ARUKUS / DATA, REPORTING & ANALYTICS
Build reports people can use to decide.
Agree definitions, source ownership and review questions before designing another dashboard.
A useful report begins with a question: which decision will this information change? Totals drawn from different systems can disagree because the definitions, timing or source records differ.
Establish the source and meaning
Identify the record owner, refresh frequency and permitted use. Agree how each measure is calculated and how corrections appear. Review missing, duplicate and late-arriving records before presenting a trend.
Design the review journey
Start with the management question, then provide the detail needed to examine an exception. Organise filters, exports and drill-down requirements around actual operating reviews rather than adding every available field.
Validate with the business owner
Reconcile representative outputs against agreed source records. Document definitions and access. Additional predictive or AI-assisted analysis requires its own data assessment and evaluation scope.
Planning the engagement
What should we bring to the first discussion?
Bring a process example, current system information and the people who own the work. A returned record or failed handover helps establish the difficult cases.
How is the scope agreed?
The proposal identifies deliverables, assumptions, acceptance criteria and the responsibilities of each team. New requirements are assessed through an agreed change process.
What happens after release?
Handover, stabilisation and continuing support are specified in the engagement. Coverage and service targets are agreed rather than assumed.