Processes
The steps and rules of the business workflow.
Retrieve invoice information in PDF format.
Reenter the reference, dates, and amount due.
Send to the customer and track payments.
Stated need: a monthly view of invoices processed and paid.
Rates and terms approved by sales.
Enter data in the business tool and recreate tracking in Excel.
Send to management accounting; history is difficult to reconstruct.
Stated need: retain price changes to analyze sales.
Distinguish bookings, services, invoices, and payments.
Specify the date, amount before / after tax, cancellations, and scope.
Reconcile the total with its details and source.
Recommended rules for comparing figures with matching definitions.
Bookings, sales, invoices, and files.
Retain received data and its provenance.
Check, standardize, and reconcile reference data.
Apply definitions for analysis and applications.
Duplicate entry and intermediate files
Document sources and transformations before automating.
Reduce avoidable handling — impact to be measured after implementation.
Inconsistent definitions
Assign a business rule and an owner to each metric.
Make comparisons explainable.
Incomplete history
Plan to retain pricing and reference data history.
Enable analysis of changes — recommended target.