In today‘s data-driven world, businesses of all sizes rely on Business Intelligence (BI) tools to make informed decisions and stay competitive. Qlik, a leading BI software company, offers two powerful tools: QlikView and Qlik Sense. While both tools aim to help businesses unlock the power of their data, they have distinct features and strengths that cater to different needs and users.
In this article, we‘ll dive deep into QlikView and Qlik Sense, comparing their key features, use cases, and benefits. By the end, you‘ll have a clear understanding of which tool is the best fit for your business.
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What is QlikView?
QlikView is a classic BI tool that has been around since the 1990s. It‘s known for its powerful data integration and analytics capabilities, making it a popular choice for businesses looking to gain insights from complex data sets.
Key features of QlikView include:
- Associative data model that allows users to explore data freely without predefined queries
- In-memory data processing for fast performance
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- Scripting language for advanced data manipulation and integration
- Collaboration and sharing features
QlikView is best suited for businesses with experienced BI developers and analysts who can leverage its advanced functionalities to create complex data models and applications. It‘s widely used in industries like finance, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing.
What is Qlik Sense?
Launched in 2014, Qlik Sense is a more modern and user-friendly BI tool compared to QlikView. It‘s designed for self-service data visualization and exploration, enabling business users to create their own dashboards and reports without relying on IT or BI teams.
Key features of Qlik Sense include:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for creating visualizations
- Smart visualizations that automatically highlight insights and trends
- Responsive design for seamless access across devices
- Collaborative features like shared libraries and storytelling
- Extensibility through APIs and custom extensions
Qlik Sense is ideal for businesses looking to democratize data and empower their employees with self-service analytics. It‘s well-suited for industries like healthcare, retail, and government, where users need to quickly explore data and gain insights without deep technical skills.
Comparing QlikView and Qlik Sense
While QlikView and Qlik Sense share some common features, they have significant differences in their architecture, design, and target users. Let‘s compare them across key aspects:
1. Architecture and Design
QlikView follows a traditional client-server architecture, where the application and data reside on a server, and users access them through a Windows client. This architecture provides robust security and scalability but requires more IT involvement for deployment and maintenance.
Qlik Sense, on the other hand, has a modern, web-based architecture that allows users to access applications through a browser on any device. It‘s built on a multi-cloud platform that enables flexible deployment options, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
2. Data Integration and Management
Both QlikView and Qlik Sense support a wide range of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, web services, and big data platforms. However, they differ in their approach to data integration and management.
QlikView relies heavily on scripting for data integration, which provides advanced capabilities but requires technical expertise. It also has a proprietary data storage format (QVD) that enables fast data loading and compression.
Qlik Sense offers a more user-friendly data integration experience with visual data preparation tools and pre-built connectors. It uses a hybrid data model that combines in-memory and on-disk storage, providing a balance between performance and scalability.
3. Data Visualization and Exploration
QlikView and Qlik Sense both excel in data visualization and exploration, thanks to their associative data model that allows users to freely navigate and analyze data. However, they differ in their visualization capabilities and user experience.
QlikView provides a wide range of chart types and customization options, but the visualizations can look dated compared to modern tools. It also requires users to switch between different modes (e.g., edit, analysis) to create and explore visualizations.
Qlik Sense offers a more intuitive and visually appealing interface for creating and interacting with visualizations. It features smart visualizations that automatically highlight insights and trends, as well as advanced features like augmented intelligence and natural language interaction.
4. Collaboration and Sharing
Collaboration and sharing are essential for driving adoption and value from BI tools. Both QlikView and Qlik Sense offer features to enable teamwork and distribution of insights.
QlikView allows users to share applications and reports through various methods, such as email, web portals, and mobile devices. It also provides access control and security features to ensure data governance and compliance.
Qlik Sense takes collaboration to the next level with features like shared libraries, where users can publish and reuse visualizations and data models across the organization. It also introduces storytelling capabilities, allowing users to create guided narratives that combine visualizations, text, and images to communicate insights effectively.
5. Customization and Extensibility
No single BI tool can meet all the diverse needs of an organization. That‘s why customization and extensibility are crucial for adapting the tool to specific requirements and integrating it with other systems.
QlikView offers a scripting language called Qlik Script that enables advanced data manipulation, integration, and automation. It also provides APIs for embedding visualizations into other applications and extending functionality through third-party extensions.
Qlik Sense takes a more open and modern approach to extensibility. It offers a set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to build custom visualizations, extensions, and mashups. It also has an extensive ecosystem of partners and community developers who contribute to the Qlik Branch, a platform for sharing and discovering extensions.
6. Pricing and Licensing
Pricing and licensing are important considerations when choosing a BI tool, as they impact the total cost of ownership and scalability of the solution.
QlikView offers a perpetual licensing model based on the number of named users, servers, and documents. It also provides a subscription-based option for cloud deployments. The pricing can be complex and vary depending on the specific deployment and usage scenario.
Qlik Sense follows a more simplified and flexible licensing model based on the number of users and the deployment option (on-premises or cloud). It offers a subscription-based model that includes access to all the features and updates, as well as support and services.
Real-World Examples and Case Studies
To better understand the value and impact of QlikView and Qlik Sense, let‘s look at some real-world examples and case studies:
- Cisco Systems: Cisco, a global leader in networking equipment, uses QlikView to analyze sales data and improve forecasting accuracy. By integrating data from multiple sources and creating interactive dashboards, Cisco has reduced reporting time from weeks to minutes and increased sales productivity by 10%.
- HSBC: HSBC, one of the world‘s largest banking and financial services organizations, uses Qlik Sense to enable self-service analytics for its employees. With Qlik Sense, HSBC has empowered over 3,500 users across 30 countries to explore data and gain insights, leading to faster decision-making and improved customer service.
- Vivint Solar: Vivint Solar, a leading provider of residential solar energy systems, uses Qlik Sense to optimize its sales and installation processes. By analyzing data from multiple sources, including weather, satellite imagery, and customer demographics, Vivint Solar has increased sales productivity by 20% and reduced installation times by 15%.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between QlikView and Qlik Sense
Choosing between QlikView and Qlik Sense depends on various factors specific to your business needs and resources. Here are some key considerations:
- Business Requirements and Goals: Evaluate your current and future BI needs, including data sources, analytics complexity, and user roles. QlikView may be more suitable for businesses with complex data integration and analysis requirements, while Qlik Sense may be better for those prioritizing self-service and agility.
- Technical Skills and Resources: Consider the technical expertise and resources available in your organization. QlikView requires more technical skills for development and maintenance, while Qlik Sense is designed for business users with minimal technical knowledge.
- Scalability and Future Growth: Think about how your BI needs may evolve and scale over time. Qlik Sense‘s web-based architecture and flexible deployment options may be more suitable for businesses anticipating rapid growth and change.
- Budget and ROI: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including licensing, infrastructure, training, and support. Consider the potential return on investment in terms of improved efficiency, decision-making, and business outcomes.
Alternative BI Tools to Consider
While QlikView and Qlik Sense are powerful BI tools, they may not be the best fit for every organization. Here are some alternative tools to consider:
- Tableau: Tableau is a leading BI tool known for its intuitive visual analytics and storytelling capabilities. It offers a user-friendly interface for creating interactive dashboards and exploring data.
- Power BI: Microsoft Power BI is a cloud-based BI tool that integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Excel and Office 365. It provides a wide range of visualization options and supports natural language queries.
- Looker: Looker is a modern BI platform that combines data exploration, visualization, and collaboration features. It uses a modeling layer to abstract complex data structures and enable self-service analytics.
Conclusion
QlikView and Qlik Sense are both powerful BI tools that can help businesses unlock the value of their data. While QlikView is known for its advanced analytics and data integration capabilities, Qlik Sense excels in self-service visualization and exploration.
When choosing between the two tools, consider your business requirements, technical resources, scalability needs, and budget. Don‘t forget to evaluate alternative tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Looker to find the best fit for your organization.
Regardless of which tool you choose, investing in a robust BI strategy and platform can help you make data-driven decisions, improve efficiency, and drive business growth. As the BI landscape continues to evolve, stay informed about the latest trends and capabilities to ensure you‘re getting the most value from your data.