Overview:
The aim of this week’s project was to build a Power BI dashboard based on the technical sketch provided by the previous consultant.
Stakeholder(s):
Financial Products Manager
Background:
The Financial Products Manager at Cumulus Financial engaged me to support their efforts in analysing complaints data spanning several years, with the goal of understanding how complaints are handled across different branches. To achieve this, I implemented the charts and followed the technical dashboard sketch left by the previous consultant, ensuring continuity and alignment with the original vision.
Objectives:
The goal was to deliver a Power BI report that brings together the charts previously developed by my colleagues, transforming them into a cohesive and functional dashboard. The aim was to produce a finished product that enables the client to explore their data effectively and answer key questions about the operations of their organisation.
Deliverables:
The task required me to use Power Bi to create a report that compiles all the charts to help the financial product manager make an informed data driven decision.
Deliverables included:
- A Power Bi report that includes all the charts to aid the client
- A presentation to walk the client through the dashboard. What it includes and how to use it
Data:
The project was based on a single cleaned CSV file containing data on financial complaints. The dataset provided valuable insights and included the following fields:
- Complaints by product
- Complaints by submission method
- Complaints by issue type
- Location data, including U.S. states
This structured dataset served as the foundation for generating insights into various types of financial complaints and guided the design of visualisations and dashboard elements tailored to the client’s analytical needs.
OUTCOMES
Work done:
I began the project by reviewing the overall objective and setting clear goals to guide my approach. Before building the dashboard, I clarified a few key points with the client to ensure alignment. I then gathered all relevant supporting documents and used them to help implement the technical sketch within Power BI, laying the foundation for a well-structured and insightful report.
Software Used:
- Power Bi
- Power Query
- Excalidraw
Impact:
The insights generated from this project will provide the Financial Products Manager with a clearer understanding of complaint trends and branch-level performance. This will support data-driven decisions such as identifying which agents may need one-on-one performance reviews or pairing high-performing agents with those who are underperforming. It can also help justify funding requests for additional staff in high-demand branches, guide agents on how to better educate customers about financial products, and inform strategic decisions about where new branches may need to open across the country.
Client Feedback:
When reviewing the dashboard, there were a few areas for improvement. The colour palette could be refined by reducing the opacity of the purple tones used throughout the report to enhance visual clarity. Additionally, the KPI donut charts should be adjusted to filter the data rather than simply highlight it, allowing for a more interactive and intuitive user experience. For future presentations, it would be more effective to walk the client through the dashboard by focusing on a specific segment, demonstrating how to navigate the visuals and extract meaningful insights. It's also important to ask the client if there's anything specific they would like to see included, to ensure the dashboard fully meets their needs.
Next steps:
The next step is to gather detailed feedback from the client and refine the dashboard to better align with their expectations and needs. It’s equally important to incorporate the feedback already provided during the presentation to ensure the final product is both accurate and user-friendly.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Skills gained:
Throughout this project, I strengthened my ability to translate ideas into clear visuals. I enhanced my Power Bi stills tremendously. I managed to explore options within the tool that really pushed me to do some digging and research.
Lessons Learned:
Rehearsing the presentation with someone is essential, as it allows me to get the first draft out of the way and gather early feedback. This not only helps me refine my delivery but also ensures that any issues with the presentation or report are identified and resolved before presenting to the client.
Challenges:
One of the main challenges I faced was not having the opportunity to properly rehearse the presentation. A thorough rehearsal would have helped the dashboard walkthrough flow more naturally and allowed me to present my insights with greater clarity and confidence. Practicing in advance would have also given me a chance to fine-tune my timing, ensure smooth transitions between points, and anticipate any questions or issues that might arise. In future projects, I’ll prioritise rehearsing with a colleague or mentor, as it’s a valuable step in delivering a polished and professional presentation.
Successes:
I successfully completed all the tasks outlined for this project and met the client’s core requirements. Although having additional time would have allowed for further refinement and a more polished presentation, this experience reinforced the importance of working efficiently within tight deadlines, an essential skill in real-world consultancy. Despite the time constraints, I’m proud of the quality of work I delivered and confident that it offered meaningful value to the client. This project has not only strengthened my technical skills but also my ability to prioritise and deliver under pressure.