Is Zoho Analytics 6.0 Outshining the Likes of Tableau and Power BI?

Whats new?

Zoho Analytics has been recognised in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms, underscoring its growing influence in the market.

Data Connectivity and Management

Zoho Analytics 6.0 introduces over 25 new data connectors, expanding its already extensive list of over 500 connectors. The new additions include ClickHouse, Dremio, Zoho Connect, Zoho Marketing Automation, Zoho Backstage, Amazon Seller Central, Airtable, and more. For businesses, this means easier and more comprehensive data integration, allowing for a unified view of operations across different tools.

 Managing data has become significantly more straightforward with features like Audit History, Sync History, and Import Rollback. Audit logs provide detailed records of user and system actions, increasing security and aiding in troubleshooting. Sync History offers a thorough account of data synchronisation activities, helping administrators track and manage sync statuses effortlessly.

While competitors like Tableau and Power BI offer some similar functionalities, Zoho’s seamless integration within a unified platform sets it apart. However, it’s worth noting that despite the breadth of connectors, some niche applications may still be missing, and integration quality can vary.

Visual Analytics

Visual analytics in Zoho Analytics 6.0 sees a significant upgrade with the addition of seven new chart types, including Sankey, Racing, and Sunburst charts. Along with an improved AI-driven feature “Zia Suggestions” which now offers smart chart recommendations.

“Racing and Sankey Charts are excellent for visualising complex data flows and trends over time. This is something business users will find valuable for storytelling and presentations.” Nazneen explains. “While Power BI and Tableau have advanced visualisation capabilities, Zoho’s integration of AI to assist in chart creation is a step ahead, simplifying the process for non-technical users.”

Nazneen also highlights two other notable features:

Geo Map Layering: Allowing you to add multiple data layers to the geo map to visualise various dimensions of information. This includes interactive options for advanced data exploration. Businesses can use this feature to overlay different types of data, such as sales figures, demographic information, and distribution networks, on a single map.

User Filters in Dashboards: You can now add a common user filter across all tabs. The global user filter gets applied across all reports in all tabs of the dashboard. This is particularly useful for businesses that need to analyse data across multiple reports or dashboards consistently. For instance, a sales manager can apply a filter for a specific region or time period, and it will automatically adjust all related reports and dashboards, ensuring that all the data viewed is relevant and consistent.

Advanced Data Analytics

Zoho Analytics 6.0 introduces Anomaly Detection and Cluster Analysis, bringing powerful tools for identifying outliers and grouping similar data points. These features, combined with threshold and anomaly-based alerts, enable proactive data monitoring and decision-making.

“Anomaly detection is crucial for real-time fraud detection and quality control. Cluster analysis helps in market segmentation and customer behaviour analysis, which are vital for targeted marketing strategies,” Nazneen notes. Although this is a crucial feature for any data analyst, it is currently available only for Enterprise users. “Zoho’s deployment of these features with robust ML algorithms rivals the capabilities found in more expensive tools like SAS and IBM Watson. As always though, the effectiveness of anomaly detection can depend heavily on the quality and granularity of the input data. Users may need to invest time in data preparation to fully leverage these capabilities.”

Building Custom ML Models

The new AutoML and Code Studio features democratise machine learning by providing both low-code/no-code and custom coding options for building ML models. This allows users with varying levels of expertise to harness the power of machine learning.

“AutoML is a great for SMEs that may not have dedicated data science teams. It allows them to build predictive models with minimal effort,” says Nazneen. Again, this feature is available only for Enterprise users at the moment. “This is an area where Zoho is catching up with leaders like Google’s AutoML and Microsoft’s Azure ML Studio, but at a much more accessible price point. There’s still a learning curve for businesses new to machine learning. While AutoML simplifies model building, understanding the implications of the generated models and effectively using them in decision-making processes requires some foundational knowledge.”

Data Storytelling and more

Zoho Analytics 6.0’s emphasis on data storytelling is evident with features like BI Fabric, Visual Zia Insights, and multilingual support. Exporting views as PowerPoint presentations, rank-based analysis, and white-label CSS customisation improve user experience and reporting.

Nazneen emphasises, “BI Fabric’s ability to create unified BI portals integrating reports from Tableau and Power BI is a direct challenge to these competitors. It promotes better collaboration and decision-making at the executive level, something that is often fragmented across multiple tools.”

The update also includes security improvements like Zoho Directory integration and workspace-level IP restrictions, reinforcing Zoho’s commitment to data privacy and security. There is also a new set of APIs available for managing your email schedules. These APIs enable you to create, update, trigger, and delete email schedules easily.

Wrapping Up

Zoho Analytics 6.0 is undoubtedly creating a stir with its comprehensive updates and new features. It offers powerful tools for data connectivity, management, visualisation, and analytics, all within a unified platform.

However, businesses should evaluate their specific needs and existing toolsets to ensure Zoho Analytics is the right fit. While Zoho provides a lot of value, its best benefits come from leveraging its full suite of features, which may require some commitment to learning and integration.