A Monthly Report That Takes Two Days: Decompose the Work Before Introducing BI

A report taking two days usually contains collection, cleaning, reconciliation, calculation, explanation, and graphics. A BI tool can present data well, but it cannot know whether a bank file was copied correctly or a customer counted twice. Measure time and error in each step before building a dashboard.

Observe three real preparation cycles and define source, date cut-off, owner, and calculation rule for each metric. Remove repeated copying, close data at a fixed time, and move recurring reconciliations into an exceptions table. A number without a way to reproduce it is not a reliable management report.

Start with one report that drives a decision, such as profitability by customer or open debt, rather than twenty tiles. Once numbers agree with the manual report, add refresh and alerts. BI then saves time without hiding source contradictions.

Source

Microsoft Power BI documentation