From a working model to an executive-quality reporting solution.
You've done the hard part — the model, the relationships and most of the DAX are already in place. This is about the last mile: turning solid data into budget-to-actuals and P&L reporting an executive team reads in seconds, trusts completely, and can question in plain language. A working sample of that, below.
You don't need a rebuild — you need a trusted advisor for the last mile.
We read your note closely. The foundation is built; the goal is executive polish, better decisions, and a report leadership actually enjoys using. Here's what we heard, and how we'd help.
"A trusted advisor to help transform the data into a polished, executive-quality reporting solution — primarily budget-to-actuals and P&L."
The data model is established, relationships are built, much of the DAX is written. So this isn't build-from-scratch — it's the craft layer on top: what to show an executive, how to lay it out, how to make the numbers tell a story, and how to keep it fast and trustworthy. That's precisely the work we love and the work most teams never get to.
- Best visualizations for executive reporting
- Usability & navigation
- Data model review + refresh best practices
- DAX measure review & optimization
- Better KPI presentation techniques
- Dashboard storytelling & user experience
- Simplify / improve the report
- Troubleshoot occasional Power BI issues
- Possibly implement AI query into the report
Executive P&L summary
Revenue, expense and net at a glance — with the story of how you got there, not just the totals.
Budget vs actuals
Every department against plan, favorable and unfavorable variance surfaced, YTD pacing clear.
Variance, forecast & AI
What's driving the variance, where the year lands, and a plain-language "ask the report" panel.
We review what you've built, then elevate it — through six lenses.
A trusted advisor doesn't start by rebuilding. We assess the model, the DAX and the report as they are, then make focused, prioritized recommendations — and implement the ones you want. Everything stays in your tenant, on your model.
Executive-first presentation
- The right chart for each executive question
- Variance shown so favorable/unfavorable is instant
- Navigation that guides, not overwhelms
- A deliberate story: headline → driver → detail
Faster, cleaner, trustworthy
- DAX review for correctness and performance
- Measure patterns that are easy to extend
- Refresh strategy and best-practice guardrails
- Model tidy-ups that speed the whole report
Ask the report
- Copilot / Q&A tuned to your measures & synonyms
- "Where are we over budget?" answered in plain English
- Guardrails so answers stay correct
- We advise, or implement — your call
Executive P&L Summary
Revenue, expense and net at a glance, each against plan — the one screen a VP or dean reads first. The filters below are live; change them and all three pages follow.
| Line item | Actual | Budget | Variance | Var % |
|---|
Budget vs Actuals
Every department against plan, with favorable and unfavorable variance surfaced immediately and year-to-date pacing made obvious.
| Department | Budget | Actual | Variance | Var % | YTD used | Status |
|---|
Variance, Forecast & AI Insights
What's driving the variance, where the year lands if nothing changes — and the "ask the report" panel that answers leadership's questions in plain language.
A 30-person Microsoft data team in Charlotte — and Power BI is our home turf.
Executive reporting, DAX and semantic modeling are the core of what we do every day. When you bring in a trusted advisor, you want senior judgment backed by a bench deep enough to answer any question your model throws — that's us.
Where we live
- Executive report design & storytelling
- DAX review, optimization & performance tuning
- Semantic modeling, RLS & refresh strategy
- Copilot / Q&A enablement
Under the report
- Modeling, query optimization & tuning
- Refresh, backup, monitoring & T-SQL
- Integration via Logic Apps & Azure Functions
- Best-practice guardrails for reliable data
When more is needed
- Full-stack — ReactJS & Python
- APIs, integration & automation
- Cloud-native DevOps: CI/CD, Git, Agile
- Low-code where it fits
Ask-the-data
- Copilot & natural-language Q&A
- ML with Azure Machine Learning
- Analytics tooling end to end
- QA & testing built into delivery
We support universities and advancement-adjacent teams, so fiscal-year calendars, fund accounting, budget-to-actuals and the realities of executive reporting for deans and VPs are familiar ground. You won't spend the engagement teaching us your world.
- ~30 people, based in Charlotte, NC
- Microsoft Partner · Power BI, Fabric, Azure
- MBE Certified · delivering since 2018
- 100K+ subscribers on our Microsoft data channel
Quick wins first, deeper improvements staged — and you always own it.
An advisory engagement should pay for itself early. We start with a review, land the fast improvements, then work through the deeper items with you on a cadence that fits your calendar.
Assess
A structured review of your model, DAX and report against best practice — with a prioritized findings list, quick wins flagged separately from bigger items.
Recommend
Concrete recommendations for visuals, layout, KPI presentation and storytelling — shown on your actual report, not in the abstract.
Optimize
DAX and model tune-ups for correctness and speed, plus a refresh strategy that holds up — implemented with you or handed over as guidance.
Elevate & enable AI
Executive polish across the report and, where you want it, Copilot / Q&A tuned to your measures so leadership can ask questions directly.
Advisor on call
Troubleshooting and a trusted advisor to call when a Power BI issue or new reporting need comes up — as much or as little as you need.
Advisor, not overhaul
We respect what you've built. The goal is to elevate your work, not replace it — you keep ownership of the model and the report throughout.
Show, don't tell
Recommendations are demonstrated on your real report so you can see the before-and-after, then decide what to keep.
Transparent & flexible
Advisory hours you control, clear estimates, and no pressure to buy more than the moment calls for.
Trusted with executive reporting — priced for advisory work.
Helping teams turn a solid model into reporting leadership relies on is exactly the work we're known for.
"Power BI enabled us to move beyond static reporting from SQL Server. Automation and interactive dashboards streamlined data delivery and gave stakeholders immediate access to actionable insights."
"They helped us build strong data foundations and Power BI dashboards, giving our team clarity, confidence, and better decision-making."
Plus clients across senior living, nonprofit, real estate, industrial and distribution — executive reporting is a constant across all of them.
How an advisory engagement works
Most advisors start with a scoped review, then draw on flexible hours for the improvements you prioritize. You're never locked into a big build.
Dashboard assessment
A fixed-scope review of your model, DAX and report — you get a prioritized findings list and a recommended roadmap. No big commitment to see real value.
Hour bundles
Ideal for advisory: use hours for review, recommendations, DAX work or troubleshooting as you need them.
Prefer an ongoing advisor?
A monthly retainer keeps a trusted advisor on call — enhancements, new views, refresh health and a standing block of development hours every month.
- Monthly planning call
- Monitoring & maintenance
- 4 dev hours / month
- Expert & email support
- Everything in Option 1
- 1 license included
- 7 dev hours / month
- Monitor 3 reports/apps/flows
- Everything in 1 & 2
- 2 licenses included
- 12 dev hours / month
- Monitor 4–5 reports/apps/flows
Six-month minimum on managed retainers · 10% off post-project development · hours don't roll over (we plan the month together) · training available (Lite $1,650 / Advanced $3,000 per person).
Walk us through your current report — we'll point you from there.
Thirty minutes screen-sharing your existing dashboard. You'll walk away with candid, specific direction — the top handful of improvements we'd make and how we'd sequence them — whether or not we ever do the work together.
You share the report live; we react in real time and note quick wins vs deeper items.
A short written findings list with prioritized recommendations and a fixed assessment scope.
We work the improvements on the hours and cadence that suit you — executive polish first.
You've built the engine. We make it executive-ready — clearer, faster, and answerable in plain language. We simplify your data, you lead with it.