Aggregation summarizes data into meaningful totals (like sums or averages), while disaggregation reveals raw, individual data points for granular analysis.

Practical Response 1:
“Aggregation is when Tableau summarizes your data—like showing total sales per region. Disaggregation shows every transaction individually, which helps spot specific patterns or outliers in the data.”

Practical Response 2:
“In my dashboards, I use aggregation for high-level summaries, such as average order value by category. When I need to investigate further, I disaggregate to see each order’s details and understand what’s driving the trends.”

Detailed Explanation:
Aggregation in Tableau refers to the process of combining multiple data points into summarized values using functions like SUM, AVG, COUNT, MIN, or MAX. For example, when you place the “Sales” measure on a view, Tableau automatically aggregates it by summing all sales values for the given context (e.g., per region or per month). Aggregation is essential for performance and clarity, enabling users to grasp overall trends without being overwhelmed by detail. Common use cases include:

  • Calculating total revenue by quarter
  • Averaging customer satisfaction scores by product line
  • Counting orders by shipping method

Disaggregation, on the other hand, removes aggregation and displays each row of your data source as an individual mark. This is particularly valuable for:

  • Identifying outliers or anomalies in transaction-level data
  • Analyzing distribution patterns through scatter plots or dot plots
  • Conducting granular analysis where summary statistics might hide important details

You can toggle aggregation on/off in Tableau by right-clicking a measure and selecting “Attribute” (disaggregated) or the desired aggregation function. The choice between aggregation and disaggregation depends on your analytical goal—whether you need the “big picture” or the “fine details.”

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