The work to include in the budget
| Workstream | What changes the effort | Completion evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Metric definitions | Conflicting meanings, cutoffs, or exclusions | Two people reproduce the measure from the written rule |
| Source validation | Incomplete records, duplicate sources, or missing history | A representative reporting period reconciles |
| Display and access | Users, permissions, and decisions supported | Intended users can find and interpret the view |
| Refresh and recovery | Manual versus integrated collection and failure handling | The owner can detect stale data and recover |
| Training and maintenance | Number of owners and expected future changes | An internal maintainer can update the setup |
Why a price per chart is misleading
A chart can be quick to create after the underlying definition and source are reliable. The same visual can require substantial reconciliation when departments use different due dates or cost categories. Ask a provider to separate that work rather than pricing the project only by dashboard count.
An illustrative scope comparison
One team needs five weekly measures already available in a consistent report. Another requests the same five measures, but each lives in a different system and the reporting periods do not match. Their display requirements look similar; their source preparation and maintenance requirements do not. No standard fee can responsibly be inferred from the visual alone.
Compare the ongoing operating cost
Budget source-owner time, refresh monitoring, access changes, and definition maintenance. If manual collection remains, state who performs it and how long it should take. Avoid treating automated refresh as proof that the underlying data remains accurate.
What to request from Elixir
Elixir scopes dashboard work around the agreed measures, sources, users, validation, and handover. Elixir consulting starts at $5,000 per month, with final pricing based on scope. Bring a sample reporting period and the management decisions the dashboard needs to support; ask for written inclusions, exclusions, acceptance evidence, and ongoing responsibilities.
Related implementation resources
Discuss the operating problem
Elixir consulting starts at $5,000 per month, with final pricing based on scope. Bring a recent example, the current workflow, and the person who owns the result to define the appropriate implementation scope.