Helping a biogas producer manage performance across multiple sites
Automating operational and financial reporting
A biogas producer with multiple sites across Germany had good operational and financial data, but its reporting relied heavily on Excel.
Each month, information from different files had to be brought together for the board pack. This took time, and management often reviewed performance only after the month had finished.
We worked with the team to build a Power BI reporting model covering operational and financial performance across its sites. Actuals, budget and forecast could be reviewed together, with the ability to investigate the detail behind each result.
Management could now see how the current month was developing and identify issues before month-end.
Key Issues
Reporting was time-consuming
Data was held across Excel files in SharePoint and OneDrive, and much of the management reporting had to be rebuilt each month.
Performance was reviewed too late
The board pack focused mainly on completed periods, so it was difficult to see during the month how each site was performing against budget and forecast.
Variances took time to investigate
When a number was off plan, management often had to go back to the underlying spreadsheets to find the cause.
Approach
One reporting model
We brought the existing operational and financial data into a single, reusable Power BI model. New data could be refreshed through the same reporting structure, rather than rebuilt each time.
Actuals, budget and forecast together
Management could compare actual performance with budget and forecast by month, quarter and site, and see the expected year-end position.
Detail behind the numbers
Reports could be drilled into by site, period and operational input, giving management a quicker route to the cause of a variance.
Results
Visibility
Management could see how the month was progressing and where performance was moving away from plan.
Reporting effort
Refreshing the same Power BI model replaced much of the work involved in rebuilding the management pack.
Investigation
Management could trace variances back to individual sites and operational drivers without working through separate source files.
The reporting gave the business a clearer view of performance during the month, leaving management more time to respond when results moved away from plan.