INSIGHTS · PRACTICAL GUIDE · UPDATED OCTOBER 8, 2026

Prism Analytics Project Planning: Questions to Answer First

A useful analytics project begins with a decision someone needs to make. Establish that decision before choosing datasets, transformations or a dashboard layout.

Define the question and the audience

Name the report consumer, the question, the action they will take and the frequency of that action. “Improve visibility” becomes more actionable when it describes which comparison the user needs and what they will do with it.

Agree the measure definitions

For each measure, document the calculation, time basis, included population, excluded records and business owner. Clarify whether an amount represents an opening balance, a period movement or an end-of-period position.

Understand data grain before joining sources

A transaction-level dataset and a monthly summary do not have the same grain. Joining them without an explicit relationship can multiply amounts. Use a small sample to show expected cardinality and verify it before scaling the transformation.

Plan data freshness

Define when the source becomes available, how late corrections arrive and when users need the report. Make refresh dependencies explicit. A frequent refresh does not improve accuracy if the source remains incomplete.

Include access in the design

Identify the intended audience and which dimensions or records need restricted access. Review the design with your Workday security owner and test using representative authorized user roles. Confirm behavior in your own tenant.

Build a vertical slice

Start with one meaningful question and a representative data population. Ingest, transform, validate and present that slice so business reviewers can assess definitions and outputs. Use what you learn to refine the wider backlog.

Discovery deliverables

• Business questions and measure dictionary.
• Source inventory, grain and relationship map.
• Refresh and correction expectations.
• Security review requirements.
• Reconciliation scenarios and acceptance criteria.

Product context: Workday Prism Analytics overview. Confirm product behavior, licensing and configuration against current documentation for your tenant.

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