How can the Information Product Canvas be effectively utilised to rationalise and consolidate existing reports or data products within an organisation, addressing potential overlaps or inefficiencies?
The Information Product Canvas offers a simple, structured way to understand and prioritise the rationalisation of report sprawl
How can the Information Product Canvas be effectively utilised to rationalise and consolidate existing reports or data products within an organisation, addressing potential overlaps or inefficiencies?
Over time, organisations often accumulate a cluttered landscape of reports, dashboards, and data extracts. Some overlap, some are redundant, and many no longer align with current Actions and Outcomes. The Information Product Canvas offers a simple, structured way to understand and prioritise the rationalisation of this sprawl.
Rather than documenting and auditing every report line by line, the canvas shifts the focus to discovering and understanding the What, Why, and Who behind each existing report. By working at this level, rather than getting caught up in the detail, data teams can identify where refactoring, consolidation, or decommissioning makes sense without turning it into a mammoth inventory exercise.
Inventory at the Outcome level, not the Detail Delivery level
Use the canvas to capture the context of each report by focusing on key areas, Vision Statement, Actions and Outcomes, Business Questions, Personas, Delivery Types, and Core Business Events.
Discover: What value does the report enable? Who uses it? What data does it require?
Then use this context to determine whether refactoring, consolidation, or decommissioning is the best path forward.
Group similar canvases together
Look for reports that answer the same or similar Business Questions, serve the same Personas, or overlap on Core Business Events. These are natural candidates for consolidation.
Use the Bus Matrix pattern template to visualise reports by areas of the canvas
Create a simple matrix with existing reports listed down one side and entries from a canvas area (such as Business Questions, Personas, or Core Business Events) across the top. Mark which reports align to which entries. This visual pattern template makes overlaps obvious at a glance without the need to dive deep into every report.
Evaluate overlaps through Personas, Delivery Types and Business Questions
Use the Personas, Delivery Types, and Business Questions captured in each canvas to group similar Information Products. Are multiple reports answering the same Business Question for the same Persona? Are there minor variations of the same report presented in different formats without adding extra value? For example, if both a dashboard and a static report help the CFO answer “What’s our monthly revenue?”, they may not need both.
Refactor the Delivery Type
Review the Delivery Types across the existing reports. Ask whether multiple static reports could be replaced with a dynamic dashboard or whether recurring ad-hoc queries could be shifted to a self-service analytics tool. Refactoring Delivery Types not only reduces redundancy but can also significantly improve the user experience.
Group reports by Data Domain
Use the Core Business Events area of the canvas to group reports based on the underlying data they rely on. Reports drawing from the same domain, such as Customer, Orders, or Fulfilment, are strong candidates for consolidation. Grouping by data domain helps uncover when multiple reports slice the same data in slightly different ways, often adding unnecessary complexity. It also highlights opportunities to replace dozens of fragmented reports with a single, well-designed Information Product.
Document usage stats
Capture simple usage metrics for each report alongside the canvas context. Examples include how often the report is accessed, how many unique users view it, and when it was last used. This data provides evidence to support rationalisation decisions, rather than relying solely on stakeholder opinion. A report with low or no usage, even if once critical, may now be a candidate for decommissioning.
Prioritise based on Actions and Outcomes
Rationalisation should always be prioritised based on the Outcomes the reports support, not simply by the number of reports. Use the Vision Statement and Actions and Outcomes areas to rank where refactoring or consolidation will have the greatest impact. Focus first on rationalising the Information Products that directly support critical decisions, actions, or organisational goals.