Dashboards & KPIs for busy SME finance and ops teams.
We fix your reporting, build clear Power BI/Excel dashboards, and help you make better decisions in 2–4 weeks.
Are you measuring what actually matters?Can you trust the numbers in your reports?Need usable insight without a big consultancy price tag?
We’ll look at how your data and reports work today, highlight 1–3 quick wins, and suggest whether a 2–4 week tune-up makes sense.
We fix what you measure, how you measure it, and how you use it
Why reporting feels harder than it should
Only 31% of teams are satisfied they can unify their data sources (Salesforce, 2024)
Poor data quality costs organisations about $12.9m per year (Gartner, 2020)
UK SMEs cite cost & lock-in as top barriers to adopting digital tools (UK Gov, 2025)
SERVICES
Who we work with
Finance Directors & Finance Leads
Stop wrestling spreadsheets just to see cash and debtors.
→ We plug into your finance tools and give you clean, trusted views in clicks.
Operations / Contact Centres / Service Teams
Understand volumes, wait times, SLAs and backlog at a glance.
→ We turn messy exports into clear views of where work is flowing, or stuck.
How we typically work
Analytics Foundations (2 weeks)
Data & reporting audit
KPI definitions for finance/ops
Simple starter view (Excel or Power BI)
60-min Insights & Decisions session with next steps
Care Plan (Monthly)
Light ongoing tweaks and refresh checks
Short monthly check-in on what’s changed in the numbers
Dashboard Sprint (2–4 weeks)
Clean, joined-up data model
Executive dashboard and/or weekly PDF that highlights what matters
Micro-training (60 minutes) so your team actually uses it
30–60 min Insights & Decisions workshop to agree actions
From numbers to decisions
Lots of teams have dashboards. Fewer have dashboards that actually change what they do.
That’s why every project includes:
A focused session to interpret the numbers with you
A short summary of what’s changed and where to focus
Clear next steps you can take in the next month
We care about inclusion
If you want an interactive dashboard, great.
If you’d rather we email the numbers each week, also great. Our priority is getting you the right information for your next move.
We follow a simple 4-step process. First, you send us your data – exports from systems, spreadsheets, or notes from your teams. Next, we clean and connect everything into one reliable, joined-up view. Then we shape it into clear KPIs and metrics so you can actually get answers to your questions. Finally, we deliver usable outputs – dashboards, scheduled PDF reports, and plain-English “what this means” notes that highlight key patterns, risks and opportunities, so your finance and ops teams can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Want to talk through your reporiting?
About
We’re a small team focused on practical, production-ready insights for business. Our expertise spans data analytics, big-data insights, business intelligence, financial analysis, and pilot implementations, with experience across private and public sectors in the UK and Europe.
Experience
Delivered dashboards and KPI reporting for finance, operations and service teams in the UK and EuropeHands-on work with Power BI, Excel, SQL and low-code automationProjects across [finance, contact centres, clinics, etc.]
Mission
Turn business data into clear, trustworthy decisions, fast.
Vision
To be a trusted SME analytics partner, where every team—from spreadsheet pros to data leaders, runs on timely, dependable insight.
Our Vision
Measure What Matters
Truth You Can Trust
Practical Value, Not Vanity
Motivation
Passage Analytics was started by a data analyst who was tired of watching smart teams make decisions using broken spreadsheets and conflicting reports. We focus on the unglamorous bits, making sure the numbers are right, the KPIs are clear, and that each dashboard actually helps someone decide what to do next.
Contact US
Please share a few details about your enquiry and a member of our team will respond within one working day
(Mon–Fri, 9:00–17:30 UK time)
Prefer email? Use the form and we’ll reply
Or book a short diagnostic call to talk through
Thank you
We start with you — your business, your priorities.
GALLERY
Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
This Privacy Notice explains how Passage Analytics Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects and uses personal data when you use our website or otherwise interact with us in relation to our services.
• Legal name: Passage Analytics Ltd
• Registered office: 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AN, Scotland
• Company number: SC866961
• Website: https://www.passageanalytics.com
• Contact email: [email protected]
We are a “controller” of your personal data when you visit our website or contact us about our services.
For data we process on behalf of our clients as part of our analytics services, we act as a “processor” – that is covered by our Data Processing Schedule in our client contracts, not this website notice.2. What this notice covers
This notice applies to:
• visitors to our website, and
• people who contact us via forms, email, or other channels in relation to our services.
It does not cover how we process data as part of providing analytics services to our clients (for example, their staff or customer data in dashboards). That processing is governed by our contracts with those clients and their own privacy notices.3. What personal data we collect
We may collect and process the following types of personal data about you:
Information you provide to us directly
• Contact details – name, email address, job title, organisation, phone number.
• Enquiry details – the content of any message you send us (for example, through a contact form or by email).
• Meeting / call information – notes from calls or meetings when we talk about your needs or our services.
Information collected automatically when you use our website
We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies and basic technical logs to operate and protect our website (see our Cookie Notice for more detail). This may include:
• IP address and approximate location (city/country level),
• browser type and version,
• device type and operating system,
• pages visited and time of visit,
• referring site, and
• technical error or performance information.
We do not currently use Google Analytics or other analytics/advertising trackers.4. How we use your personal data (purposes and legal bases)
We only use your personal data where we have a legal basis under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018). The main purposes and legal bases are:
1. Responding to enquiries and providing information about our services
o When you contact us, we use your details to respond, answer questions, and, if relevant, follow up.
o Legal basis:
Legitimate interests – our interest in running and growing our business by responding to potential and existing clients.
In some cases, pre-contractual steps – where your enquiry may lead to entering into a contract with you or your organisation.
2. Providing services to our clients (B2B context)
o Where you work for a client or prospective client, we may use your details as a contact person, to send proposals, manage projects, and deliver services.
o Legal basis:
Legitimate interests – managing and fulfilling our contracts with your organisation.
Contract – where you personally are a party to a contract with us.
3. Operating, securing and improving our website
o Using technical logs and strictly necessary cookies to:
run the website,
maintain security,
prevent abuse, and
understand basic performance and usage in a non-intrusive way.
o Legal basis:
Legitimate interests – ensuring the website is available, secure and functioning properly.
4. Business administration, legal and regulatory compliance
o Keeping records, handling legal claims, obtaining professional advice, complying with company law, tax, and other legal obligations.
o Legal basis:
Legal obligation – where we have to process data to comply with the law.
Legitimate interests – our interest in managing and protecting our business.
We do not currently carry out automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects for individuals.5. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data.
We may share your personal data with:
• Service providers / sub-processors who help us operate our business, such as:
o email and productivity tools (e.g. Microsoft 365),
o website hosting (e.g. Carrd, and any future hosting providers),
o secure file storage and collaboration services.
• Professional advisers – such as lawyers, accountants or insurers, where needed for advice, audits, or claims.
• Authorities and regulators – if we are required to do so by law, regulation or court order.
Where we use service providers, we take steps to ensure they only process personal data in line with our instructions and under appropriate confidentiality and security obligations.6. International transfers
Our core tools are currently based in the UK or EEA, but some service providers may store or access personal data from other countries.
Where personal data is transferred outside the UK (or UK/EEA), we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:
• an adequacy decision (the country is recognised as providing an adequate level of protection), or
• standard contractual clauses and/or the UK international data transfer addendum, or
• other safeguards permitted by UK data protection law.
You can contact us if you would like more information about international transfers relevant to your data.7. How long we keep your personal data
We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this notice, including:
• Enquiries and business contacts: usually for up to 2 years after the last meaningful interaction, unless we need to keep it longer for legal reasons or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Client contact data: for as long as we have an ongoing relationship with your organisation, and for a reasonable period afterwards (typically up to 6 years) to deal with any queries, disputes or legal obligations.
• Technical logs: for shorter periods, typically weeks to months, unless needed longer for security, troubleshooting, or legal purposes.
We may retain certain records for longer where necessary to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, or to resolve disputes.8. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. These may include:
• Right of access – to obtain a copy of your personal data and information about how it is processed.
• Right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) – to request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction of processing – to request that we restrict the processing of your data in certain situations.
• Right to object – to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, on grounds relating to your particular situation.
• Right to data portability – in some cases, to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to have it transmitted to another controller.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to conditions and exemptions under the law.
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at: [email protected] . We may need to verify your identity before responding.9. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we would encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue.
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection:
• Website: https://ico.org.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0)303 123 111310. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that site.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy notices of any websites you visit.11. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes in how we process personal data or changes in legal requirements.
When we do, we will update the “last updated” date below. If the changes are significant, we may also provide a more prominent notice on our website.Last updated: 11/11/2025
Cookies Policy
1. Who we are
This Cookie Notice explains how Passage Analytics Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies on our website.
Our website is: https://www.passageanalytics.com
Our registered office is: 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AN, Scotland
You can contact us about this notice at: [email protected]2. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (for example, your computer or smartphone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to website owners.
We also use similar technologies such as local storage or server-side logs in some cases. In this notice we refer to all of these as “cookies”.3. How we use cookies
At the moment, we only use strictly necessary cookies and very limited technical logging that is needed to operate and protect our website. We do not currently use:
• Google Analytics
• other analytics/tracking tools, or
• advertising / marketing cookies.
If this changes in future, we will update this notice and, where required, ask for your consent before setting any non-essential cookies.4. Types of cookies we use
We group cookies into the following categories:
• Strictly necessary cookies – these are required for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually set only in response to actions made by you, such as navigating pages, submitting a form or setting your privacy preferences.
• We do not currently use any analytics, functionality or marketing cookies that go beyond what is necessary to run the site.5. Cookies on our site
Because our website is hosted on a third-party platform (currently Carrd), some cookies may be set by that provider to support basic site functionality and security (for example, load balancing or preventing abusive use).
Examples of the types of information these cookies and logs may relate to include:
• basic technical information about your browser and device,
• date and time of your visit,
• which pages are requested, and
• error codes if something goes wrong.
We do not use this information to try to identify individual visitors.
If you would like more detail about the specific cookies set by the hosting platform, you can also refer to their own documentation and policies.6. Managing cookies
Because we currently only use strictly necessary cookies, our use of cookies is relatively limited. However, you can still control cookies through your browser settings.
Most web browsers allow you to:
• delete cookies that have already been set, and
• block cookies altogether or from specific sites.
Please note that blocking or deleting strictly necessary cookies may affect how the website functions, and some parts of the site may not work properly.
You can find more information about managing cookies at:
• https://www.aboutcookies.org
• https://www.allaboutcookies.org7. Changes to this notice
We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time, for example if we start using analytics cookies or other non-essential technologies.
When we make changes, we will update the “last updated” date below. If the changes are significant, we may also provide a more prominent notice on our website.Last updated: 11/11/2025
Website Terms of Use
1. About these terms
These Website Terms of Use (“Terms”) set out the rules for using the website operated by Passage Analytics Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”).
• Website: https://www.passageanalytics.com
• Legal name: Passage Analytics Ltd
• Registered office: 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AN, Scotland
• Company number: SC866961
By using our website, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree to them, please do not use our website.
You should also read our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice, which explain how we handle personal data and cookies in connection with the website.
These Terms only apply to use of our website. If you become a client of Passage Analytics, our services will be governed by a separate contract (for example, our Master Services Agreement and any Statement of Work).2. Changes to these Terms and to our site
We may update these Terms from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or how our website works. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new “last updated” date.
We may also update or change content on our website at any time. We do not guarantee that our website or any content on it will always be available or be free from errors or omissions.3. Using our website
You may use our website for:
• browsing information about our business and services; and
• contacting us to enquire about our services.
You must not use our website:
• in any way that breaks the law or infringes the rights of others;
• to transmit any material that is unlawful, harmful, defamatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate;
• to attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the site, our systems or the systems of our providers; or
• to introduce viruses, malware or other harmful material.
We may suspend or block your access to our website if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms or are using the site in an abusive or unsafe way.4. Intellectual property rights
Unless stated otherwise, all content on this website is owned by us or licensed to us. This includes:
• text, graphics, logos, icons;
• page layouts and design;
• images, diagrams and other media;
• underlying code and software.
You may:
• view pages from the site in your browser;
• download or print reasonable extracts for your own internal business use or for evaluating our services.
You must not, without our prior written consent:
• copy, reproduce or redistribute substantial parts of the site;
• modify any content or remove any copyright, trade mark or other proprietary notices;
• use any content from the site for your own commercial purposes (other than considering or engaging our services); or
• create a competing service or product by systematically copying content from the site.
“Passage Analytics” and any associated logos are trade marks or trading names of Passage Analytics Ltd. You are not permitted to use them without our prior written approval.5. No advice – do not rely on information on this site
The content on our website is provided for general information only:
• It is not intended to be advice on which you should rely.
• It does not take into account your particular circumstances.
• Before taking, or refraining from, any action based on our website, you should seek your own professional or specialist advice where appropriate.
We make reasonable efforts to keep the information on our site up to date and accurate, but:
• we do not guarantee that content is complete, accurate or current; and
• we may change or remove content at any time.
Any examples, case studies or references to past work are illustrative only and do not guarantee any particular results.6. Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by you
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:
• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties and representations that may apply to our website or any content on it, whether express or implied.
We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, arising under or in connection with:
• use of, or inability to use, our website; or
• use of or reliance on any content displayed on our website.
In particular, we will not be liable for:
• loss of profits, sales, business or revenue;
• business interruption;
• loss of anticipated savings;
• loss of business opportunity, goodwill or reputation; or
• any indirect or consequential loss or damage.
If you are using our website on behalf of a business, you do so at your own risk and your organisation is responsible for ensuring that any use of our website is appropriate for its purposes.
For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these website Terms affects the liability provisions set out in any separate written contract we may have with you as a client (for example, our Master Services Agreement). In the event of any conflict between these Terms and a signed services contract, the services contract will take precedence for the services it covers.7. Viruses and security
We do not guarantee that our website will be secure or free from bugs or viruses.
You are responsible for configuring your devices, computer programs and platforms to access our website. You should use your own virus protection software.
You must not:
• misuse our website by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other harmful material;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to our website, the server on which it is stored or any server, computer or database connected to our website; or
• attack our website via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack.8. Linking to our site
You may link to our homepage, provided that:
• you do so in a way that is fair and lawful;
• you do not damage our reputation or take advantage of it; and
• you do not suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement by us where none exists.
You must not:
• frame our site on any other site; or
• link to our site from any website that contains unlawful, offensive or inappropriate content.
We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.9. Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites and resources provided by third parties. These links are provided for your information only.
We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources, and we are not responsible for:
• their content,
• their privacy practices, or
• any use you make of them.
We recommend you read the terms and privacy information of any third-party sites you visit.10. Privacy and cookies
Our Privacy Notice explains how we collect and use personal data when you use our website or contact us.
Our Cookie Notice explains how we use cookies and similar technologies.
By using our website, you acknowledge that you have had the opportunity to read these notices.11. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms, their subject matter and their formation are governed by the law of Scotland.
You and we both agree that the courts of Scotland will have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of our website (including non-contractual disputes or claims).Last updated: 11/11/2025
5 Reporting Red Flags for SME Finance Leads ......…and what to do about them
If you’re an FD or finance lead in an SME, your month-end probably looks something like this:
• Too many spreadsheets
• Too many versions of the “same” number
• Not enough time to actually think
You’re not alone. Most SMEs don’t fail because they lack data – they fail because they can’t trust or use their data quickly enough when it’s time to decide.
Here are five reporting red flags that signal your finance reporting is holding you back, plus what you can do about each one.
Red flag 1: The same number appears in three places… and doesn’t match
You’ve seen this one:
• Revenue in the P&L doesn’t match the revenue KPI on page 3
• Debtors in the balance sheet don’t match the aged debtors report
• A “quick summary” someone built in Excel shows a third number again
At that point, the conversation stops being “What does this mean?” and becomes “Which number is right?”Why this is a problem
• You lose time in meetings reconciling numbers instead of making decisions
• People start building their own versions “just to be sure”, which makes the problem worse
• Trust in the finance function quietly erodesWhat to do1. Pick a single “source of truth” for each key metric
o For revenue, choose one logic and one data source
o For debtors, agree whether the official number comes from the ledger, CRM, or billing platform2. Write down the definitions
o Even in a simple doc or tab called “KPI definitions”
o Example:
“Debtors (official): total outstanding customer invoices as of period end, from X system, including VAT, excluding credit notes not yet approved.”3. Remove duplicate metrics from reports
o Where you have three variations of “revenue”, keep the one that matches your definition and retire the restOnce people know there is one official number for each metric, arguments end and discussions move on.
Red flag 2: Your month-end pack gets longer every month
Month-end packs tend to grow like weeds:
• “Can we just add a page for X?”
• “Let’s leave that tab in, we might need it later.”• “We’ll clean it up next quarter…”
Soon you’ve got a 40–60 page deck or workbook that nobody reads end-to-end, and the questions in the meeting are: “Where was that again?” rather than “What should we do?”.Why this is a problem• Prep time expands every month
• The signal-to-noise ratio drops
• Senior leaders skim the first few pages and ignore the restWhat to do1. Introduce a “one-page summary” rule
o The first page of your pack should answer:
What happened this month?
Is it better or worse than expected?
Where are the biggest risks/opportunities?2. Tag every page as “Must know” or “Nice to know”o If you can’t justify why a page is “Must know”, move it to an appendix
o Over time, kill appendices that nobody uses3. Ask your stakeholders which 3 pages they actually useo You might find 60–70% of your pack exists out of habit, not value
A shorter, sharper pack is not “less professional” – it’s more usable.
Red flag 3: Key KPIs are buried on page 18
If your most important KPIs are:
• hidden inside a detailed P&L, or
• scattered across multiple tabs, or
• only visible if you scroll sideways through a giant spreadsheet……then your reporting is making people work too hard.Why this is a problem• Busy stakeholders won’t go hunting for numbers
• Decision conversations become shallow (“looks roughly okay”)
• Early warning signs get missedWhat to do1. List your top 5–10 finance KPIsFor example (depending on your business):
o Revenue vs budget
o Gross margin %
o Debtor days
o Cash runway (months)
o Operating costs vs budget
o Recurring revenue vs one-off revenue2. Give them a dedicated “KPI overview” viewo One dashboard page or one front sheet in Excel
o Traffic-light or simple arrows (up/down vs last period / vs budget)3. Use them to structure your meetingso Walk through the KPI view first
o Only dive into detailed reports when a KPI needs investigationYour job as finance lead is to curate the numbers, not just calculate them.
Red flag 4: Your reporting breaks if one person is off sick
This is the “hero analyst” or “Excel wizard” problem:• One person knows where all the data lives
• They understand all the lookup tables and manual steps
• If they’re on holiday, month-end is at riskWhy this is a problem• Operational risk: reporting is fragile
• Growth risk: you can’t scale if processes live in one person’s head
• Stress: that person never really switches offWhat to do1. Map the existing process, even on one pageo Step 1: export from X
o Step 2: paste into Y
o Step 3: run macro / formula / pivot
o Step 4: email to Z2. Identify 2–3 automation or simplification opportunities
o Can exports be pulled into a single master table?
o Can some lookups be replaced with a proper data model (even in Power Query or basic ETL)?3. Document and share
o Create a short “how to run month-end reporting” note
o Show at least one other person how to run it end-to-endEven modest improvements (fewer manual steps, clearer structure) reduce your dependency on individual heroics.
Red flag 5: Meetings are about “what happened” instead of “what we’ll do”
You’ve done all the work:• The numbers are correct
• The slides are ready
• Everyone turns up……and the hour is spent narrating the past:“Revenue is up 4%, margin is slightly down, costs are flat, any questions?”No real decisions, no clear actions, just a recap.Why this is a problem• Leaders don’t feel the full value of your reporting
• Finance becomes a “reporting function”, not a strategic partner
• Issues drag for months without clear ownersWhat to do1. Add a short “So what?” section to your reports
For each key area (revenue, margin, cash, debtors):
o What changed?
o Why (in plain language)?
o What should we consider doing?2. Change the meeting format slightlyo Spend less time presenting slides
o Send the pack in advance with a 1-page summary
o Use the meeting to discuss 3–4 decisions or trade-offs3. Link your KPIs to explicit decisionso “If debtor days go above X → we’ll do Y.”
o “If margin falls below Z → we’ll review pricing or mix.”Reporting is only valuable when it changes behaviour. Make that link visible.
Bringing it together
If you recognise these red flags:
1. Conflicting versions of the same number
2. Month-end packs that grow every month
3. Key KPIs buried in detailed reports
4. Reporting that only works if one person is available
5. Meetings that recap instead of decide
…then your reporting isn’t just a finance admin problem. It’s a decision-making problem.The good news: you don’t need a massive transformation project to fix it. Often, in a 2–4 week focused “reporting tune-up”, you can:• Clarify KPI definitions
• Simplify and standardise your main reports
• Build or improve a finance dashboard
• Embed a clearer flow from numbers → insight → decision
That’s the kind of work a specialist SME analytics partner (like Passage Analytics) is built for: cleaning up the fundamentals so finance leaders can spend less time wrestling with spreadsheets, and more time leading the business with confidence.
Last updated: 24.11.2025
From Spreadsheet Chaos to a Simple KPI View in 4 Steps
You don’t need a data lake. You need a clear view of 5–10 numbers.
Most SMEs don’t suffer from a lack of data.
They suffer from:
• 15 different spreadsheets
• 7 different versions of “the report”
• No single place where the important numbers live
If you’re in finance or operations, you’ve probably felt this:
“We have data everywhere, but I still can’t see – clearly and quickly – what’s going on.”
The good news: you don’t need a data lake, a big transformation project, or a new system to fix this.You need a simple, consistent view of 5–10 KPIs that everyone trusts.Here’s a practical way to get there in 4 steps – even if you’re starting from spreadsheet chaos.
Step 1: Decide the 5–10 KPIs that really matter
The first problem isn’t tools. It’s focus.When everything is measured, nothing feels important. Most teams try to track too many numbers:
• 30+ lines in a weekly report
• 50+ charts across different tabs
• Dozens of “interesting” stats that no one actually usesInstead, ask:“If we could only track 5–10 numbers, which ones would genuinely affect the decisions we make?”For many SMEs, those will be some combination of:Finance:• Revenue vs budget/target
• Gross margin %
• Debtor days
• Cash runway (months of operating costs covered)Operations / service:• Volume (orders, tickets, calls, appointments)
• SLA / on-time performance
• Backlog / work in progress
• Utilisation (% of capacity actually used)You don’t need to get this perfect on day one. Just pick a starting set of 5–10 that:• Tie directly to cash, risk, or customer experience
• You can realistically measure with the data you haveYou can refine later. The point is to choose.
Step 2: Standardise what those KPIs mean
Once you know which KPIs matter, the next trap is conflicting definitions.Example problems you might recognise:• “Revenue” includes VAT in one report but not another
• “Active customers” sometimes means “in last 12 months”, sometimes “in last 90 days”
• “On-time” is measured at different points in the process depending on who built the reportSo you end up in meetings where everyone stares at the same label but silently uses a different definition.To fix this, create a simple KPI dictionary.For each of your 5–10 KPIs, write down:• Name: Debtor days
• What it measures: How long, on average, customers take to pay
•** How it’s calculated**: (Total trade debtors / credit sales) × number of days in period
• What’s included: E.g. “Only trade debtors; excludes intercompany, staff accounts”
• Source system: E.g. Xero, CRM, billing platformThis can live in:• A separate tab in Excel called KPI_Definitions
• A short Word/Notion/SharePoint page called “Reporting definitions”The format doesn’t matter. Consistency does.Once you’ve agreed the definitions:• Update existing spreadsheets/reports to use them
• Remove or clearly label any “legacy” numbers that don’t match
• Make this dictionary easy to find for anyone running or reading reportsClarity here saves hours of arguments later.
Step 3: Create one ‘source of truth’ table (even in Excel)
At this point, you know:• The KPIs that matter
• How each one is definedNow you need somewhere for those numbers to live.Not scattered across 12 spreadsheets…
Not hidden inside 15 pivot tables…You want one place where the underlying data for your KPIs sits in a clean, tabular form.For many SMEs, this can still be:a well-structured Excel file or a Power Query output – not a full database.A practical approach:1. Create a “Master_Data” tableo Each row is a transaction/event (invoice, order, ticket, appointment, etc.)
o Columns include the fields you need for your KPIs, e.g.:
Date
Customer
Amount ex-VAT
Product/Service
Status (open/closed/paid)
SLA met? (Yes/No)
o Keep it as raw but clean as possible2. Feed it from your core systemso Export from your finance/CRM/ops system
o Clean up the data a little (standardise dates, customer names, statuses)
o Load these into your master table (manually at first; automate later)3. Avoid multiple master tables
o If you need separate tables (finance, ops), keep them to a minimum
o Don’t let every team create their “own version” of the same thingThis table is the engine that powers your KPIs.Even if you’re not ready for a data warehouse, having one clean, repeated process to refresh this master data is a huge step up from endless ad-hoc exports.
Step 4: Layer a simple dashboard on top
Once you have:• Clear KPIs
• Standard definitions
• A reliable master table…then dashboards become the easy part.You can use:• Power BI
• Excel with PivotCharts
• Google Data Studio/Looker Studio
• Or another BI tool you’re comfortable withThe key is to keep it simple and aligned with the decisions you want to support.For your first version, aim for:1. A single KPI overview pageo Your 5–10 key metrics, each with:
Current value
Change vs last period
Maybe a traffic light or simple up/down arrow2. 1–2 detail viewso For example:
Revenue & margin over time, by product or region
SLA / wait times by queue or channel
Debtors by age bracket3. Very limited filterso Only what users really need (e.g. date range, region, segment)
o Don’t drown them in slicers4. One question per charto “Is this going up or down?”
o “Which segment is performing worst?”
o “Where is backlog growing?”At the end, you should be able to sit with your finance or ops lead, open the dashboard, and say:“In 5–10 minutes, we can see:
– What’s happening
– Where it’s good/bad
– What we should talk about next.”That’s the point. Not pretty charts. Faster, clearer decisions.
Where Passage Analytics fits in
For many SMEs, this 4-step journey is:• Completely achievable
• But hard to do alone while running the day jobYou know the reporting is messy. You know you’re not seeing your KPIs clearly. But the work keeps getting pushed to “next quarter”.That’s exactly why Analytics Foundations exists at Passage Analytics.In a short, focused engagement, we help you:1. Agree the 5–10 KPIs that really matter for your finance and ops teams
2. Standardise the definitions so your numbers stop fighting each other
3. Design a simple, reliable data structure, even if it still lives in Excel/Power BI
4. Build an initial KPI view plus a practical roadmap for the next improvementsNo buzzwords. No huge transformation. Just moving you from spreadsheet chaos to a clear, trusted KPI view that your team can actually use.If you look at your current reports and think “this is too much work for too little clarity”, it might be time for that first tidy-up.
Last updated 25.11.2025