How This Workflow Works
This workflow automates the creation of a variance analysis report by integrating actuals and budget data, aligning them by key business dimensions, and calculating performance metrics. The results are then output in multiple formats for consumption in tools like Excel, Tableau, and Power BI.
Key Features:
- Automate the comparison of actuals and budgets across multiple business dimensions
- Calculate and summarize revenue and cost variances at both store and SKU levels
- Output results directly to business intelligence and reporting platforms
- Visualize key performance metrics for clear communication to stakeholders
Step-by-step:
1. Align and Enrich Financial Data:
Actuals and budget data are combined and mapped using reference tables to ensure consistency across business dimensions such as SKUs and stores. This step includes extracting relevant date parts and joining supplemental details, enabling a unified view for analysis.
2. Reshape and Aggregate for Analysis:
The workflow restructures the data to facilitate meaningful comparisons. It pivots and unpivots tables to match the required reporting granularity, aggregates revenue and cost figures, and ensures that both detailed and summary views are available for further analysis.
3. Calculate Variances and Performance Metrics:
Actuals and budgets are joined to compute variances at the desired levels. The workflow calculates key performance indicators, such as revenue performance percentages, and fills in any missing budget values to maintain data integrity.
4. Visualize and Share Insights:
The final results are output in formats suitable for Excel, Tableau, and Power BI. The workflow also generates visualizations, such as bar charts, to highlight performance trends and support clear communication with stakeholders.