Establish what is happening
Identify the total’s intended meaning
Record the measure definition, row and column dimensions, filters, and expected population for the total. State whether readers need a sum of displayed cells or the measure recalculated across underlying records. Those can legitimately differ, so the investigation needs an explicit reference rather than an assumed spreadsheet-style addition.
Reconcile a small source set
Choose controlled records that produce only a few pivot cells. Calculate the intended cells and total independently, retaining any overlapping identities or different group sizes. Compare those results with the report, including hidden or filtered categories that may contribute to a total even when they are not currently visible.
Locate the first semantic mismatch
Inspect whether the pivot sums pre-aggregated cells, recomputes the measure, or applies a separate total expression. Compare labels and available definitions with that behavior. If the result follows the defined rule but readers expect another calculation, keep a communication or product-contract issue separate from an incorrect aggregation implementation.
What to carry forward
End with the measure definition, intended total population, independent calculation, and first mismatch in computation or explanation. State whether the total is additive. The next owner should be able to distinguish a wrong calculation from a valid non-additive total without assuming that every visible cell can simply be added together.
Technical background: Google Cloud documentation.
Keep the decision with the work.
Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.
Create an account See the product workflow