Visibility into how your organization uses technology is critical for ensuring compliance, optimizing resources, and identifying areas for improvement. For organizations leveraging Alteryx, Customer Managed Telemetry (CMT) provides this visibility by capturing detailed log data directly from Alteryx Designer. However, many businesses struggle to turn these raw logs into actionable insights that can drive meaningful change.
This blog will walk you through five essential steps to fully harness the power of CMT. From enabling it at the user level to analyzing and visualizing data, we’ll cover how to transform telemetry data into a strategic asset. With the right approach, CMT not only helps with compliance and control but also uncovers opportunities for training, license optimization, and deeper collaboration among users. Let’s explore how you can unlock these benefits and realize the true value of CMT with Alteryx.
What is Alteryx CMT?
What is it? Alteryx Customer Managed Telemetry, or CMT, is a logging option available for Alteryx Designer, which allows organizations to capture detailed information about who is using the platform, when they’re using it, and what they’re doing. Essentially, it provides visibility into the activities taking place in Alteryx Designer, right at the desktop level.
Why Use It? One of the most common requests from control officers and administrators is insight into how their teams use Alteryx, especially when it comes to adhering to policies around deploying workflows to the Server environment. CMT makes this possible by offering a clear view of user behavior and usage patterns. Beyond policy enforcement, CMT also provides valuable insights for other areas:
- Training Opportunities: Identify areas where users may need extra guidance or skill development.
- License Optimization: Make better use of your licenses by understanding how Alteryx is being used.
- Engagement and Gamification: Encourage users by showing progress or frequent use of certain tools.
- Knowledge Sharing: Users can discover peers with expertise in specific tools or data sources, enhancing collaboration across departments or the entire organization.
Who Can Use It? While CMT is primarily designed for enterprise-level use, individuals or small groups can also benefit from it, even if the broader organization has yet to fully recognize its potential. Think of it as a personal tool for those who want to get the most out of their Alteryx investment.
5 Steps to Get Started with CMT
Though Alteryx provides a powerful way to generate logs through CMT, turning raw log files into actionable insights on an enterprise scale requires some effort. Below, we’ll walk through five steps to maximize the value of CMT.
Step 1: Enable CMT at an End-User Level
To begin utilizing CMT, it’s essential to enable it at either the individual or departmental level. This process involves a few critical steps and considerations to ensure a smooth implementation. First, assess the readiness of your team or department to adopt CMT. Next, identify the specific challenges you may face during implementation. Additionally, ensure that there is a plan in place for ongoing support and evaluation.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Installation Type: Determine if the installation of Alteryx is user-based or administered centrally.
- Permissions: Ensure users have the admin rights to configure CMT.
- IT Control: Consider any centralized IT protocols (such as Microsoft Intune) that could affect the rollout.
- Data Capture Requirements: Decide if CMT logging is part of a key control that requires full data capture for compliance purposes.
Step 2: Collect Logs and Centralize Storage
Once you have CMT enabled, the next step is to establish a centralized storage solution for collecting logs. This involves setting up a system that can effectively gather and store logs from various sources within your environment. A centralized log collection system not only enhances your ability to monitor and analyze data but also simplifies the process of troubleshooting and maintaining security. Consider the following:
- Network Infrastructure: Your network setup will dictate how you transfer logs from individual machines to a central location.
- Cloud Storage Options: Consider cloud storage solutions like Azure Blob Storage or AWS S3 for scalable, secure storage.
- Scheduling and Automation: Use tools like Intune or Scheduled Tasks to automate the transfer of logs, ensuring consistency in data collection.
Step 3: Parse and Extract Data
After collecting the logs, the next step is to carefully parse them and extract meaningful information. This process involves analyzing the raw data to identify patterns, trends, and key insights that can inform decision-making. By breaking down the logs into manageable pieces, we can gain a clearer understanding of the underlying issues or successes within the system. This extracted information can then be used to optimize performance, troubleshoot problems, or enhance overall strategies. You can do this in several ways:
- Custom Application: You can develop a custom application for parsing logs, though this will require ongoing maintenance.
- Software Applications: Opt for a software solution that integrates directly with Alteryx, like Workflow Admin Manager (WAM), which can provide automated updates in real-time.
- Alteryx Governance Macro: Consider using the Alteryx Governance Macro, although updates may be uncertain.
Step 4: Analyze Data
With parsed data in hand, you can begin your analysis to reveal various insights. Look for patterns or trends in the data that may indicate performance issues or opportunities for improvement. Identify any anomalies or outliers that could be potential errors or outliers in the data. Use tools like regression analysis to determine relationships between different variables in the data. Start by analyzing the following:
- User Persona Creation: Profile users based on their Alteryx usage and behaviors.
- License Utilization: Determine how effectively licenses are being used across your organization.
- Skills Gaps: Identify gaps where additional training could improve productivity.
- Desktop Production Risk Identification: Assess risks related to desktop production that might affect deployment policies.
- Tool and Data Source Usage: Understand which tools and data sources are most used and discover areas for optimization.
Step 5: Visualize Results
The last step involves transforming your findings into clear, actionable visualizations that effectively communicate your insights.
- Leverage Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms: Leverage BI platforms such as Tableau or Power BI to visualize data by creating dashboards that stakeholders can easily interpret. These platforms offer a wide range of visual options, from simple bar charts to complex heat maps.
- Create Custom Visualizations: Build custom visualizations tailored to your organization’s specific needs, highlighting key areas for improvement or optimization.
Conclusion
As Alteryx Partner of the Year for six years, Capitalize understands how to implement and realize value from your Alteryx environment. Our team of experts is equipped to guide you through every step of the CMT journey, from enabling the feature at an end-user level to extracting meaningful insights through comprehensive data visualization.
Contact us to learn how we can help your organization maximize the value of Alteryx’s Customer Managed Telemetry and enhance your Alteryx data governance.