You send sales and target files and request an achievement chart. A visual appears quickly, but targets are monthly by branch, sales are invoice lines, and branch names differ between files. The starting issue is connecting data without changing meaning rather than choosing a chart colour.
This worksheet prepares a Power BI proposal request. You need not fix every record first, but need a sample exposing blockers and separating your inputs from supplier work. Otherwise, substantial cleaning and integration can hide inside a dashboard-design line.
Collect a small representative pack
A fictional device distributor wants branch sales against targets. It prepares invoice lines for a defined period, monthly targets and the approved branch register. Include a cancelled line, a missing branch and a renamed branch, beyond days with uncomplicated data.
Record each source, extraction method, approving owner, extraction date and covered period. Use a de-identified sample preserving relationships and difficulties. Avoid a presentation file manually cleaned in a way that cannot be repeated during refresh.
A worksheet accompanying the files
| Check | Sample evidence | Decision needed for the offer |
|---|---|---|
| Row meaning | Invoice line for sales; month/branch for targets. | How are levels compared without repeating targets? |
| Branch key | Approved identifier or mapping between source codes. | Who reviews unmatched branches and renaming? |
| Date | Clear type and meaning rather than ambiguous text. | Which date defines the period and how are invalid values handled? |
| Missing values | Counts and examples without branch or required values. | Correct the source, expose an exception or defer a measure? |
| Reconciliation reference | Approved period total with matching exclusions. | Who explains and approves differences? |
| Repeatable extraction | A subsequent file with stable structure or documented changes. | What persists at refresh rather than a one-off manual fix? |
Every field needs an answer, not necessarily a ready label. A missing branch map is preparation work with an owner. A monthly target should not be presented as original daily data before allocation or comparison-grain decisions are approved.
Profile beyond attractive first rows
Power Query provides column quality, distribution and profile information. Its documentation notes profiling may default to the first thousand rows, with an option for the full dataset. Ask which scope supports a clean-column report.
Request missing values, errors, inconsistent codes and unexpected cases, with analyzed counts or boundaries. Deleting inconvenient rows is not the objective: it might conceal a branch or period management needs to see.
Test joins before expanding visuals
For the distributor, choose a branch and month and reconcile targets and sales through the approved mapping. Then try the old name and missing-branch case. Ask whether they became visible exceptions or disappeared from analysis.
Microsoft's star-schema guidance explains relationships and grain. Buyers need not model the solution, but should understand how monthly targets joined to many detail lines can produce misleading aggregation without appropriate treatment. More charts do not repair an unexplained relationship.
Classify readiness into an actionable outcome
Ready for a bounded experiment
Sources, row meanings, keys and measure definitions are clear in the sample, with an approving owner and comparison reference. Build a small experiment while documenting covered data limits.
Known preparation required
A defined gap exists, such as branch-code mapping or date-type handling. Separate preparation work, owner and acceptance from dashboard design, including how additional cases outside the sample affect scope.
The source cannot support the requested measure
Daily monitoring cannot be measured from a closed monthly total alone. Add a source or change the question. An estimated allocation must be explicitly agreed and labelled rather than presented as observed daily activity.
The BI proposal deliverables guide covers wider handover, refresh and access. Use this pre-proposal worksheet when discussing dashboards and data analytics with Nextwave, attaching the pack and correction owners rather than chart pictures alone.
Inspection references
Power Query data-profiling documentation and Power BI star-schema guidance were opened on 3 November 2026. The original worksheet and example establish neither universal data quality nor license suitability. The content was prepared with AI assistance and review of the text and sources.
