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Field guide / 5 minute read

When two systems tell two different stories.

A practical way to distinguish a missing record, a timing difference, and a mapping problem.

A BundleBoB method guide with worked examples.

Start with the question

A job report says one thing. Accounting says another. Before choosing a winner, ask whether the systems are measuring the same thing at the same point in time. A difference can be useful information. Hiding it can make a report look cleaner while making the decision worse.

Separate timing from error

Consider a synthetic job with $184,600 in posted costs. Operations includes an approved addition of $11,850, bringing its total to $196,450. Accounting has not posted that addition yet. Both figures describe something real in the example: one is posted cost, the other is cost including an approved commitment. The $11,850 difference should be explained, not erased.

One job. Two different totals.Illustrative data. Operations shows 196,450 dollars including approved additions. Accounting shows 184,600 dollars in posted costs. The 11,850 dollar difference is an approved addition not yet posted. No automatic write-back. JOB 024 / COST RECONCILIATIONSynthetic example OperationsPosted costs + approved additions$184,600$196,450 AccountingPosted costs only$184,600 !$11,850 difference · needs reviewAddition A-14 is approved, but has not been posted.Both source values retained. No automatic write-back.One job. Two different totals.Illustrative data. Operations: 196,450 dollars including approved additions. Accounting: 184,600 dollars in posted costs. The 11,850 dollar difference is addition A-14, approved but not posted.JOB 024 / RECONCILIATIONSynthetic exampleOperationsPosted costs + approved additions$184,600$196,450AccountingPosted costs only$184,600$11,850 difference · needs reviewAddition A-14 is approved.It is not yet posted in accounting.Both values kept. No automatic write-back.
Illustrative records. A timing difference, made visible.

Keep both values and both rules

A useful conflict entry carries the job identifier, source record identifiers, each value, each source’s update time, and the rule used to calculate the amount. “Mismatch” is a warning. “Approved addition A-14 is not yet posted” gives someone a place to start.

Give the difference an owner

The next step depends on the cause. An unposted addition belongs with the person who manages posting. An unmatched job identifier belongs in the mapping review. A duplicate import belongs in the ingestion process. Keep the original records; record the resolution separately.

Make freshness part of the answer

A nightly process can fail. The report should show the last successful source update and reconciliation, and distinguish a current comparison from one based on stale data. A reliable report admits what it does not yet know.

Take this into the next review

Choose one disputed job. Write down both source values, their timestamps, and the question each answers. Identify the owner and next action for the difference. That is a more productive starting point than arguing about which dashboard is correct.

Where do your numbers disagree?

Bring the question to a conversation about your systems.

Start with your situation

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