Question
Can finance and operations use the same sales definitions?
SQL & data modelling
Make your
business data agree.
Create a dependable foundation for dashboards and recurring reports. We use SQL and data modelling to organise approved source data, clarify relationships and check the result.
White Rock pier · Semiahmoo Bay
Your local business focus
Services for White Rock businesses.
White Rock’s municipal business resources describe a varied small-business community, with distinct Waterfront and Uptown commercial areas. A first project can stay focused on one recurring report and the people who use it.
Create reliable connections only where the source systems and access justify them.
Surrey-based. Scope is agreed around your actual business, tools and data.
Explore the local pageWhite Rock business resources
What we can do
A clear scope.
A useful result.
For teams whose reports use conflicting definitions, duplicate records, slow queries or joins that inflate totals across accounting and operational sources.
See the improvement approachSource and schema mapping
Identify tables, keys, row grain, data types and the meaning of each relevant record. Agree the authorised reporting sources and access.
SQL reporting views
Create scoped views and transformations that support the business question. Use explicit joins, types and filters so calculations and exclusions can be followed.
Data quality rules
Check duplicate keys, missing mappings, unexpected values and join completeness. Provide an exception view where records need a business decision.
Performance investigation
Review query plans and workload with the system owner. Consider suitable source-side filtering, aggregations and indexes where they fit the platform and change process.
Reporting models and handover
Connect the agreed SQL outputs to Power BI or other reporting tools. Document mappings, validation checks and the ownership of future schema changes.
From symptom to acceptance check
Build a dependable
reporting foundation.
We diagnose the cause, agree a change and check the result against your source records.
| Current problem | What we review or change | How we check it |
|---|---|---|
| A join multiplies revenue | Check both tables’ row grain and key uniqueness before joining. | Counts and totals are compared before and after the join. |
| Reports define the same KPI differently | Agree reusable definitions and implement them in an appropriate shared layer. | Each consuming report uses the approved definition. |
| A dashboard query is slow | Measure the query and review filtering, transformations and suitable aggregations. | Compare representative query times and confirm unchanged totals. |
| Data arrives with missing mappings | Separate unresolved records into a visible exception output. | The owner can see what is missing and its reporting impact. |
| A source schema changes silently | Document required fields and add agreed shape and freshness checks. | A missing required field stops or flags the affected reporting step. |
Illustrative project
Connected sources.
A traceable data model.
This is a proposed workflow example, not a customer case study or a claimed result.
Build
Map approved order and invoice data into reporting views with explicit status, dates, currency and document identifiers.
Check
Validate distinct documents, row counts and amounts against the corresponding source reports.
Define done before building
Agree the checks.
Hand over clearly.
- Source tables, keys and row grain are documented.
- Joins and exclusions have reconciliation checks.
- Representative queries have recorded performance observations.
- Reporting access and change ownership are agreed.
Assign the operating owners
At handover, agree who owns the accounts, connections and licences; who monitors refresh or workflow runs; and who handles changes and recovery. Documentation and a walkthrough support that handover. Any ongoing support is separately agreed.
Bring to the first conversation
- The database platform and reporting access available.
- A schema or approved sanitised sample.
- The slow query or conflicting reports, if available.
- A source owner and a reference total for validation.
We agree scope, timing and price after reviewing the available data and access.
Start with this serviceUseful scope questions
Know what
the project needs.
Do we need a new database?
Not necessarily. We start with the approved sources and existing platform. A reporting view or a better model can be enough for a focused first scope.
Will every Power Query step run in SQL?
No. Query folding depends on the connector and transformation. We review what can run at the source and check the resulting workload and accuracy.
Can you change production tables?
Database changes need a separately agreed scope, ownership and release process. A reporting project normally starts with approved read-only sources.
Further reading from Microsoft
Scope and product limits depend on your environment, version and licences.
Explore all five technology servicesFounder implementation experience
Explore the work
behind the approach.
Read anonymized reporting, automation and governance cases with their recorded checks and scope limits.
A practical place to start
Bring the sources.
Choose a useful first scope.
White Rock waterfront