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Example Data Specifications & Information Requirements Framework

ANALYTICS & REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TEMPLATE

Alan D. Duncan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Information Strategy | Data Governance | Analytics | Better Business Outcomes

Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

1 PurposeThis document template defines an outline structure for the clear and unambiguous definition of analytic, reporting or informational outputs (including standard reports, ad hoc queries, Business Intelligence outputs, analytical models etc).

It provides a self-service survey template that can be used by business users to outline and the reporting outputs that are currently responsible for, and to document the process by which reporting is produced.

This template forms part of an example data specification & information requirements framework. The framework offers a set of outline principles, standards and guidelines to describe and clarify the semantic meaning of data terms in support of an Information Requirements Management process.

(See the Framework Overview for further details.)

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Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

2 Reporting Requirements Survey Template

ORIGINATING REPORTING REQUIREMENT

The statement of need for the business user to produce reporting output

e.g. a statutory obligation, an information request from a government department, a standing commitment to a peer-group forum, or internal reporting specification.

This may be a reference to an originating document, memo or specification.

REPORTING PURPOSE

Business purpose or outcome supported by the report; why is the report needed?

REPORTING REQUIREMENT AUDIENCE

Who is requesting the reporting output?

UNSW REPORTING OWNER

Who is the nominated UNSW person accountable for producing the reporting output?

DATA STEWARD(s): Who else is actively involved in administering the data sets and preparing the associated reports?

SOURCE DATA INPUTS

What data is required to fulfil the requirement?

Where does this data originate from?

REPORTING DELIVERY METHODS & DATA UPDATE PROCESSES

What process is followed to produce the required reports?

What steps are involved?

(Include any details of manipulation that may be applied to source data)

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Information Strategy | Data Governance | Analytics | Better Business Outcomes

Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

EXCEPTIONS, CONSTRAINTS & EXCLUSIONS

Are there any exceptions or constraints that limit the scope of report delivery?

Is there are any data that explicitly won’t be included?

DETAILED DATA DEFINITIONS & BUSINESS RULES

Define any specific terms, calculations or business logic that are used within the report.

REPORTING DOCUMENTATION

What documentation exists for this reporting process?

E,g. minutes, design documents, updates to metadata repository etc.

OTHER RELEVANT REFERENCE MATERIALS

What other principles, guidelines and reference materials relate to this requirement? (e.g. legislation, regulation, policies and standards)

IDENTIFIED DEPENDENCIES

Pre-requisites etc. that need to be satisfied before the report can be prepared.

RELATED UNSW BUSINESS PROCESSES

Identify other existing UNSW processes impacted by the delivery of the report.

OTHER INFORMATION & NOTES

Please include any further information that you consider of relevance.

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Information Strategy | Data Governance | Analytics | Better Business Outcomes

Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

Supporting notes:

The Business Intelligence Competency Centre (BICC) or other expert analytic personnel should follow up with more detailed analysis of reporting and analytic processes and seek opportunities for more consistent, sustainable, repeatable approach.

Identified reporting requirements may give rise to evaluating the methods, standards, guidelines & protocols in use.

Consideration should be given to the type of data content to be reported, and the intended audience for that data. (e.g. there may be additional considerations to be addressed if releasing data to 3rd parties)

The principle of “manage by exception” should be applied where possible.

http://informationaction.blogspot.com

Tw: @Alan_D_Duncan

Information Strategy | Data Governance | Analytics | Better Business Outcomes

Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

About the author

Alan D. Duncan is an evangelist for information and analytics as enablers of better business outcomes, and a member of the Advisory Board for QFire Software.

An executive-level leader in the field of Information and Data Management Strategy, Governance and Business Analytics, he has over 20 years of international business experience, working with blue-chip companies in a range of industry sectors. Alan was named by Information-Management.com in their 2012 list of “Top 12 Data Governance gurus you should be following on Twitter”.

Twitter: @Alan_D_Duncan

Blog: http://informationaction.blogspot.com.au/

http://informationaction.blogspot.com

Tw: @Alan_D_Duncan

Information Strategy | Data Governance | Analytics | Better Business Outcomes

Analytics & Reporting Requirements Template

Intellectual curiosity

Skeptical scrutiny

Critical thinking

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@Alan_D_Duncan

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