Agree on the question
Start with the decision a report should support. A dashboard for weekly capacity planning needs different grain, timing and context from a monthly management report. Collect the questions users need to answer before selecting charts.
Give each metric a contract
For every KPI, document a definition, source, owner, refresh expectation and reconciliation rule. For example, a project margin measure needs an explicit treatment of timing, allocated costs and adjustments. Different definitions can be valid, but they must be named.
Follow a number back to its source
An illustrative architecture connects source records to a governed model, then to a reporting layer. Preserve enough identifiers to investigate unexpected totals. A review process should explain corrections instead of hiding them in an overwritten spreadsheet.
Build the smallest useful view
Release a focused set of measures with known owners. Ask users to work through an actual decision and identify the detail they could not find. Add drill-through and additional views when they solve an observed need.
PUT THE IDEA TO WORK
Data & Business Intelligence
Turn fragmented data into a trusted reporting layer, from Power BI to custom analytics portals.
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