I can't explain where these numbers actually come from
A finance analyst can't explain where the dashboard numbers come from because the person who built it left no record of the Power Query steps or data sources. This matters because each new analyst repeats the same detective work, and report accuracy degrades when no one can verify whether the source data or logic has changed. The root cause is that desktop spreadsheet tools place the cost of undocumented logic on whoever inherits the file, with no built-in requirement that the original creator document anything. When the next person leaves, the same cycle starts again, and critical business logic stays trapped in individual heads until it disappears.
Context
The problem in plain English
If you're unfamiliar with this industry, start here.
Finance and operations analysts work inside companies preparing the numbers that leadership uses to make decisions. They pull data from accounting systems, HR files, sales reports, and spreadsheets, then transform that raw information into monthly closes, board decks, forecasts, and variance analyses.
Most of this work still happens in Excel and Power Query because those tools are already installed, require no new budget approval, and produce files that any stakeholder can open. The analyst's value lies in speed and accuracy during tight deadlines like month-end close.
What changed in the last decade is that companies now expect more frequent and more detailed reporting, yet the underlying tools remain single-user desktop applications. When an analyst leaves, the files stay behind with no record of how they were built.
Key Terms
Industry jargon explained
Click any term to see its definition.
The Reality
A day in their life
Finance Analyst
Tuesday morning at 8:47, Sarah opens the Q3 board deck file that Mike left behind when he moved to the Denver office. The numbers look right, but the VP of Sales just asked why customer acquisition cost jumped 18% quarter-over-quarter, and Sarah has no idea which source feeds that calculation.
She clicks into Power Query and sees 47 applied steps with names like "Merged Queries 3" and "Added Custom Column 7." None of them have descriptions. The data sources include three Excel files that live on a SharePoint folder no one has touched since March, plus a SQL query that references a server she cannot locate in the company directory.
By 11:15 she has traced the revenue figure back to a column called "Adj_Rev_v3" that subtracts returns, adds back a manual adjustment column, then multiplies by an exchange rate pulled from a hidden tab. The exchange rate tab has no source and no date. Sarah writes the logic down on a notepad because she knows she will forget it by Friday.
At 2:40 the refresh fails. One of the SharePoint files now has a new column name. Sarah spends 45 minutes finding which step broke, then another 30 minutes fixing the merge so the rest of the query still runs. She sends the updated deck at 6:12 pm and adds a line to her personal notes file titled "Mike's files - do not delete."
On Thursday the controller asks why last month's headcount report shows 12 contractors that do not appear in the HR system. Sarah opens a different inherited workbook and starts clicking through steps again. She has now spent roughly four hours this week just figuring out what the previous owner did, and month-end close is next Tuesday.
The People
Who experiences this problem
Finance Analyst
29 • 4 years in FP&A, recently inherited three reporting workbooks from a departed colleague
Skills
Advanced Excel
Power Query basics
Monthly close process
Board reporting
Frustrations
- Cannot answer basic questions about where numbers originate
- Refresh breaks when source files change and no one documented the dependencies
- Manager only cares that the deck is delivered on time
Goals
- Reduce time spent reverse-engineering files
- Be able to hand off work without creating future problems
- Answer stakeholder questions without guessing
FP&A Manager
Sets the deadline and judges success only by whether the deck arrives on time, creating pressure to skip documentation
Also affected by this problem. Often shares the same frustrations or creates additional pressure.
Top Objections
- This will break like the last time we tried to add governance to our Excel files
- I don't have time to document on top of already delivering reports by Friday
- My manager only cares that the numbers match — they won't support another process
- We've already spent budget on Power BI; leadership won't approve new tooling
- If it's not in Excel, the rest of the team won't be able to open or edit it
How They Talk
Use These Words
inherited fileblack boxwhere does this number come fromsource tabrefresh broke againthe guy who leftmonth-end closeboard decktrace the logic
Avoid
metadata schemagovernance frameworkdata catalogsemantic layerETL pipeline
What to Build
Product ideas that fit this problem
Based on the problem analysis, here are solution approaches ranked by fit.
Showing 2 of 2 recommendations
Course
Course Built
◆◆◆◆◆Excellent Fit
Explain One Report Number with a Source Proof Pack
The learner moves from clicking through inherited steps and hoping the number is defensible to holding a compact proof pack they can explain in a meeting, hand to a teammate, and update when the report source, logic, owner, or refresh changes.
4 lessons90 minbeginner
You'll build: An Excel-friendly Source Proof Pack for one challenged report number, including the report location and displayed value, filters/slicers/date range, upstream source list and owners, Power Query/Excel/DAX transformation notes, refresh timing, one reconciliation or reasonableness check, assumptions/caveats/open owner questions, a plain-English stakeholder explanation, and a 5-minute update checklist with owner, review date, and change triggers.
Includes: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-data-lineage · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-data-source-impact-analysis · https://learn.microsoft.com/power-query/best-practices · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/desktop-measures · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-bi/transform-model/desktop-measure-copilot-descriptions · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/model-explorer · https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/data-map-lineage-fabric · https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerBI/comments/1fqs8mi/inherited_power_bi_dashboards_with_lots_of_manual · https://www.reddit.com/r/FPandA/comments/1ttm5b8/inherited_a_mess_and_dont_know_where_to_begin
challenged report numberssource proof packsPower Query applied step documentation+6 more
Briefing
Briefing Built
◆◆◆◆◆Excellent Fit
Use Microsoft lineage for the dependency map, then use a Source Proof Pack when one number needs a stakeholder-ready explanation.
You'll build: A clear decision on whether the challenged report number can be answered with Microsoft lineage/impact/model evidence alone, or whether the reader should produce a Source Proof Pack using the linked course.
Includes: LqzR6rkrgi_aQ9bvOmnvZ · P7rJ07fQt5bOfUZnyT949
Power BI lineage boundariesimpact analysisSource Proof Pack decision point+3 more
Root Cause
Finding where this problem actually starts
We traced backward through five layers of "why" until we hit the source. Here's what's really driving this.
1
Why is this painful?
The analyst cannot explain or modify the dashboard logic because the transformation steps and data sources are unknown.
2
Why are the steps unknown?
The previous owner left no documentation of the Power Query steps or the origin of each data source.
3
Why was documentation never created?
Creating documentation requires time spent outside the immediate task of producing the report, and no structural requirement forces that time to be spent.
4
Why is there no structural requirement?
Reporting assets are treated as personal or team outputs rather than shared infrastructure, so no process or role owns the documentation step.
5
Why does this persist at the market level?
Excel and Power Query are designed as single-user desktop tools where the cost of undocumented files is borne only by the next user, not by the original creator or any shared system.
Root Cause
The root cause is that desktop spreadsheet tools externalize the cost of undocumented logic onto whoever inherits the file, with no market mechanism that makes documentation a required, shared cost.
The Numbers
How this stacks up
Key metrics that determine the opportunity value.
Overall Impact Score
77/100
Urgency
7/10
Moderate pressure to solve
Build Difficulty
9/10
Complex, needs deep expertise
Market Size
8/10
Massive addressable market
Competition Gap
8/10
Major gap in the market
"Meanwhile I am trying to understand the plethora of dashboards I inherited from the previous data analyst . ... Power Query in detail."
New data analyst role inheriting multiple Power BI dashboards and struggling to understand existing Power Query steps — Reddit r/PowerBI, 2024 (approx., based on post ID)
More Evidence
What others are saying
"Inherited a mess and don't know where to begin. I'm a month into a ... My advice: build a new workbook with Power Query pulling data ..."
FP&A professional inheriting complex Excel/Power Query workbooks from previous analyst — Reddit r/FPandA, recent (2024/2025)
"I recently started a new job at an assurance company as a BI analyst. I’ve inherited all the Power BI dashboards since the previous BI ..."
BI analyst inheriting Power BI dashboards with undocumented elements — Reddit r/PowerBI, recent (2024/2025)
"No documentation. That's the Power BI report I inherited : • A spaghetti data model. • Manual Excel uploads. • Hardcoded DAX held together with ..."
BI professional describing inherited undocumented Power BI report with complex Power Query/data model issues — LinkedIn, recent
The Landscape
What solutions exist today?
Current market solutions and where there are opportunities.
Challenger
A
Alteryx Designer
Approach: Visual workflow builder with comment boxes and metadata fields for data prep and transformation documentation.
Pricing: $5,195 per user per year (Designer Desktop); Starter Edition $250/user/month billed annually
Weakness: Enterprise pricing puts it out of reach for most analyst teams; workflows still live in desktop files with no central repository or forced documentation standard; exports to Excel lose all metadata.
Challenger
T
Tableau Prep
Approach: Visual data prep with flow diagrams and step descriptions, bundled with Tableau Creator licenses.
Pricing: Included with Tableau Creator ($75–$115/user/month billed annually); standalone not available
Weakness: Documentation lives only inside Tableau ecosystem; no built-in requirement to document; flow files become orphaned when original author leaves; cannot import or explain existing undocumented Excel/Power Query files.
Leader
M
Microsoft Power BI (native data lineage and step annotations)
Approach: Built-in data lineage viewer and optional step annotations/renaming within Power Query editor.
Pricing: Included with Power BI Pro or Premium (pricing not publicly listed for core features; starts ~$10/user/month for Pro)
Weakness: Requires manual step-by-step annotations that no one creates under time pressure; lineage view disappears when file is shared outside original workspace; no enforcement mechanism.
Niche
U
Upwork Freelance Reverse-Engineering
Approach: Hire external contractors to trace steps and write documentation for inherited Power Query files.
Pricing: Project-based, typically $800–$2,000 per file (not publicly fixed; varies by freelancer)
Weakness: Cost creates recurring budget drain; documentation quality varies; knowledge leaves with freelancer; does nothing to prevent recurrence.
The Gap
Why existing solutions keep failing
The pattern they all miss — and how to beat it.
Common Failure Mode
All solutions fail because they treat documentation as an optional extra step performed after the report is built, rather than embedding it as a required, living property of the reporting asset itself.
How to Beat Them
To beat them: embed documentation as a structural requirement inside the transformation layer so that every step is self-documenting at creation time, with ownership transfer built into the file format — teach analysts to build reports that cannot be saved without capturing source, logic, and owner in a machine-readable, human-auditable format.
The Future
What might make this problem obsolete
Technologies and trends that could disrupt this space. Factor these into your timing.
medium probability
2026-2027
Automatic lineage across Excel files
If Microsoft extends automatic lineage tracking to desktop Excel and Power Query files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, inherited files could carry source and transformation history without manual effort. This would reduce the reverse-engineering burden for analysts. However, adoption would still depend on files being stored in Microsoft cloud services rather than local drives or email attachments.
SaaS: Medium risk
Course: Low risk
Consulting: Low risk
Content: Low risk
low probability
2027-2028
Forced comments on every Power Query step
If Microsoft adds a requirement or strong prompt to add comments when creating Power Query steps, new files might carry documentation by default. Existing inherited files would remain undocumented unless someone rebuilds them. The change would only affect new work, not the backlog of legacy reports.
SaaS: Low risk
Course: Low risk
Consulting: Low risk
Content: Low risk
medium probability
2025-2026
Free tools that read undocumented steps
If open-source projects mature to the point where analysts can run a script that extracts and explains every step in an inherited file, the time cost of reverse engineering drops significantly. Quality would still vary and complex files might remain difficult to parse. This would lower the barrier for individual analysts without requiring new paid tools.
SaaS: Medium risk
Course: Opportunity
Consulting: Low risk
Content: Opportunity
high probability
2025-2026
AI that describes existing Power Query steps
If Microsoft or third parties add AI features that can read an existing Power Query query and generate plain-English explanations of each step, analysts could understand inherited files faster. Accuracy would depend on the complexity of custom columns and merges. This would address the understanding problem without requiring original authors to document anything.
SaaS: High risk
Course: Opportunity
Consulting: Medium risk
Content: Opportunity
For Creators
Content Ideas
Marketing hooks, SEO keywords, and buying triggers to help you create content around this problem.
Buying Triggers
Events that make people search for solutions
- New analyst starts and must take over existing reports within two weeks
- Key report owner gives two weeks notice
- Board or CFO asks a question no one on the team can answer about the numbers
- Refresh fails during month-end close and no one knows which step depends on which file
Content Angles
Attention-grabbing hooks for your content
- The hidden cost of every analyst departure
- Why your month-end close keeps getting longer
- The reports that break when the original owner leaves
- How much time your team spends playing detective with old files
Search Keywords
What people type when looking for solutions
inherited Power Query filePower Query steps not documentedcan't figure out Power Query inheritedPower BI dashboard previous ownerreverse engineer Excel Power Queryundocumented Power Query steps
The Evidence
Where this came from
Every claim in this report is backed by public sources. Verify anything.
91 sources referenced in this report
Collab365 Research • Collab365 Spaces
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