Analysis from years to minutes at Secretaría de Educación Pública


Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) oversees education policy for the government of Mexico. SEP comprises several divisions, united under the mission to “ensure access to quality education for all Mexican citizens.” Before Tableau, SEP data was stored in Excel spreadsheets with thousands of formulas and filters. They had a wealth of information, but accessing and interpreting it took too long. SEP chose Tableau—with support from Tableau partner, ReSolt—and decisions makers can now use data to support better decisions across the whole organization. In this video, Eduardo Huitrón Chavarría shares how Tableau has helped SEP:

  • Enable self-service analytics for all employees
  • Speed up analysis from years to minutes
  • Increase understanding with data visualization

“Tableau is instant”

Tableau: What made you choose Tableau? Eduardo Huitrón Chavarría, Subdirector of IT: Having Tableau means that we instantly have the information we require. That's the area in which I feel that Tableau can and is helping us greatly. We needed to solve a very specific and very urgent issue, which was that our leaders needed to obtain management information so as to make the appropriate decisions. We did have an area that provided the information, but it took a long time generate it and, by the time we finally got it, we had already missed our opportunity. Tableau: What was the situation before Tableau? Eduardo: Our management had suffered as a result of not having this data from the moment the administration began, which was in 2012. We didn't have this data for about two years. As select information it represented a huge problem for us because we had an Excel spreadsheet, an Excel spreadsheet with thousands of formulas, thousands of filters, and about 50 different things that we needed the department involved to be there to interpret for us, we were struggling, basically. Tableau: And how has Tableau changed that process? Eduardo: Well, the transformation that we have seen since using Tableau is that we get the results immediately: it just takes a couple of clicks and we can see everything, we have everything, we don't rely on anybody else. That's the big advantage that we have now with Tableau. Tableau: What reactions have you received within the organization? Eduardo: We have gained the recognition of the staff at the Sub-secretariat, because the only people who see the information are the higher authorities. So, we've gained a little ground there in terms of credibility because it was also…We were taking a gamble with something new, we were being pioneers and we demonstrated that it was what we needed. Tableau: How would you like to move forward with Tableau? Eduardo: We are being a little aggressive there. What I want now, in my position at the Secretariat, is for us to show all our results and for Tableau to be the platform. And I want it to be the platform for presenting our results, for data analysis. Tableau: How has Tableau changed the way that SEP uses data? Eduardo: Anybody is able to understand the reports that we generate using Tableau. Practically none of our seniors are technical staff. None of them are. And despite this, they understand them right away. They can use the data right away. And they find all of the data to be very, very clear, because it was generated precisely with that in mind. Tableau: Is there a specific area that you find Tableau to be particularly useful? Eduardo: There are definitely areas in which Tableau is particularly useful: in the delivery of resources to entities that are earmarked for specific programs. Tableau: Would you recommend Tableau? Eduardo: I would definitely recommend Tableau because it gives you immediate results. We no longer need to work on projects in the way in which we used to in Mexico, particularly within the government, they were very long.

The transformation that we have seen since using Tableau is that we get the results immediately. It just takes a couple of clicks and we can see everything, we have everything, we don't rely on anybody else.

Partnering for success

Tableau: How did you hear about ReSolt consulting services? Eduardo: Our experience with ReSolt came about as we had been looking at different products. And, luckily, a mutual friend introduced us to ReSolt’s people, to some extent we were also looking for a business partner to get involved with us. Tableau: How have you used ReSolt’s services in combination with Tableau? Eduardo: Well, one of the most important, or most impressive, features of ReSolt is that they execute their projects quickly. They get results quickly. And, well, Tableau was the perfect combination. Working with them has been very pleasant. Tableau: Can you explain? Eduardo: The support that ReSolt offered us, or offers us, has so far been the biggest help, we have had their full support at all times. They have supported us in everything we have needed. The fact that ReSolt gives us that kind of support gives Tableau an added extra. We were looking for products that would provide us with management information as, at the time, we didn't have one, and someone introduced us to ReSolt. They introduced us to ReSolt and ReSolt introduced us to Tableau.