Source & row meaning
Name the reference system, extract date and what one row represents: a job, a line or an event. Check the expected coverage and whether repeated identifiers are valid.
Reporting self-assessment
Where does your
reporting slow down?
Work through four report checks and a small example, then review your current process with ten questions. Your assessment answers stay in this page and are not submitted.
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A useful report starts with four checks
Know what the
number means.
Use these checks for an Excel report, Power BI dashboard or ERP export. Bring one report and one decision; the source, definition and expected result make the first scope clearer.
One shared definition
Write the inclusion rules, dates and filters. Agree which records belong in the metric so the detail list and headline use the same definition.
Keys, units & gaps
Check identifiers, units and dates before combining sources. Make a missing key or conversion visible for review instead of assuming it is zero.
Reconcile & hand over
Compare the result with a known reference. Agree acceptable differences, refresh ownership and what happens when a source is late or a check fails.
Worked example · fictional data
Which completed jobs
still need invoicing?
Counting every “No” in an invoice column can answer a different question. This five-row example shows how row meaning and inclusion rules change the follow-up list.
Fictional demonstration. These job records were made for this walkthrough. They are not customer records or a measure of business performance.
| Job | Status | Invoice recorded? | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEMO-101 | Completed | No | Included in follow-up |
| DEMO-102 | Completed | Yes | Already invoiced |
| DEMO-103 | Cancelled | No | Excluded by the status rule |
| DEMO-104 | Completed | No | Included once under the example's row rule |
| DEMO-104 | Completed | No | Assumed repeated extract row; confirm first |
On a narrow screen, scroll the table to read all four columns.
All rows marked “No”
4
Includes the cancelled job and the repeated row.
Distinct completed jobs without an invoice
2
DEMO-101 and DEMO-104, under the stated rules.
1. Confirm what a row represents
This example assumes one row per job. The second DEMO-104 row is treated as a repeated extract record. In real data it might be a valid second line or event, so confirm the source meaning before removing it.
2. Apply the agreed definition
The follow-up set includes completed jobs without an invoice. Cancelled work is excluded; already invoiced work is excluded. Use this same rule in the list and its headline count.
3. Surface uncertain values
The sample has explicit status and invoice values. In your report, blank or unmapped values need an agreed review path. If you add money or quantities, agree currency, units and conversion rules separately.
4. Reconcile the set and name the owner
The two eligible job identifiers should appear in the follow-up list and match its count. Before release, agree who checks the result, the source date and how unresolved records are handled.
Published by Surrey AI Automation · October 5, 2026. The worksheet is editable text; no signup is required.
Review your current process
Ten questions.
One place to start.
Answer yes when the issue applies to your current process. The result counts discussion points; it does not diagnose a system or estimate savings. Your answers are not added to an enquiry.
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Your next report.
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