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Enterprise Data: From the RAE to Tableau

Outlining the process of how data is added to the university’s data lake (RAE) and moves to Tableau for a single source of truth.

The Office of Technology and Digital Innovation’s Data Management teams are constantly working with data partners around campus to acquire, store, and make data available to analysts in the Reporting and Analytics Environment (RAE). The RAE’s primary focus is to capture data about Ohio State’s key business processes and systems; it does not store information or data related to Ohio State’s research mission, nor any data from OSU Medical Center systems. To learn more about the data currently loaded into the RAE, please view the RAE Object Domain Directory. 

To ensure data is accurate, reliable, and secure, the steps below outline how data goes from an idea to accessible via reporting tools.

Process

Step 1: Submit a request to add data to the RAE.
  • Action: Submit a formal request through the RAE intake process. The intake form and detailed instructions are available.
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME), Data Governance, Data Steward(s), Data Engineering, Access Management
  • Must have from requestor and/or SME
    • Name of the data domain(s) in which the data will reside. If an appropriate domain does not exist, one can be requested via the Data Governance team, by emailing Data-Governance@osu.edu.
    • Redshift access
  • Helpful to have from requestor and/or SME
    • Data steward approval via email
    • A project plan or charter outlining the source of the data and the business use-case for the data in the RAE and/or Tableau.
    • Comfort using a SQL query tool to connect to data and validate. 
 

Note: If the goal is to use data as a single source of truth, but the raw data requires significant subject knowledge or clean-up before use, specify in the project summary that you would like business logic included in the view(s). Data Engineers will partner to build views in the silver or gold layers in the RAE that contain this business logic. This will make it easier for users to query directly and to build certified Enterprise data sources and dashboards in Tableau. 

Step 2: Validate Data and Refine (if needed)
  • Action: A SME, usually a business analyst in the requesting unit, must ensure the data is accurate. If changes are needed, they will work with the Data Engineering team to refine.
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or SME, Data Engineering
  • Must have from requestor and/or SME:
    • Access to a SQL query tool to validate and refine views; access to the source of the data (not in the RAE) to ensure accuracy.
Step 3: Build and Validate Tableau Content
  • Action: A SME, usually a business analyst in the requesting unit with a Tableau Desktop license, is responsible for creating Enterprise datasets and reports in Tableau. They are also responsible for ensuring accuracy.
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or SME.
  • Must have for requestor and/or SME:
    • Tableau Desktop license
Step 4: Submit Change Control Request
  • Action: Once the business has created and validated the data sources and/or dashboards intended for Enterprise use, the unit must submit a change control request to publish the data source to the Enterprise space on Tableau Server. In-progress work should remain in a unit-specific Tableau project.
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or SME, Data Visualization
  • Must have for requestor and/or SME:
 

Note:

  • Use clear descriptions for the data source – answering common questions (e.g. source of the data, how it should be used, intended audience, questions it will help answer).
  • Before building, consider how others will use the data. For example, if you would like users to be able to bring this into Tableau Prep, Tableau Desktop’s relationship model (the default) is not compatible with Tableau Prep. Consider using SQL joins if others should be able to use Tableau Prep. 
Step 5: Review and Certification by Data Visualization team
  • Action: The data visualization team will
    • Review of the change control request
    • Certify the data source in Tableau Server
    • Move content to the appropriate Enterprise project folders.
    • Set and manage the refresh schedule.
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or SME, Data Visualization, Data Governance
  • Must have from requestor and/or SME:
    • Clear guidance on where the Data Visualization team should publish the content.
 

Note: The Data Governance team or the business unit is responsible for communicating with the appropriate Enterprise access groups. 

Step 6: Share with Stakeholders
  • Action: The business unit is responsible for sharing the final product with stakeholders using channels like:
    • Teams or email communication
    • Office hours or data source/dashboard overview sessions
    • Existing communities of practice
  • Teams involved: Requesting team and/or SME.
  • Nice to have:

 

Post-Publication Support

After Enterprise dashboards and data sources are published, analysts should consistently monitor their performance and identify potential enhancements to ensure alignment with business requirements.

Important Information

Data from the RAE may be queried using any SQL-capable desktop tool (such as DBeaver), Tableau Desktop, or Tableau Server access (based on permissions and site role). 

 

SQL Help Resources

OTDI is able to provide guidance and help resources to learn SQL through both a BuckeyeLearn playlist and peer institution Northwestern University’s Knight Lab community.