Business questions

The top of the resolution chain. Match the question being asked, confirm the observations in the data, then take the pattern, the charts, and the narrative skeleton. The language comes from the decider.

BQ-01

Why did cost overrun?

You will observe: actual above budget; a small set of drivers explains most of the gap

Patterns: PT-07   Tell it as: NR-01 THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF

CH-FLO-01 WATERFALLCH-MAG-02 PAIRED COLUMN

BQ-02

Are we on schedule?

You will observe: cumulative actual vs plan diverge; tasks slip against a milestone line

Patterns: PT-03   Tell it as: NR-01 THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF

CH-TIM-02 S-CURVECH-TIM-09 GANTTCH-DEV-01 DIVERGING BAR

BQ-03

Where is the backlog concentrated?

You will observe: few categories hold most of the volume

Patterns: PT-04   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-RNK-01 BAR-HCH-PTW-05 TREEMAPCH-RNK-06 TABLE WITH BARS

BQ-04

Who slips the most?

You will observe: one entity sits far from the pack; signed variance across entities

Patterns: PT-02   Tell it as: NR-01 THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF

CH-DEV-01 DIVERGING BARCH-RNK-01 BAR-HCH-DST-07 BEESWARM

BQ-05

Is it improving?

You will observe: direction holds across periods; two-point change per entity

Patterns: PT-01   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-TIM-01 LINECH-TIM-14 INDEXED LINECH-TIM-05 SLOPE

BQ-06

Where is the risk building?

You will observe: a metric approaches its threshold; a watched value holds then steps

Patterns: PT-06   Tell it as: NR-04 THE EXCEPTION FLASH

CH-MAG-04 BULLETCH-TAB-01 STATUS MATRIXCH-TIM-13 STEP

BQ-07

How does the total split?

You will observe: a whole divides into parts; the mix shifts across periods

Patterns: PT-05   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-PTW-01 STACKED BARCH-PTW-02 STACKED BAR 100%CH-PTW-05 TREEMAP

BQ-08

What changed since last period?

You will observe: before and after per category; gains and losses both present

Patterns: PT-01, PT-05   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-DEV-02 DUMBBELLCH-TIM-05 SLOPECH-FLO-01 WATERFALL

BQ-09

Are these two measures related?

You will observe: points align along a direction; one point breaks the relationship

Patterns: PT-02   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-COR-01 SCATTERCH-COR-02 BUBBLECH-COR-03 XY HEATMAP

BQ-10

How long do things take, and how spread out is it?

You will observe: values cluster with a tail; groups differ in spread more than in center

Patterns: PT-02   Tell it as: NR-02 THE ANALYST READOUT

CH-DST-01 HISTOGRAMCH-DST-04 BOXPLOTCH-DST-06 CUMULATIVE CURVE

BQ-11

Will we hit the target?

You will observe: trajectory vs commitment; gap to target per metric

Patterns: PT-03   Tell it as: NR-01 THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF

CH-TIM-02 S-CURVECH-MAG-04 BULLET

BQ-12

Which option should we choose?

You will observe: options measured in the same units; no option dominates on every axis

Patterns: PT-07   Tell it as: NR-03 THE DECISION MEMO

CH-MAG-02 PAIRED COLUMNCH-MAG-03 PAIRED BARCH-RNK-06 TABLE WITH BARS

Narrative skeletons

How the finding is told, ordered by the language's decision_style. Guidance per section:

NR-01 . recommendation-with-owner

THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF

claim → cause → evidence → action → owner

claimOne sentence stating the finding with its number; this is the action title.
causeThe single driver that explains most of the finding; name it, quantify it.
evidenceThe chart(s) proving claim and cause; each with its QA checklist run.
actionThe decision requested or taken, stated as a verb with a deadline.
ownerOne name accountable for the action; a team is not an owner.
NR-02 . evidence-only

THE ANALYST READOUT

question → evidence → cause → claim

questionThe business question verbatim; the reader must know what is being answered.
evidenceCharts in reading order, strongest first; declared inputs only.
causeWhat explains the shape, with the competing explanation named and excluded.
claimThe finding, stated without a recommendation; the reader decides.
NR-03 . options

THE DECISION MEMO

question → evidence → options → action

questionThe decision to be made, phrased as a choice.
evidenceThe comparison chart(s) that make the options commensurable.
options2 to 4 options, each with cost, benefit, and risk in the same units.
actionThe decision mechanics: who chooses, by when, what happens on no decision.
NR-04 . recommendation-with-owner

THE EXCEPTION FLASH

claim → action → owner → evidence

claimThe breach, its size, and when it happened; nothing else on the first line.
actionWhat must happen and by which hour; flashes measure response in hours.
ownerThe one name paged; escalation path if no response.
evidenceOne chart maximum; the flash links to the full readout, it does not contain it.