Getting Started with Input Tables in Sigma

There are a lot of features that differentiate Sigma from its competitors – but one of the biggest is the Input Table. We’ve heard endless clients say something to effect of “I wish I could just double click into that cell in the table and change it like I can in Excel” – well now you can! Offering the flexibility of Excel and the scale of cloud architecture, Sigma’s Input Tables are truly a game-changing feature. Let’s dive in!

What Are Input Tables?

Think of Input Tables as interactive spreadsheets that live within your Sigma environment but connect directly to your cloud data warehouse. They allow you to manually enter and edit data, work alongside your existing warehouse data, test scenarios without affecting your core data, create forecasts and what-if analyses, and enhance your data with human insights. This functionality creates a powerful environment where business users can interact with data in familiar ways while maintaining the security and scalability of cloud platforms.

Three Types of Input Tables

Sigma offers three versatile table types, each with unique capabilities to serve different needs:

• Linked Input Tables connect to your live operational data within your workbook. This powerful option shows warehouse data alongside editable fields that you control. You can add supplementary columns for enhanced analysis while benefiting from automatic updates when source data changes. This creates a dynamic environment where human input and automated data systems work together seamlessly.
• Empty Input Tables provide a clean slate where you can build your analysis from scratch. You create your own structure with custom columns and enter data directly at the cell level. As your needs change, you can add rows and columns and apply formulas for calculations. 
• CSV Input Tables let you begin with existing data by uploading from CSV files (up to 200 MB). After importing, you can edit and expand upon this data within Sigma. This approach provides a perfect transition path for external data into your analytics environment. Many teams use these tables when migrating from spreadsheet-based processes to more robust data solutions.

How Input Tables Work Behind the Scenes

Input Tables keep your data safe while offering remarkable flexibility. Your entries are stored in a separate write-back schema within your connected data platform, ensuring your primary data remains untouched.

You can type or paste data directly into cells just as you would in a spreadsheet. Sigma supports various column types, including text, number, date, checkbox, and multi-select to maintain data integrity across your analyses. Data validation features ensure consistency by allowing you to set parameters for acceptable values.

When you need to incorporate your input data into broader analyses, warehouse views make your input data SQL-friendly and accessible through standard database queries. This enables smooth integration with visualizations and pivot tables throughout your Sigma environment, creating a cohesive analytical experience.

Industry-Specific Examples

The following are examples of how Input Tables can be utilized across different industries:

Manufacturing: Quality Control Enhancement

A manufacturing company can use Linked Input Tables to create a system where quality inspectors document detailed observations alongside automated measurement data. The quality team could link their Input Tables to production batch data from their production lines, allowing them to document specific issues without disrupting the core production database. This approach maintains data integrity while enriching production data with expert human observations, leading to more accurate reporting of their line and plant OEE as well as better supply forecasting.

CPG & Retail: Demand Forecasting

A retail business could transform their demand planning process using Input Tables. Brand managers might use tables from their CDW to view model generated forecasting data, then edit or enrich it with qualitative assessments or adjustments. By connecting model driven forecasts with the brand manager’s real-time adjustments, they can create a comprehensive view of their demand forecasts that accounts for both quantitative and qualitative factors, improving the accuracy of their demand forecasting.

Higher Education: Enrollment Forecasting

A university can employ Input Tables to create sophisticated enrollment models that combine historical data with manually entered scenario parameters. Admissions officers might use Empty Input Tables to document qualitative feedback from high school counselors, while financial aid teams can leverage their internal economic indicators using their main reporting system. By combining these different input methods into comprehensive dashboards, university leadership can gain a more holistic view of enrollment drivers, potentially improving forecast accuracy and optimizing financial aid strategy.

Permissions and Requirements

Before diving into Input Tables, it’s important to understand the prerequisites. You’ll need a Snowflake, Databricks, or Amazon Redshift connection with write access enabled. Additionally, you must have the necessary permissions to create and manage these tables. This typically means having Admin or Creator account privileges, or a custom account type that specifically includes permission to create Input Tables.

These permission requirements ensure data governance and security while still enabling the right team members to leverage the power of Input Tables. Many organizations create specific permission profiles for analysts and business intelligence teams who need to work with these interactive data elements.

Getting Started with Input Tables

Beginning your journey with Input Tables is straightforward:

1. Verify your permissions: Ensure you have Admin, Creator, or a custom role with appropriate access and a connection with write access to a supported platform (Snowflake, Databricks, or Amazon Redshift).
2. Create your Input Table: Navigate to your workbook and enter Edit mode to access the table creation tools. Open the ‘Input’ panel and select your preferred Input Table type.

1. Define your structure: Set up your columns with appropriate data types and validation rules.

1. Start entering data: Begin inputting information directly or import from CSV files as needed.
2. Integrate with analytics: Connect your Input Tables to visualizations or other analyses within your Sigma environment.

As you become more familiar with the system, explore more advanced features like data validation rules, computed columns, or integration with visualization elements.

Considerations When Implementing Input Tables

While Input Tables offer powerful capabilities for data interaction, organizations should consider a few factors during implementation. First, performance can vary based on data volume – we recommend starting with smaller datasets (under 50,000 rows) for optimal responsiveness when performing complex manipulations. For larger datasets, consider using aggregated views as the foundation for your Linked Input Tables.

Additionally, because Input Tables create write-back schemas in your data warehouse, you’ll want to establish governance protocols around who can create and modify these tables. Some organizations implement approval workflows for Input Table creation to maintain data integrity across the environment.

Wrap-Up

Input Tables represent a significant evolution in business data interaction, bringing spreadsheet simplicity to robust cloud data platforms. By enabling manual data entry alongside warehouse data, Sigma empowers everyone in your organization to participate in data-driven decision making without compromising security or scalability.

Whether documenting observations, enriching existing data, or creating what-if scenarios, Input Tables provide the flexibility and power that modern analytics demands. This elegant solution grows with your needs while maintaining the familiar interface your team already knows how to use.

Contact Us

If you would like to talk to someone at Maverick Data about maximizing your usage of the Sigma platform, please email us at spencer@maverickdata.io for more information!