What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Helen Marsden's priority was the arrears groupings in the board pack, which still do not match the housing system. She said data is current but grouped differently. The export question is with Craig, not her.
What happened: Elena Novak ran the 13 Mar 2026 check-in with Helen. The main issue was a field-level mapping of the arrears groupings, with one open ticket tied to it.
Customer view: Helen separates freshness from grouping and does not want it logged as a freshness issue. She wants one written answer, not different replies from a ticket and a call.
Commercial: Helen's finance team asked whether invoices match the order form. Elena said the contracted and invoiced amounts agree and offered a statement.
Watch: Craig asked about exporting derived data and holds that decision. Helen said she is not driving it, but wants the board pack protected first.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Elena Novak to send the written actions today as one note replacing any earlier reply.
- BB-Demo to produce a field-level arrears mapping showing source system and field for each grouping.
- Elena Novak to correct the ticket category and confirm Amara is arranging the analyst session.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- The arrears groupings still do not reconcile with the housing system, and the board will ask.
- Conflicting replies from the ticket and the calls could erode Helen's confidence.
- The export question sits with Craig and the in-house direction, outside Helen's control.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- A clear field-level mapping would give Helen a defensible board pack.
- A session for analysts could widen use beyond the small group who build the pack.
Transcript
- Elena Novak NoneGood morning, Helen. Can you hear me clearly?
- Helen Marsden NoneGood morning, Elena. Yes, loud and clear. Can you hear me?
- Elena Novak NoneI can, thank you. Before we begin, to confirm the agenda I emailed yesterday. There are four items. One, the three open tickets. Two, the arrears reconciliation that was discussed on Tuesday. Three, the nightly refresh and the state of the data. Four, next steps, with written actions. Is that still what you would like to cover?
- Helen Marsden NoneYes, that's fine. Although I'll start with the second one, if you don't mind, because it's the one that's keeping me awake. The arrears figures in section four of the board pack still don't reconcile. The groupings from the brain are different from the housing management system, and the board will ask.
- Elena Novak NoneOf course. I read the notes from Tuesday, so I know that Amara took an action to trace the mapping. I was not on that call, so please tell me if I have misunderstood something.
- Helen Marsden NoneNo, that's right. The action was a written mapping, with the field names, from our team's source to each arrears grouping. I haven't seen it yet, and I don't expect it so soon. I'm not chasing for that. I'm telling you what the pack needs, so it's clear.
- Elena Novak NoneThank you, that is helpful. To confirm, what the pack needs is the mapping at field level, not a description. I will make sure that is written on the action.
- Helen Marsden NonePlease. And it needs to say which source each grouping comes from. Can you show me the source? That's what I asked on Tuesday, and I'll keep asking until I can put it in front of the board.
- Elena Novak NoneUnderstood. I will ask our team that the mapping shows the source system and the field for each grouping. I do not want to give you a date before I have checked with them, because I would rather say nothing than say something I cannot keep.
- Helen Marsden NoneI appreciate that. It's better than a date that moves.
- Elena Novak NoneLet me take the tickets now, if that is acceptable, and then come back to it. There were three tickets in the last month, and none of them were high priority. Could you tell me which of them are still live for you?
- Helen Marsden NoneThe arrears one is live. The others I think are closed, or close to it. Honestly, my team raises tickets when something is in the way of the pack, and otherwise we just get on. So three in a month is about right for us.
- Elena Novak NoneThat is useful. So the position is that two are resolved from your side and one is open, and the open one is the same question as the reconciliation. Is that a fair summary?
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's fair. Yes.
- Elena Novak NoneGood. I will note that the ticket and the action are one piece of work, so that it is not answered twice in two different ways.
- Helen Marsden NonePlease do. That's actually what worries me most. I get one answer from the ticket and another from a call, and then I'm the one who has to explain it.
- Elena Novak NoneI understand. I will send one written note, and it will be the single source for that question. I will say clearly in the note that it replaces any earlier reply.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you. That helps a lot.
- Elena Novak NoneNow the third item, the nightly refresh. From what I can see, records indexed are still moving, which means the data is updating each night. Have you noticed anything stale in the morning, before you open the pack?
- Helen Marsden NoneNot stale, no. The numbers are there when we open it. My problem isn't that the data is old, it's that it's different. That's why I keep separating the two.
- Elena Novak NoneThank you, that is an important distinction, and I will write it that way. The brain is available and the data is current, and the question is how it is grouped. Those are separate matters.
- Helen Marsden NoneExactly. I don't want it logged as a freshness issue, because it isn't, and then someone looks in the wrong place for a week.
- Elena Novak NoneAs agreed, I will make sure that it is recorded as a grouping question. I will also check the ticket category, because I think it may have been filed under another heading.
- Helen Marsden NoneIt may well have been. I selected whatever was closest at the time.
- Elena Novak NoneThat is quite normal. I will correct it on our side, so that it does not have to trouble you.
- Helen Marsden NoneElena, can I ask you something a bit separate? Our finance team asked me whether what we're invoiced matches what was agreed in the order form. It's routine, I think, they just want it confirmed. Is that something you can speak to?
- Elena Novak NoneI can speak to what I see. To confirm, the contracted amount and the invoiced amount agree, at forty-four thousand a year on the Growth tier, and I see nothing overdue. If your finance team would like a statement, I will ask our finance team to send one. I will not give you a date until I have checked with them.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's all they need. A statement, whenever it comes. There's no urgency, I just like things to be tidy.
- Elena Novak NoneUnderstood. Tidy is my preference also. I will add it to the written actions.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you. Now, the other thing. You'll have seen from the notes that Craig asked about exporting derived data on Tuesday.
- Elena Novak NoneYes, I have read it. As I understand it, the tables the brain builds sit in your own Snowflake account, and your team can use them directly. For the saved pages, the dashboards and the question history, our implementation team is to confirm in writing what can be exported and in what format.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's my understanding too. I'd just say, from my side, I'm not driving that. It's Craig's direction, and it's his decision. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But if something is going to change, I'd like the board pack to be the first thing we protect.
- Elena Novak NoneThat is clear, and I will make sure that I do not blur the two. The export question goes to Craig as the decision-maker. The arrears reconciliation goes to you, because it is your pack.
- Helen Marsden NoneYes, thank you. Keep them apart.
- Elena Novak NoneI will. May I ask a question about usage, in a friendly way? The numbers show about six people active on a typical day, which is a little lower than last quarter. You have forty licences. I only wish to understand if that matches what you expect.
- Helen Marsden NoneIt matches. It's the same small group, the people who build the pack. I did mention on Tuesday that a couple of analysts would benefit from a proper session, and Amara offered to arrange one.
- Elena Novak NoneYes, I saw that in the notes. I will not duplicate it. I will confirm with Amara that she is arranging it, so that you hear from only one person.
- Helen Marsden NoneGood. I'd be a bit lost if two of you rang me about the same thing.
- Elena Novak NoneThat would not be useful. To confirm, I will check with Amara, and she will contact you directly about the session.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you. Can I ask what happens to the questions we've already asked, the history? If the analysts start using it directly, will their questions sit alongside mine?
- Elena Novak NoneAs I understand, each user's questions are recorded against that user, and the whole history is available to the account. I will check this with our team before I answer in writing, because I do not want to describe it wrongly.
- Helen Marsden NoneFair enough. It's not urgent, I just want to know before we start.
- Elena Novak NoneUnderstood. I will add it as a small question to the note.
- Helen Marsden NoneElena, while I have you. Is there anything on your side you'd want from us? Anything that would help you?
- Elena Novak NoneThat is kind of you to ask. Yes, one thing. If the arrears tables in the housing management system have a field definition document, or a data dictionary, it would help our team to build the mapping correctly the first time. Do you have such a document?
- Helen Marsden NoneWe do, more or less. It's not pretty, but the BI team keeps one. I can send it over today.
- Elena Novak NoneThat would be very helpful. Thank you. To confirm, I will give it to the team as soon as I receive it.
- Helen Marsden NoneI'll send it this afternoon. I'll mark which sections apply to the arrears table, so nobody has to read the whole thing.
- Elena Novak NoneThat is considerate, thank you. It will save time.
- Helen Marsden NoneIs there anything else on your list?
- Elena Novak NoneOnly the next check-in. I would suggest we speak again after you have had the written mapping, so that we can go through it together. Would that suit you?
- Helen Marsden NoneThat suits me. I'd rather go through it once the mapping is in front of me, not before. Otherwise we're just guessing.
- Elena Novak NoneAgreed. I will propose a time once I have confirmed when the mapping is ready. I will not suggest one before then.
- Helen Marsden NoneGood. One more thing, and then I'll let you go. I know I come across as persistent.
- Elena Novak NoneI would not use that word. I would say precise. It is helpful for me, because I know exactly what you need.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's kind. It's just that the board doesn't accept an explanation without the figures, so neither can I.
- Elena Novak NoneI understand completely. Then let me read back the written actions, so that we both have the same list. One, a field-level mapping of the arrears groupings, with source system and field, from our team to you. Two, the ticket and the action treated as one piece of work, with a single written reply. Three, the question category corrected on our side. Four, a statement from our finance team for your finance colleagues, with no date given until I have checked with them. Five, confirmation from Amara about the analyst session. Six, a written answer on how questions are recorded per user. Seven, from you, the data dictionary, with the relevant sections marked.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's all of it. Seven, yes. I'll send mine this afternoon.
- Elena Novak NoneThank you. I will send these in writing today, so that you have them in your inbox rather than relying on my memory or yours.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat'd be good. I do find it easier to forward an email than to describe a call.
- Elena Novak NoneOf course. If anything in the email is not as you remember, please tell me, and I will correct it.
- Helen Marsden NoneI will. Thanks, Elena. Is that us, then? We're a bit under time.
- Elena Novak NoneI think so. Unless there is something else you would like to raise now, I am happy to end here.
- Helen Marsden NoneNo, that's everything. It's been more useful than I expected, to be honest. I came in thinking I'd be going over the same ground again.
- Elena Novak NoneI am glad. I will make sure that the written note reflects what we agreed, nothing more and nothing less.
- Helen Marsden NonePerfect. Kind regards to your team, and thank you again.
- Elena Novak NoneThank you, Helen. Kind regards. Goodbye.
- Helen Marsden NoneGoodbye.