Sets Groups and Bins in Tableau are the main tools that help you organize and categorize data to simplify analysis. Each tool serves a different purpose, making it easier to manage large datasets:
- Groups allow you to merge multiple values into a single category, making it easier to analyze related data.
- Sets let you define subsets of data based on specific conditions, helping you focus on specific parts of the data.
- Bins are used to divide numerical data into categories, which is ideal for understanding data distribution.
When to use Sets Groups and Bins in Tableau
Groups
Groups are useful if you want to categorize similar data points. For example, if you are dealing with “desktop computers” and “laptop computers” but want to analyze them together as “computers,” you use groups to combine them.
Sets
Sets are needed when you want to separate specific data based on conditions. For example, to focus on the top 10 customers based on sales, you create a set with those customers and analyze them separately.
Bins
When you are dealing with continuous numerical data, bins help by dividing the data into intervals. If you have customer ages and you want to group them into categories like 20-30, 30-40, etc., bins let you easily create these segments.
Importance of Sets Groups and Bins in Tableau
Groups
It simplify data by merging categories, making it easier to analyze large datasets.
Scenario: If you’re analyzing sales across multiple product lines and want to group related items like televisions and computers into “Electronics,” groups help streamline the data, making it easier to compare.
Sets
It enable dynamic segmentation, allowing you to focus on specific parts of your data.
Scenario: To analyze the top 20% of products that contribute the most revenue, sets allow you to filter this subgroup and go deeper into understanding those key products.
Bins
It help you divide continuous data into manageable intervals.
Scenario: If you want to analyze customer purchases based on price, bins allow you to group them into categories like “less than $100” or “$100 to $200,” making it easier to identify trends.
Steps to establish Sets Groups and Bins in Tableau
Step 1: Open Tableau
Step 2: Click on Text file to connect with Tableau
Step 3: Browse csv file (or other file format as your need) and click on Open
Step 4: Click on Sheet 1 (Worksheet)
Group
Step 5: Right click over Product Name (in data pane) and select Create for selecting Group…
Step 6: Specify a name (Comparing Computer Components to Others) for field and select all the products you want to group together; Click on Group button
Step 7: Specify a name (Computer Components) for Group
Step 8: Mark/Select Include ‘Other’, rest of the products will be grouped into it.
Step 9: Drag-n-drop Comparing Computer Components to Others field (from data pane) in Column shelf and Revenue field (from data pane) in Rows shelf
Note:
- Here, we grouped products in Computer Components and Other
- Revenue from Computer Components is less along with Other
Set
Step 10: Right click over Product Name (in data pane) and select Create for selecting Set…
Step 11: Specify a name (Revenue <5000) for field and select all the products you want to set together
Step 12: Click on Condition; Select By field: and fill the following (as mentioned in image) then click OK button
Note:
- You can click Top for get top n or bottom n products
Step 13: Drag-n-drop Product Name (from data pane) in Rows shelf, Revenue (from data pane) over Text (Mark card) and Revenue <5000 (set field from data pane) in Filter shelf
Note:
- Here, we got the product whose revenue is equal to and less than 5000.
Bin
Step 14: Right click over Product Name (in data pane) and select Create for selecting Bin…
Step 15: Specify a name (Revenue (bin)) for Bin field and fill the following (as mentioned in image):
Step 16: Drag-n-drop Revenue (bin) (bin field from data pane) in Columns shelf and Unit Sold in Rows shelf
Note:
- Here, we divide the revenue equally by 4000.
- As we can see the visual, we get the revenue of 0-3999 after selling 300 units.
Conclusion
In Tableau, groups, sets, and bins are essential for organizing and dividing data, making analysis more effective. Whether you’re grouping related data points, segmenting by conditions, or analyzing numerical distributions, these tools play a vital role in uncovering deeper insights from your data.
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