The DPER Framework

Build AI and data systems around the value they must create.

The DPER Framework connects business priorities, Microsoft solution decisions, implementation, adoption, and measurement from the first question to the next investment decision.

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Microsoft Fabric

Power BI

Start with the environment you have and the value you need to create.

The same framework serves two different starting conditions. Stratum adjusts the scope and delivery role without changing the discipline of connecting business priorities, technical work, adoption, and measurable outcomes.

Starting point one

Build A Centralized Microsoft Data Ecosystem

Starting condition: Your data is spread across legacy or disconnected systems. Teams may rely on manual handoffs, competing definitions, or limited visibility, making governance and confident decision-making harder.
What must change: The organization needs a centralized, governed Microsoft data foundation built around priority decisions and workflows. The goal is not to move every source at once. It is to create a reliable foundation that can support analytics, automation, and AI where they matter most.
Stratum's role: Stratum commonly serves as the build partner. We help define the business requirements, design the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem, implement the agreed scope, support adoption, and measure whether the new capability is improving the intended business condition.
Expected business change: Teams gain a more reliable and governed source of information, clearer ownership, and a stronger base for the decisions and workflows the investment is meant to improve.

Starting point two

Improve Microsoft Adoption And Value Realization

Starting condition: You are planning Microsoft Fabric adoption or already use Fabric, Power BI, and related Microsoft solutions, but the expected value has not fully materialized. Priorities, definitions, governance, adoption, or measurement may still be disconnected.
What must change: The organization needs to clarify which outcomes deserve attention, identify where value is being lost, and focus the environment and team practices on a practical sequence of improvements.
Stratum's role: Stratum commonly guides the internal data team and provides strategic or implementation support. We can also build part or all of the solution when capability, capacity, or delivery risk requires direct support.
Expected business change: Leaders and delivery teams work from clearer priorities, stronger governance, better adoption, and a shared way to evaluate performance against the outcomes the Microsoft investment is meant to support.

One continuous value cycle

Each phase creates what the next decision needs.

DPER keeps the business problem, delivery plan, implementation, adoption, and results connected. Discoveries can send the team back to an earlier assumption, but the intended business value remains the reference point throughout the work.

01
Diagnostic
Where is value being lost or left unrealized?
Identify the business problems, constraints, opportunities, and current-state conditions that matter most.
Phase handoffA prioritized view of the value gaps, evidence, and open questions that should shape the next decision.
02
Planning
What should change, and how will success be measured?
Connect priorities to measurable objectives, the right Microsoft solution, and a practical execution roadmap.
Phase handoffA sequenced plan with scope, measures, ownership, dependencies, and decision rights.
03
Execution
How do we turn the plan into an adopted capability?
Build the solution as the client's data partner or guide the internal team through implementation and adoption.
Phase handoffWorking Microsoft data capabilities supported by governance, quality controls, user involvement, and evidence of business progress.
04
Retrospective
What value did the work create, and what comes next?
Measure results, document lessons, assess value, and identify the next opportunity.
Phase handoffA clear account of outcomes, adoption, limitations, lessons, and the evidence behind the next investment decision.

Return to Diagnostic

DPER phase 01: Diagnostic

Diagnose the value gap before committing to a production solution.

Diagnostic creates a shared view of the business condition, the people affected, the cost or consequence of leaving it unchanged, and the evidence needed to choose a worthwhile priority.

Diagnostic in practice

Requested technology is often a symptom of a deeper need. Diagnostic examines the decisions, workflows, customers, teams, systems, data conditions, constraints, dependencies, and risks surrounding the investment. It separates what is visible from what is causing the value gap and identifies where the organization has evidence, assumptions, or unanswered questions.

For a business moving from legacy or disconnected systems, this may mean mapping information handoffs, competing definitions, ownership gaps, and the priority decisions a centralized Microsoft data ecosystem must improve. For a business with an existing or planned Microsoft environment, it may mean examining where Fabric, Power BI, governance, adoption, trust, or performance is falling short of the intended outcome.

Diagnostic work

The business problem or opportunity in operational terms
The decisions, workflows, customers, and teams affected
Current systems, data conditions, ownership, and dependencies
Constraints, risks, and assumptions that may shape the work
Available baselines and evidence gaps
The consequences of acting, delaying, or leaving the condition unchanged

Diagnostic outputs

A shared description of the current condition
A prioritized set of business problems and opportunities
Documented constraints, dependencies, risks, and evidence gaps
A baseline or an explicit plan for establishing one
Clear questions and recommendations for the next decision

The DPER Diagnostic

The DPER Diagnostic is a paid, typically four-to-eight-week engagement for organizations that need a structured, independent examination of the current condition before production Planning or implementation begins. Exact scope and duration are confirmed after the introductory call.

The DPER Diagnostic may fit when

Leaders agree that value is being lost but do not share a clear explanation of why.
A requested Microsoft solution has not yet been connected to a specific business outcome and baseline.
Business and technical teams are working from different assumptions about priorities, constraints, ownership, or readiness.
The organization needs prioritized findings before deciding whether to plan, build, improve, pause, or narrow the investment.

A lightweight prototype or future-state view is used to clarify possibility and support a decision. It is not a production solution, validated implementation, or promise that the illustrated outcome will be achieved.

What you receive

One-on-one meeting
Stakeholder and current-state review
Diagnostic findings organized around the business condition and value gaps
Prioritized recommendations with supporting rationale
A personalized PDF findings-and-recommendations report
A lightweight prototype or future-state view when it helps make the opportunity tangible
A review conversation focused on findings, boundaries, and practical next decisions

The DPER Diagnostic stops after Diagnostic. It does not include production Planning, production implementation, or a completed Microsoft solution. Its findings should be useful whether the organization continues internally, proceeds to a Full DPER Engagement, or decides not to advance the work.

Book an introductory call

Discuss the current condition, the business outcome at stake, and whether a paid DPER Diagnostic is an appropriate next step.

The introductory call is a fit and starting-condition discussion. It does not replace The DPER Diagnostic.

DPER phase 02: Planning

Turn the priority into a measurable, executable roadmap.

Planning defines what must change, how the work will be sequenced, who will own the decisions, and what evidence will show whether the investment is advancing the intended business outcome.

Planning in practice

Planning converts a diagnosed priority into a sequence the business and delivery team can act on together. It connects Microsoft solution decisions to business requirements rather than product novelty and makes the assumptions, dependencies, and tradeoffs behind the roadmap visible.

For a centralized data ecosystem, Planning may sequence the governed foundation, priority data domains, decision use cases, and adoption work rather than attempting to centralize every source at once. For an existing Microsoft environment, Planning may prioritize changes to data models, reporting, governance, workflows, or team practices according to the value each change is expected to support.

Planning work

Translate the priority into measurable business objectives and decision criteria.
Define the baseline, leading indicators, outcome measures, and review cadence.
Connect the business requirement to the appropriate Microsoft solution approach.
Establish scope, sequence, dependencies, owners, governance, and decision rights.
Plan for user involvement, communication, adoption, and capability transfer.
Record assumptions and conditions that could change the roadmap.

Planning outputs

Agreed business objectives and success measures
A practical, sequenced execution roadmap
Defined scope, dependencies, risks, and decision points
Named business and technical owners
A governance and review cadence
An adoption and capability-transfer approach appropriate to the engagement

How value is defined before Execution

Baseline: What is happening now, using the strongest available evidence and an explicit period or point of comparison.
Leading indicators: Early evidence that the work is changing behavior or conditions in the intended direction, such as use, completion, response, or quality signals selected for the specific objective.
Outcome measures: Evidence of the business result the investment is meant to support, such as growth, efficiency, clarity, adoption, or trust. Measures must be defined for the engagement rather than treated as universal promises.
Ownership: The person or group responsible for the business result, the source of each measure, and the decision that will follow the review.
Measurement record: The source, calculation method, period, assumptions, and known limitations required to interpret the result responsibly.

Production Planning is part of a Full DPER Engagement. It is not included in The DPER Diagnostic.

DPER phase 03: Execution

Build the capability and the conditions for people to use it.

Execution connects technical delivery with governance, data quality, workflow fit, user involvement, adoption, and evidence of business progress.

Execution in practice

A technically complete system does not automatically create an adopted business capability. Execution keeps the roadmap, business objective, delivery decisions, intended users, and measures visible while the work is built and introduced into the organization.

For the legacy-to-Microsoft path, Stratum commonly leads the build of a centralized Microsoft Fabric ecosystem while business and technical owners validate priorities, definitions, workflows, and adoption. For the value-realization path, Stratum commonly guides the internal data team and provides strategic or implementation support, including direct build capability for part or all of the solution when needed.

Execution work

Implement the agreed Microsoft data capabilities and integrations.
Maintain visible scope, ownership, dependencies, decision cadence, and quality controls.
Address governance, security, data quality, testing, and workflow fit at the level required by the agreed solution.
Involve intended users early enough to shape usability, trust, communication, training, and adoption.
Track business-progress evidence alongside technical milestones and completed tasks.
Transfer knowledge and capability according to the selected delivery model.

Execution outputs

Working capabilities within the agreed implementation scope
Tested data, workflows, and decision-support experiences
Documented governance, ownership, and operating expectations
Adoption support and internal capability transfer appropriate to the model
A visible record of delivery progress, decisions, risks, and changes
Evidence needed for the Retrospective

Three delivery models

These are delivery choices, not service tiers or maturity levels. The right model depends on the starting condition, internal capability, implementation scope, dependencies, and ownership available for the work.

Stratum-Led Build

Best fit: The organization needs Stratum to lead implementation because the solution requires dedicated build capability, additional capacity, or clearer delivery ownership.
Stratum's role: Lead the agreed implementation, coordinate technical delivery, surface decisions and dependencies, support testing and adoption, and connect progress to the defined measures.
Client's role: Supply business and technical owners, access, timely decisions, operational context, user participation, and review of definitions, workflows, and results.

Guided Internal Team

Best fit: The organization has an internal data team capable of building the solution but needs a stronger business-value discipline, delivery guidance, decision cadence, or outside perspective.
Stratum's role: Guide priorities, architecture and delivery decisions at the appropriate level, review progress and evidence, help resolve risks, and support adoption and value measurement.
Client's role: Own and perform implementation, maintain delivery capacity, apply agreed quality controls, and keep business and technical decision makers engaged.

Blended Delivery

Best fit: Responsibility should be divided according to capability, capacity, risk, or workstream rather than assigned entirely to one team.
Stratum's role: Lead agreed workstreams, guide client-owned workstreams, coordinate shared decisions and dependencies, and maintain the connection to the business objective and measurement approach.
Client's role: Lead the workstreams assigned to the internal team, provide the required owners and specialists, and participate in shared governance, testing, adoption, and review.

Execution delivers the capabilities and adoption work defined in the agreed scope. It does not guarantee that every intended user will adopt the capability or that a particular business outcome will occur. Those results must be evaluated against the engagement's evidence and measures.

DPER phase 04: Retrospective

Measure realized value, not only technical completion.

Retrospective compares the result with the objective and baseline established during Planning, examines how the capability is being used, and turns what the team learned into a supported next decision.

Retrospective in practice

Delivery evidence answers whether the agreed capability was built. Value evidence asks what changed because people can use it. Retrospective keeps those questions separate so technical completion is not mistaken for growth, efficiency, clarity, adoption, or trust.

The review considers results and limitations together. It documents what the team expected, what was delivered, what people adopted, what the available evidence supports, and which assumptions changed. This creates a responsible account of progress without turning an early signal into a guaranteed outcome.

The value-measurement review

Restate the objective and baseline.
Confirm the intended business result, the starting condition, the comparison period, and any changes to the original assumptions.
Review delivery evidence.
Confirm what was implemented, what remains outside scope, and which technical or operating limitations still matter.
Review adoption evidence.
Examine who is using the capability, how it fits the workflow, whether people trust it, and where behavior differs from the plan.
Review outcome evidence.
Compare the agreed leading indicators and outcome measures with the baseline, including the source, calculation method, period, and known limitations.
Make the next decision.
Decide whether to stabilize, improve, expand, pause, or pursue another opportunity, then assign an owner and business rationale.

Value review for both starting conditions

Evaluate whether the centralized foundation improved the priority decisions and workflows, not merely whether the planned sources were connected.

Evaluate whether changes to the Microsoft environment and team practices improved adoption, governance, performance, and the intended business outcome.

Retrospective outputs

A comparison of the agreed objectives, baseline, indicators, and available results
A clear distinction between delivered capability and realized business value
Adoption, workflow, governance, and data-trust findings
Documented lessons, limitations, changed assumptions, and unintended effects
A supported next decision with an owner and review point

Measures are defined for the specific engagement. Stratum does not guarantee a 10X return, a particular financial outcome, or a fixed timeframe. No result should be published without a documented baseline, source, calculation method, period, limitations, and disclosure approval.

Retrospective may support a decision to stabilize, improve, expand, pause, or pursue another opportunity. It does not assume or require another engagement.

Choose the level of support that matches the decision in front of you.

Reflect on Power BI business alignment independently, commission a bounded Diagnostic, or engage Stratum across all four phases. Each option has a distinct job and boundary.

Free

Power BI Checklist

A self-directed check to explore where business alignment may be breaking down before you build another Power BI dashboard.

What you receive in the Power BI Checklist

14 unscored reflection questions
Business, information, ownership, adoption, and value checks
Five questions to answer before the next dashboard
A brief four-phase DPER overview

The checklist supports reflection. It does not diagnose the organization, prescribe a production solution, calculate a maturity score, or estimate a return.

Get the DPER Checklist

The DPER Diagnostic

A paid, typically four-to-eight-week engagement that examines the current condition and produces personalized findings and recommendations. It may include a lightweight prototype or future-state view when useful. It stops after Diagnostic and excludes production Planning and implementation.

Review The DPER Diagnostic

Full DPER Engagement

A Full DPER Engagement connects Diagnostic, Planning, Execution, and Retrospective for organizations building a centralized Microsoft data ecosystem or improving value from an existing or planned Microsoft environment.

A Full DPER Engagement may fit when

The organization needs one connected approach from current-state diagnosis through implementation, adoption, and value review.
The priority is understood well enough to warrant structured investigation and may require production Planning and implementation.
Business and technical owners want delivery decisions, adoption, and value measurement managed as connected work.
The organization needs a Stratum-led build, guidance for an internal team, or a blended delivery model.

What the engagement covers

Diagnostic: Identify the business condition, affected decisions and workflows, current systems and data, constraints, dependencies, evidence, and highest-priority value gaps.
Planning: Translate the priority into measurable objectives, solution decisions, scope, ownership, governance, adoption requirements, and a practical roadmap.
Execution: Implement the agreed Microsoft data capabilities, guide the internal team, or share delivery while keeping quality, adoption, and business-progress evidence visible.
Retrospective: Compare the result with the agreed baseline and objectives, document adoption, lessons and limitations, assess value, and support the next decision.

What you receive

Diagnostic findings and prioritized recommendations
Measurable objectives and a sequenced execution roadmap
Microsoft solution implementation, internal-team guidance, or both
Defined governance, ownership, decision cadence, and quality controls
Adoption support and capability transfer appropriate to the delivery model
Value tracking against agreed baselines and measures
Retrospective findings and supported next-step recommendations

Stratum can lead the build, guide your internal team, or use a blended delivery model based on the starting condition, capabilities, implementation scope, dependencies, and ownership available for the work.

There is no standard public timeline for a Full DPER Engagement. The likely sequence and duration depend on the starting condition, internal capability, implementation scope, dependencies, and delivery model.

Book an introductory call

Discuss the business outcome, Microsoft environment, delivery needs, and whether a full four-phase engagement is the appropriate path.

The introductory call is a fit and starting-condition discussion. It is not a free Diagnostic or a commitment to a defined scope.

Offer comparison

Compare the Power BI Checklist, The DPER Diagnostic, and Full DPER Engagement by job, scope, deliverables, timing, and next action.
Decision in front of you	Power BI Checklist	The DPER Diagnostic	Full DPER Engagement
Primary job	Reflect on Power BI business alignment	Examine the current condition and prioritize findings	Diagnose, plan, execute, measure, and learn
Personalization	Self-directed reflection	Personalized to the organization	Personalized across all four phases
Diagnostic work	No formal diagnosis	Included	Included
Production Planning	Not included	Not included	Included
Production implementation	Not included	Not included	Included through Stratum-led, guided, or blended delivery
Adoption support	Reflection prompts only	Findings may identify adoption gaps	Included according to the roadmap and delivery model
Value measurement	Questions and reflection	Baseline and evidence gaps may be identified	Measures are defined, tracked, and reviewed against the agreed objective
Primary deliverable	Power BI Checklist	Personalized findings-and-recommendations report	Working capability, adoption support, value review, and next-step recommendations
Timing	Self-paced	Typically four to eight weeks; confirmed after the call	No standard public timeline

Primary job

Power BI Checklist: Reflect on Power BI business alignment
The DPER Diagnostic: Examine the current condition and prioritize findings
Full DPER Engagement: Diagnose, plan, execute, measure, and learn

Personalization

Power BI Checklist: Self-directed reflection
The DPER Diagnostic: Personalized to the organization
Full DPER Engagement: Personalized across all four phases

Diagnostic work

Power BI Checklist: No formal diagnosis
The DPER Diagnostic: Included
Full DPER Engagement: Included

Production Planning

Power BI Checklist: Not included
The DPER Diagnostic: Not included
Full DPER Engagement: Included

Production implementation

Power BI Checklist: Not included
The DPER Diagnostic: Not included
Full DPER Engagement: Included through Stratum-led, guided, or blended delivery

Adoption support

Power BI Checklist: Reflection prompts only
The DPER Diagnostic: Findings may identify adoption gaps
Full DPER Engagement: Included according to the roadmap and delivery model

Value measurement

Power BI Checklist: Questions and reflection
The DPER Diagnostic: Baseline and evidence gaps may be identified
Full DPER Engagement: Measures are defined, tracked, and reviewed against the agreed objective

Primary deliverable

Power BI Checklist: Power BI Checklist
The DPER Diagnostic: Personalized findings-and-recommendations report
Full DPER Engagement: Working capability, adoption support, value review, and next-step recommendations

Timing

Power BI Checklist: Self-paced
The DPER Diagnostic: Typically four to eight weeks; confirmed after the call
Full DPER Engagement: No standard public timeline

DPER is designed for consequential AI and data decisions.

The framework is most useful when an investment affects important decisions, workflows, customer or team experiences, operating cost, revenue, risk, speed, or trust, and leaders want the technical work connected to a measurable business result.

The work is more likely to fit when

A founder, executive, or business leader owns the outcome and can participate in key decisions.
Business and technical stakeholders are willing to make assumptions, evidence, ownership, and constraints visible.
The organization works in or is moving toward Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and related Microsoft data solutions.
Intended users can participate in definition, testing, feedback, and adoption.
The organization is prepared to evaluate outcomes and limitations rather than treat technical completion as the only measure of success.

An introductory call determines fit and the likely next step. It is not a free Diagnostic, solution design session, or commitment to an engagement.

Questions leaders ask before choosing a next step.

Do we need to be using Microsoft Fabric already?

No. Stratum supports businesses moving from legacy or disconnected systems to a centralized Microsoft data ecosystem, as well as businesses planning Fabric adoption or improving the value of an existing Fabric and Power BI environment. The DPER Framework begins with the business condition, then shapes the appropriate Microsoft path.

What is the difference between the Power BI Checklist and The DPER Diagnostic?

The Power BI Checklist is a free, self-directed business alignment check with 14 unscored reflection questions. It helps leaders surface questions but does not diagnose the organization. The DPER Diagnostic is a paid, personalized engagement that reviews the current condition and produces findings and prioritized recommendations.

What happens during an introductory call?

The call focuses on your current condition, the business outcome you are pursuing, your Microsoft environment, and the questions or delivery needs that require attention. It helps determine fit and a likely next step. It is not a free Diagnostic and does not produce findings, a roadmap, or a solution design.

What is included in The DPER Diagnostic?

The DPER Diagnostic is a paid engagement, typically four to eight weeks. It includes stakeholder and current-state review, diagnostic findings, prioritized recommendations, and a personalized PDF report. A lightweight prototype or future-state view may be included when useful. Exact scope and duration are confirmed after the introductory call.

Is the prototype from The DPER Diagnostic a production solution?

No. A lightweight prototype or future-state view may be used to make an opportunity tangible and support a decision. It is not a production solution, validated implementation, or substitute for production Planning, engineering, testing, security review, governance, deployment, or adoption work.

Does The DPER Diagnostic include Planning or implementation?

No. The DPER Diagnostic stops after Diagnostic. It may recommend what deserves attention next, but it does not include production Planning or implementation. Those phases belong to a Full DPER Engagement or to work the organization chooses to undertake through another path.

Who performs the implementation in a Full DPER Engagement?

Stratum can lead the build, guide your internal data team, or use a blended delivery model. The appropriate model depends on your starting condition, internal capability, implementation scope, dependencies, and available ownership. The three models are delivery choices, not service tiers or maturity levels.

How does Stratum measure value?

Planning defines the objective, baseline, leading indicators, outcome measures, sources, owners, and review cadence for the specific engagement. Retrospective then compares available evidence with that starting point and documents adoption, limitations, and lessons. Stratum does not treat technical completion alone as proof of realized business value.

How long does a Full DPER Engagement take?

There is no standard public timeline. Duration depends on the starting condition, internal capability, implementation scope, dependencies, and delivery model. The likely sequence and timing are discussed after the business priorities and current condition are understood.

Does 10X value mean a guaranteed return?

No. 10X describes the scale of value Stratum helps leaders pursue, not a guaranteed financial return or fixed timeframe. The work begins by defining the outcomes that matter and the starting point, then measuring available evidence against the objectives agreed for the engagement.

Build the next decision around business value.

Discuss the current condition, the outcome you need to create, and whether The DPER Diagnostic, a Full DPER Engagement, or an internal next step is the appropriate path.

Book an introductory call Get the DPER Checklist

The introductory call is a fit discussion. It does not replace The DPER Diagnostic.