Episode 35: Data visualisation tools
- Embedded IT
- Apr 21, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 16
Once data has been collected and analysed, the next challenge is presenting it in a way people can understand. Good data visualisation helps users engage with complex information, spot trends quickly, and make better decisions. With so many tools available, the focus is on understanding what each type offers and how to choose the right option during procurement.
This builds on our explanation of what data is and how it’s used across organisations.
The role of data visualisation in user understanding
Data can become overwhelming if it is not presented clearly. Visualisation helps turn that complexity into something digestible, whether through simple pie charts or advanced 3D models that users can zoom in and out of. These tools improve engagement and make it easier to draw insights from large datasets.
There is no shortage of products on the market, and the right choice depends entirely on the type of visualisation required.
Common data visualisation tools in the market
Many widely used platforms provide strong graphing and dashboard functionality. Tableau is one of the most recognised names, offering advanced visual features and a large library of community-built charts and dashboards that others can reuse. Power BI and QlikView also sit in this space, providing flexible ways to build charts, dashboards, and interactive views of data.
These tools support everything from basic graphs to more complex presentations that help users explore their data more deeply.
When specialist visualisation tools are needed
Some scenarios require more specific types of visualisation. Mapping is a common example. Tools like Power BI allow users to plot postcodes on a map, which is much more powerful than it sounds. When millions of companies or locations need analysing, a simple map can quickly reveal concentrations and patterns that would be hard to spot in a spreadsheet.
For more advanced location-based analysis, specialist providers such as Esri offer high-end mapping capabilities. These platforms support detailed geographic views and more sophisticated overlays, helping users make sense of complex spatial data.
Understanding real-time data visualisation
Not all datasets are static. Some organisations need dashboards that stay updated in real time, especially when data is constantly streaming in.
Tools like Splunk are well known for handling large volumes of dynamic information and presenting it clearly. Grafana, an open-source option, is widely used for monitoring and tracking changes as they happen. Both tools allow users to keep dashboards refreshed at rapid intervals, giving up-to-date visibility of what is going on.
Why testing tools is essential in procurement
New visualisation products appear regularly, so choosing the right one requires careful testing. Procurement should focus on:
checking that the tool genuinely delivers the required visual outputs
understanding licensing terms and the commercial model
ensuring it meets IT stakeholder expectations
engaging with suppliers to understand what the product can and cannot do
Ultimately, this is standard software procurement practice, but it becomes particularly important in a fast-changing area like data visualisation.
For organisations looking to choose or procure the right data visualisation tools, get in touch.
