> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getnovaplan.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build a brief

> Go from a variance question to an executive-ready brief in a few minutes.

You spotted a number that moved. Now you need to explain it to someone who will not read a spreadsheet. A brief turns that variance into a written, board-ready document: hero KPIs, a waterfall that breaks the variance into named drivers, drill-down tables, an on-track signal, and recommendations. Every claim traces back to your real numbers. This tutorial takes you from the question to the finished brief.

<Card title="Watch the demo" icon="circle-play" href="https://getnovaplan.com/demos">
  The reporting walkthrough shows the comparison-to-brief path end to end.
</Card>

## Before you start

* A [budget version](/concepts) with a forecast or actuals to compare, and a baseline to compare it against (a locked plan, a frozen target, or actuals).
* A question worth answering, for example "why is engineering cost over plan in Q2?"

## From question to brief

<Steps>
  <Step title="Frame the comparison">
    Open **Reporting, then Comparison Center** and choose the two things you are comparing: your live forecast against the locked 2026 Plan, actuals against budget, or one scenario against another. Set the scope to match your question (a department, a parent department, an entity, or the whole company).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the variance first">
    Before generating anything, look at the comparison. The overview shows where the gap is concentrated. Confirm the variance you care about is really there and really in the scope you set, so the brief explains the right thing.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate the brief">
    From the comparison, generate the brief. Novaplan writes the narrative and builds the visuals from your real numbers: hero KPIs, the variance waterfall, drill tables, the on-track signal, and recommendations.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Read the waterfall">
    The waterfall decomposes the variance into named drivers. For a headcount cost brief, those are rate (cost per person), FTE and volume (how many people), fringe (loaded-cost surcharges), mix (the blend shifting), and FX (currency). Reading the waterfall tells you not just that cost moved, but why.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drill to confirm">
    Every headline is backed by figures you can drill into, and the brief ships with a reconciliation workbook carrying the line-by-line detail. Drill the number that matters most so you can answer the follow-up question before it is asked.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share it">
    Send the responsive web brief, or hand off the Excel workbook. Both are branded and ready for an audience.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Choose the right brief

| Brief | What it explains |
| - | - |
| **Headcount variance** | Why people cost is over or under, split into rate, FTE, volume, fringe, mix, and FX, on fully loaded cost |
| **Revenue / topline** | ARR and revenue movement against plan |
| **GL / full variance** | The whole P\&L story in one document |

Match the brief to the question. A "why is spend over budget" question usually wants the GL or full-variance brief; a "why did the team cost more" question wants the headcount brief.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Are the numbers defensible in front of the board?">
    Yes. Every figure traces to your real data, and the reconciliation workbook carries the line-by-line detail, so a reviewer can tie any headline back to its source.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A driver bucket looks like it is absorbing too much. Is that a bug?">
    Usually the variance is concentrated in a dimension the brief did not name. Drill the workbook to find where it actually lives before assuming a problem.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The headline mentions open positions. Is that the right count?">
    Confirm it is counting truly net-new unfilled roles rather than gross additions. If it looks high, drill to see which roles it included.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Nova help me read it?">
    Yes. Ask Nova to explain a driver or a figure right from the brief; it answers on the same data. See [Ask Nova](/nova/ask-nova).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What you should see

A branded web brief that opens with the verdict, decomposes the variance into named drivers, and lets any reader drill from a headline to its source, plus a reconciliation workbook for anyone who wants the line-by-line detail.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Briefs reference" icon="file-lines" href="/reporting/briefs">
    Brief types, outputs, and how to read the drivers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Comparison Center" icon="chart-line" href="/reporting/comparison-center">
    Frame the comparison your brief is built from.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>