Finance and Marketing report different revenue numbers for the same month. How do you resolve it?

What the interviewer wants to hear

• Treat it as a definitions problem first
• Compare definitions: gross vs net, refunds, taxes, timezone, booking vs payment date
• Reconcile with a step-by-step bridge between the two numbers
• Check data sources and pipeline timing
• Agree on a single documented definition and owner
• Fix it in a shared semantic layer or certified dataset

Model answer

Most of the time the gap comes from different definitions, not wrong maths. I sit with both teams and write down exactly how each number is calculated: gross or net of discounts, before or after refunds and taxes, order date or payment date, which timezone, and whether test or internal orders are removed. Then I build a bridge: start from the Marketing number and add or subtract each difference until I reach the Finance number. If a gap remains, I compare the raw sources and check for late-arriving data or failed pipeline loads. Once I understand the gap, I help the teams agree on named metrics, for example "gross bookings" for Marketing and "net recognised revenue" for Finance, each with a clear owner. Finally I put the definitions in a shared semantic layer or certified dataset so dashboards stop disagreeing.

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