IWP Reporting: See the Forest AND the Trees

The weekly project review meeting. The overall progress number looks acceptable, but you know there are issues lurking beneath the surface. Someone asks about a specific team or work package, and the scramble begins – flipping through PDF reports, scrolling through a 1,200-row spreadsheet, and losing the meeting's momentum.

This is the classic data problem for construction teams: high-level summaries hide critical details, but drilling down (or worse, drilling through) takes away the big picture.

What if you could see project status at a glance, AND access Installation Work Package (IWP) details instantly, without all that clicking and navigating?

The Power BI Deneb visual above is a Unit Chart that shows each individual IWP, and provides both the overview and access to the details click-free.

• The Forest: At a glance, you see all the packages for each trade (Pipefitters, Scaffolders, etc.) and the status of each IWP, clearly color-coded. You can immediately see the overall progress for each trade – what’s been done, what’s being worked, and what’s delayed.

• The Trees: The real power is in the tooltip. Instead of drilling down or through, you simply hover over any single IWP. A window appears showing the details (these can be configured to show any attribute or metric for that package).

This approach keeps the dashboard clean and intuitive while making vital information instantly accessible. You can answer specific questions in seconds, not minutes, and proactively manage issues before they impact the schedule.

How would you tailor this dashboard?

What attributes or metrics need to be in the tooltip? This is just one visual… what else belongs with it? Want to make this a reality for your team? Let’s talk!

I build custom Power BI solutions that provide the peripheral vision needed to keep projects on time and on budget. Contact me today to see how you can unleash your data.