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Tableau Roles and Responsibilities

To outline roles and responsibilities for Creators, Primary Project Leaders, and the Data Visualization team in the Office of Technology & Digital Innovation (OTDI). 

Organizations with successful, decentralized operating practices typically have well-defined governance structures that promote consistent and effective operations. When responsibilities are shared within a governance structure, it is extremely important for all responsibilities to be clearly defined to ensure all impacted parties are fully aware of and accountable for those expectations. It is also important to monitor for compliance within the governance structure and to have some level of defined authority for acting when non-compliant practices are observed that negatively impact the overall performance of the operation or service. 

Ohio State University’s Tableau Server environment is a shared model, where primary management and administration of the tool is handled by the OTDI Data Visualization team and designated projects and workbooks are managed by units identified as Creators or Primary Project Leaders. 

The information below outlines roles and responsibilities for three areas:

  1. Creators – any user assigned a Tableau Desktop license.
  2. Primary Project Leaders – the primary contact for the unit
  3. OTDI Data Visualization team – full-time staff members in OTDI focused on Tableau Server. 
 

Helpful Note:

Any individual in the outlined roles will be expected to acknowledge roles and responsibilities on an annual basis. Failure to adhere to outlined responsibilities may result in removal of desktop license or role as Primary Project Lead.

 

Creators
  • Adhere to the university’s shared values and behaviors.
  • Adhere to all data policies of the university, including the Data Governance Council’s directive that teams responsible for Enterprise data assets may be granted view-only access on a case-by-case basis.
  • Partner with the OTDI Data Visualization team in Server optimization efforts, including removing stale content, changing schedules, and following best practices outlined in the Administrative Resource Center (ARC).
  • Use resources available, including Ohio State specific resources in BuckeyeLearn, ARC, tableau.osu.edu, Microsoft Teams. Additional resources may be found in user groups and community forums. A resource guide is available.
  • Strive for accessible dashboards, including designing with accessibility in mind by using accessible elements, providing contact information for the Creator and/or unit, providing summary level data, and seeking exemptions when necessary.
  • Ensure that widely shared reports, such as reports developed for the Enterprise folder or the public site, are listed in the university’s data catalog along with metadata.
  • If working with S4 data to be published to Tableau Server, notify the Primary Project Leader (if applicable) and the OTDI Data Visualization team. This allows both groups to address and document S4 data accordingly. Those working with S4 data and publishing to Tableau Server are required to review and acknowledge Tableau Server S4 requirements and agreements. 
Primary Project Leader
  • All responsibilities listed above as a Creator. 
  • Communicate the primary and secondary (if applicable) Project Leaders to the OTDI Data Visualization team. 
  • Attend Project Lead meetings and communicate OTDI news – including outages, planned upgrades, new features, and events.  
  • Spearhead accessibility exceptions for dashboards in projects that are not accessible and do not follow best practices. The Project Lead(s) should work with their unit’s accessibility liaisons. 
  • Monitor project permissions based on the type of data in the project(s). 
    • No S4 data: monitor project permissions and group membership on an annual basis and submit changes to Access Management. 
    • S4 data: monitor project permissions and group membership on a quarterly basis and submit changes to Access Management.
  • Manage Creator licenses for the unit and notify the OTDI Data Visualization team of changes. Submit Workday chargeback information in a timely manner (8 weeks after notification is received) to avoid service disruption for the unit. 
  • On an annual basis, review Creator licenses assigned to unit to identify licenses to move to the Explorer (Can Publish) role. Communicate to OTDI Data Visualization team licenses that should be changed prior to annual renewal email to all Creators.
    • Creates and publishes Tableau data sources
      • If yes, license required
      • If no, candidate for Explorer (Can Publish)
    • Creates and publishes Tableau dashboards
      • If yes, license required
      • If no, candidate for Explorer or Explorer (Can Publish)
OTDI Data Visualization Team
  • All responsibilities listed above as a Creator.  
  • Serve as the university’s Tableau Server administrator. This includes:
    • Research, test, and facilitate major version upgrades on a bi-annual basis.  
    • Monitor Server status, types of data published, create & maintain job schedules.  
    • Manage Enterprise project folders. Administrators are required to migrate vetted content to the correct projects, certify data sources, and set refresh schedules. Administrators may advise on objects but are not responsible for creation or maintenance.
    • Serve as the primary contact for cases in the Tableau Customer portal. Facilitate patches.  
    • Govern Tableau Server and provide resources to users. The Data Visualization team reserves the right to remove content or access to content that crashes the university’s server.
    • Coordinate accessibility testing.  
  • Assist with large-scale, executive Tableau dashboard development when needed – such as the President’s priorities or COVID-19.  
  • Manage relationships across the university and with external partners.  
    • Serve as a central resource for all Tableau Project Leads, including sharing regular communication and facilitating meetings.  
    • Onboard new Project Leads.  
    • Host Data Visualization Doctor sessions to assist users with questions or development.  
    • Facilitate renewals and coordinate chargeback process.  
    • Provide Tableau Desktop support, such as setting up licenses, connecting to Tableau Server, or connecting to data sources. Support questions with answers that may be googled, will be closed automatically by the Data Visualization team.
  • Create and facilitate Tableau training.  
    • Create content, schedule, facilitate, and record Tableau training in Buckeyelearn.  
    • Create content and update the ARC with job aids and FAQs.  
    • Research and share best practices.

If there are any questions, please email data-visualization@osu.edu.