Tableau Dashboards as text messages

The addition of conditional subscriptions in Tableau server version 10.1 opened up the door for easily operationalizing alerts with Tableau dashboards. Not only it is easy to create conditional subscriptions that can automate operational information related tasks, these alerts can be distributed not only via email, but also via SMS or MMS messages. This means that critical, real time information about any data condition can be delivered in a manner that can be consumed by new (and old..) kind of devices for even better visibility and effectiveness.

For my example, I first created a basic simple dashboard that is suitable for a phone, or even a smart watch.

Next, I created a new user account with an email address that will be resolved to my phone as a text message. In my case, I use AT&T, so the email format would be xxxxxxxxxx@mms.att.net where xxxxxxxxxx is the phone number. Verizon and other carriers have similar formats.

Next, I was able to easily subscribe the text user and set the text to a subscription which runs every 15 minutes but only sends the message if the threshold condition to the dashboard is met and it has data.

That is all the configuration needed! Next thing I know, I received the text message with the dashboard image on my phone and watch!

Tableau Dashboard as iPhone and apple watch text message: