# Dashboard Requirements

DataAnalystTemplates.com · Free starter template · Version 1.0

Replace bracketed prompts. All worked examples below are fictional.

## 1. Project and ownership

| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Project / report name | [Name] |
| Business owner / approver | [Name and role] |
| Analyst / developer | [Name] |
| Primary audience | [Role, department, access needs] |
| Target delivery date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Reporting period / time zone | [Period and time zone] |
| Version / last updated | [Version and date] |

## 2. Business objective

**Decision this report supports:** [What will someone decide or do differently?]

**Current problem:** [Describe the gap, affected users, and current workaround.]

**Success measure:** [How will you know this report is useful?]

Questions for the business owner:
- Who will use the report, and how often?
- Which three questions must it answer?
- What actions follow an unusual result?
- Which existing report is the approved comparison?
- Who resolves disagreements about definitions?

## 3. Scope

**Included:** [Population, dates, sources, report pages, measures.]

**Excluded:** [Specific items outside this delivery.]

**Dependencies:** [Access approvals, source changes, upstream refreshes.]

**Assumptions requiring approval:** [Assumption, owner, decision date.]

## 4. Metric definitions

Document the grain and population before writing a calculation.

| Metric | Business definition | Grain / aggregation | Population and exclusions | Date basis | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Completed orders | Distinct orders with completed status | Distinct order ID | Exclude cancelled orders and test accounts | Completion date in agreed time zone | Operations owner |
| [Metric] | [Definition] | [Count, distinct count, sum, ratio] | [Included / excluded] | [Which date and time zone?] | [Owner] |

For ratios, document numerator, denominator, zero-denominator behavior, and rounding. Do not sum percentages across groups unless that is the intended definition.

## 5. Source-to-report mapping

| Report field | Source table | Source column | Transformation | Join / key | Null handling | Validation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Order date | orders | order_date | Convert to agreed reporting date | order_id | Show as unknown and flag | Compare date ranges to source |
| [Field] | [Table] | [Column] | [Rule] | [Cardinality and key] | [Rule] | [Check] |

Record expected join cardinality and explain how duplicates are handled. Identify the authoritative source when two systems disagree.

## 6. Layout and interactions

| Page / visual | Business question | Measures / dimensions | Filters | Default state | Drill-through or export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Page] | [Question] | [Fields] | [Slicers] | [Default date range] | [Behavior] |

Specify no-data behavior, number formats, titles, tooltips, and mobile needs. Attach the approved wireframe or link it here: [Link].

## 7. Refresh and access

- Refresh schedule and freshness expectation: [Schedule and time zone]
- Upstream completion dependency: [Source and expected completion]
- Failure alert recipient and recovery owner: [Roles]
- Access groups / row-level rules: [Rules and approved groups]
- Export permissions and sensitive fields: [Controls]
- Performance expectation and test conditions: [Target, data volume, filters]
- Retention or archive needs: [Requirement]

## 8. Acceptance criteria

| ID | Given / when | Expected result | Evidence required | Approver | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC-001 | Approved reporting period and matching source filters | Completed-order count equals approved source extract | Reconciliation with filter definitions and extract timestamp | [Owner] | [Pending] |
| AC-002 | User selects a date range with no records | Report shows the agreed no-data message | Screenshot and selected date range | [Owner] | [Pending] |
| AC-003 | Restricted user opens the report | Only authorized rows are visible | Test identity, role, and query evidence | [Owner] | [Pending] |
| [ID] | [Condition / action] | [Testable outcome, tolerance if needed] | [Evidence] | [Owner] | [Result] |

## 9. Open questions and decisions

| ID | Question / decision | Owner | Due date | Resolution | Approved by / date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ID] | [Question] | [Owner] | [Date] | [Resolution] | [Approval] |

## 10. Handoff and approval

- Data owner confirms definitions: [Name / date]
- Business owner approves scope and layout: [Name / date]
- UAT evidence location: [Link]
- Deployment and rollback plan: [Link]
- Support owner and change-request route: [Roles / link]
- Final sign-off: [Name / date / remaining conditions]

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