in using the on-line tutorials, just having a go (with QlikCommunities for guidance) – or engaging the help of experts. Any of these are valid approaches. What ever you do, be realistic about what can be achieved in a given time-frame and seek out good advice.
Do these things and you will soon be enjoying the simplified analysis you have been promised.
Links:
Original QlikCommunity Thread
QlikTech: Free Training Materials
A good read: Information Dashboard Design – by Stephen Few
Videos on QlikView Scalability
Good article, as the data generation and organisation is not such intuitive we have tried to help the customers giving them a visual design tool: QlikView Visual Script Generator.
The tool is at an early stage but already allows users to design the database schema and link tables together in order to be understood by QlikView. Some wizards are presents, connections are simple to define, and we can embedded QlikView code in reusable modules
The next step we are working on is a code designer that will allows designers to code by drag & dropping QlikView instructions on a treeview.
After that we think that QlikView will be really “Easy To Learn”
Regards, John
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve not tried your tool yet, but if it removes barriers to people using QlikView then it can only be a very good thing.
Good luck with it.
Steve
hi,
all the point you made in your article:
connecting to the data source…
good understanding of data, maths and the business…
Understanding charts and rules for using them…
design and layout are critical…
final pitfall I want to mention briefly is performance….
are perfectly valid and true (bit over simplified maybe)
but they are true for every BI or reporting system out there.
and even so they are related to the process as a whole, where i believe that analysis is the actual use of the the data after it is presented to the user
and here is where QlikView shines. not because it has better charts or graphic controls then other spftware, its that once the data is loaded the analyst has a total freedom to play with all the elements (dimensions, measures, calculations etc’) and is only have to remember what he already knows (the business side of the data) plus to be able to see green, white and gray :)
as for your points,
with some of them, like connecting to data sources and design options
QlikView(the software not the vendor)does a good job of helping the inexperienced, with wizards at the script editor, and new features like syntax pop ups.
and for others it works just as well in QlikView as it does in other systems.
but anyway just my two cents……
like i said i agree with your points in general:)
so Thanks for Posting it.
Mansyno