Lens Explorer
A feature in Tableau CRM (formerly Einstein Analytics) that provides an interactive interface for visually exploring datasets by adding filters, groupings, and measures.
Definition
A feature in Tableau CRM (formerly Einstein Analytics) that provides an interactive interface for visually exploring datasets by adding filters, groupings, and measures. It allows quick data analysis without building a full dashboard.
In plain English
“Lens Explorer is a feature in CRM Analytics (formerly Tableau CRM) that lets you visually explore datasets by clicking around to add filters, groupings, and measures. It's for quick interactive analysis without building a full dashboard from scratch.”
Worked example
An analyst at Padfield Manufacturing wants to quickly explore the order dataset to spot trends without building a full dashboard. She opens Lens Explorer in CRM Analytics, picks the Orders dataset, and starts iterating: a filter for last 90 days, a grouping by region, a bar chart of order count by region. She notices the West region's orders are spiking; she adds a second grouping by product line, and sees the spike is concentrated in one product. In 5 minutes the Lens Explorer surfaces the insight that would have taken 30 minutes in a full dashboard build. Lens Explorer is the analyst's quick-look tool, separate from the polished dashboards end users see.
Why Lens Explorer matters
Lens Explorer is a feature in Salesforce CRM Analytics (formerly Tableau CRM, formerly Einstein Analytics) that provides an interactive interface for visually exploring datasets. Users can add filters, groupings, and measures through a drag-and-drop interface, immediately seeing the data update as they explore. It's designed for quick analytical investigation without the overhead of building a full dashboard.
Lens Explorer is the analytical workbench in CRM Analytics, where business analysts and data-curious users can investigate data ad hoc. Patterns discovered in Lens Explorer often become the basis for full dashboards later: explore in lens, then formalize the useful views as dashboard widgets. The feature supports the broader CRM Analytics workflow of dataflows -> datasets -> exploration -> dashboards, with Lens Explorer being the exploration step. For organizations using CRM Analytics seriously, Lens Explorer skills are part of the standard analyst toolkit.
How organizations use Lens Explorer
Uses Lens Explorer for ad hoc investigation when business questions come up. Patterns discovered there become permanent dashboard widgets.
Trains analysts on Lens Explorer as their primary tool for investigative data work in CRM Analytics.
Treats Lens Explorer as the workbench and dashboards as the production layer, using each for what it's best at.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is Lens Explorer?
Q2. What's the workflow that Lens Explorer fits into?
Q3. When should you build a dashboard versus stay in Lens Explorer?
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