Normalising data in Tableau can be a great way to get the most out of your data visualisations. Matt Snively talks us through the three common methods of normalisation that can help you achieve this: setting a zero baseline, calculating a min-max index, and standardising the mean. Setting a zero baseline involves adjusting values so that all negative values are set to zero and all positive values remain unchanged. Calculating a min-max index requires determining the minimum and maximum values for each measure, then dividing each value by the maximum value. Standardising the mean involves subtracting the mean from each value and then dividing by the standard deviation.
Each of these methods has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it is important to understand which one best suits your needs before implementing it. While performing data analysis, you might find yourself needing to transform your data to further unlock some insight. One way to do that is through data normalisation, but don’t worry, normalisation is just another way of saying standardisation.
