Business Analysts · situation guide
Identify differences, ask for evidence, and explain how accounts or measures relate.
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Two accounts may conflict, or they may describe different periods or definitions; establish which before choosing an explanation.
Vocabulary for this situation
Bring accounts into consistency
To reconcile accounts or claims is to bring them into consistency, for example by explaining apparent differences. You can state the need to reconcile them without claiming the disagreement is already resolved.
“We need to reconcile these accounts before documenting when approval starts.”
Usage note: Do not force incompatible claims into agreement without evidence.
Name an observed mismatch
Use discrepancy for a noteworthy difference, disagreement, or inconsistency between figures, records, claims, accounts, or conditions being compared; it often appears where agreement was expected, but it does not by itself identify a cause or error.
“There is a discrepancy between the two totals.”
Usage note: A mismatch does not by itself tell you which source is wrong.
Practice “discrepancy” →Keep distinct ideas separate
To conflate two things is to treat two distinct things (ideas, issues, measures, terms, people) as if they were one thing or the same thing, without keeping them apart.
“We're conflating approval time with total processing time.”
Usage note: Related measures are not necessarily the same measure.
Practice “conflate” →Communication sequence
We need to reconcile these accounts before documenting when approval starts.
There is a discrepancy between the two totals.
We're conflating approval time with total processing time.
Common mistakes
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