Qlik Sense Enterprise - SaaS

Qlik Sense is a data visualization tool similar to Google Data Studio, Google Looker Studio, and Power BI. Many people are not yet aware of Qlik Sense as a viable option for creating visualization dashboards. I created a commercial opportunities dashboard related to retail marketing, along with many other dashboards. I worked for a car company, but I cannot disclose that information at this time. The dashboards included marketing-related content, retail information, and sales data from past years along with the locations where sales occurred.

Qlik Sense helps create not only impactful and eye-catching dashboards, but also allows data to be refreshed automatically. There is an SQL query that is already built into Qlik Sense, so I can modify the data or refresh it based on specific requirements so that the data automatically updates and the values of KPIs, bar charts, and other visualizations change accordingly. Retail and sales data typically changes hourly or daily, so daily refreshes are necessary. This is where Qlik Sense proves to be very helpful, and there are several other use cases available as well.

In my opinion, Qlik Sense offers many excellent features. There are many types of charts available, and I can create interactive dashboards while incorporating AI-powered insights. Data integration is easy, and I can use advanced visualization tools like pivot tables in addition to normal table views. Real-time data analysis can be performed, and collaboration with other team members is seamless, as I can share dashboards with other teams so they can review, validate, and understand the work. The tool is very scalable, and I can generate and retain reports.

The feature I find myself using most is AI-powered insights, which is excellent because AI is evolving rapidly. Real-time data refresh is also very valuable because it depends on the use case being worked on, and all features provide particular advantages accordingly.

Qlik Sense impacts my organization positively. Although it is not a free tool and requires payment, my previous organization used Qlik Sense alongside Power BI, Google Looker Studio, and Excel for dashboard creation and data analytics. Because of Qlik Sense, we have improved data visualization quality. I can create complex use cases that are required for business needs and make faster decisions when time constraints exist because Qlik Sense allows dashboards to be created very quickly. I can combine data from multiple sources and create visualizations accordingly. Enhanced collaboration means I can send dashboards to other teams so they have clear visibility. Because AI insights are already incorporated in Qlik Sense, the company reduces time in sending data to clients, creating time-saving benefits for the organization.

Absolutely, nothing is entirely positive, and everything has both advantages and disadvantages. When I worked with Qlik Sense, circular charts were not available, which meant I had to look for alternative solutions that would be reliable or make the functionality work. There are some features that need to be added. Additionally, there is a limit to the number of fields that can be added in Qlik Sense, and I believe it would be beneficial if they increased the count for fields and columns. There might be requirements where an Excel file contains many columns that need to be displayed as visual representations to clients, and in those situations, it becomes very difficult and I have to use alternative approaches. When this problem arose, I used HTML code to write a solution and make it work. Qlik Sense should avoid these types of limitations in future updates.

Another issue is page resolution. If a client wants to view the dashboard on a single page without scrolling, bar charts appear small and the values in KPIs, bar charts, scatter plots, and line graphs cannot be seen very clearly. Adding more extensions to make the job easier would also be beneficial. Improvements to reporting would be helpful as well, because working with large datasets makes reporting very difficult. Additionally, when data is refreshed, it cannot be completed in a short timeframe. Refreshing very large datasets can take one, two, or even three hours, so reducing the refresh time would be very useful for customers.

I have used Qlik Sense for almost eleven months. When I worked in my previous organization as a Data Analyst, that is where I used Qlik Sense extensively. I have experience with both QlikView and Qlik Sense.

Qlik Sense AI capabilities provide advice and analyze data in a very accurate and reliable manner. However, I cannot say that everything given by AI should be followed blindly. I have to cross-check everything to determine whether it is giving proper answers and whether the answer is relevant to my use case. I check whether the data is clean, complete, and well-architected. Qlik Sense even provides predictive analysis, which is very useful because based on past and historical data, it gives great insights that are very accurate and consistent.

My advice to others for using Qlik Sense is that it is a great tool for creating visualization dashboards, similar to Power BI and Google Looker Studio. Although everybody has knowledge of Power BI or Google Looker Studio, most people are not touching Qlik Sense. I feel Qlik Sense should also become one of the most popular tools. While it is costly, it is truly excellent. Master item fields can be used multiple times to get consistency reports, which reduces the time spent creating fields repeatedly. I can use a master item once and incorporate it everywhere. There is the possibility of cleaning and modeling data, and quality reports are generated. If users want to keep the dashboard simple, they can do so. If users make use of AI features like AI Insight Advisor, it will be very helpful.

Qlik Sense is an underrated data visualization tool that is as great as Power BI and Google Looker Studio. It creates insightful dashboards that are very eye-catching and generates reports. I would rate this product seven out of ten.