Frequently Asked Questions

Lumina Consulting offers specialized Business Intelligence services for SMEs: strategic dashboards in Power BI and Streamlit, reporting automation with Python, HR Analytics (People Analytics), automated competitive analysis, and corporate training. All services are designed to transform scattered data into measurable strategic decisions.

The cost of a Power BI dashboard varies based on project complexity. A basic dashboard with 3-5 visualizations starts around $1,000 USD, while enterprise solutions with multiple data sources and complete automation can exceed $4,000 USD. We offer a free initial evaluation to provide an accurate quote based on your specific needs.

A custom dashboard typically takes 2 to 6 weeks, depending on complexity. Simple projects with structured data can be completed in 2 weeks. Complex projects with multiple data sources, ETL transformations, and team training require 4-6 weeks. We always provide a detailed timeline before starting.

Yes, we work with companies throughout Latin America. We have experience with clients in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Meetings are held via video call and all work is delivered remotely. The minimal time zone difference facilitates smooth communication with teams in the region.

Lumina Consulting combines strategic business vision with real technical execution. Founder Jorge Cepeda has an MBA from UC Chile, is a Data Analytics professor at Universidad de los Andes, and holds Microsoft Power BI certification (PL-300) plus 15 years of financial control experience at Grupo Security. This combination enables identifying the right KPIs, not just creating pretty dashboards.

Yes, all projects include a 30-day post-implementation support period. During this time, we answer questions, adjust visualizations, and ensure the team can use the tools independently. We also offer monthly support plans for ongoing maintenance and new implementations.

Power BI is Microsoft's Business Intelligence platform that allows you to create interactive dashboards and visual reports from multiple data sources. It transforms raw data into understandable visual information, enabling managers and teams to make decisions based on real-time updated data, without relying on manual Excel reports.

For SMEs, Power BI is generally the best option for three reasons: lower licensing cost (from $10 USD/user/month), native integration with Excel and Microsoft tools they already use, and greater availability of trained professionals in the market. Looker is more suitable for companies with mature data teams and enterprise budgets.

Yes, Power BI connects to virtually any ERP on the market. It has native connectors for SAP, Oracle, Dynamics, and other popular systems. It can also connect to SQL databases, Excel files, Google Sheets, and REST APIs. The integration allows automatic data updates without manual intervention.

For an effective dashboard, you need at least 6-12 months of historical data, clarity on the KPIs you want to measure, and access to data sources (ERP, CRM, Excel, etc.). You don't need perfect data to start; part of the process includes cleaning and structuring the information. The most important thing is defining what decisions you want to make with the data.

The refresh frequency depends on your needs and Power BI license. With a Pro license, data can be updated up to 8 times per day automatically. With a Premium license, updates can be near real-time. For most SMEs, a daily morning refresh is sufficient for making informed decisions.

Yes, Power BI has free mobile apps for iOS and Android. Dashboards automatically adapt to phone screen size. You can also set up alerts that notify you when a KPI exceeds a certain threshold, allowing you to monitor your business from anywhere without constantly opening the app.

HR Analytics (also called People Analytics) is the use of data and analytical techniques to improve human resources decisions. It includes analysis of turnover, engagement, performance, compensation, and recruitment. It enables moving from intuition-based decisions to evidence-based decisions, reducing turnover costs and improving productivity.

The most valuable metrics include: voluntary and involuntary turnover rate, average time to hire, cost per hire, engagement index (if you have surveys), salary distribution and equity, overtime by department, absenteeism, and performance by team. A good HR dashboard cross-references these metrics to identify patterns and problems before they escalate.

Turnover prediction uses statistical models that analyze factors like tenure, raise history, management changes, overtime, and climate survey results. With 2-3 years of historical data, we can identify patterns that precede resignations. This allows proactive intervention with at-risk employees, reducing replacement costs that can exceed 150% of annual salary.

For SMEs, HR Analytics reduces turnover costs (which can be 50-200% of annual salary per employee), optimizes hiring processes by identifying more effective sources, improves retention by detecting problems early, and enables data-driven compensation decisions based on market data. Companies with 50-200 employees see ROI within 6-12 months.

Not necessarily. If you already have data in your HR system or even Excel, we can create HR Analytics dashboards in Power BI without investing in additional software. For larger companies, specialized platforms like Visier or Workday Analytics exist, but for SMEs, Power BI connected to your existing sources is the most cost-effective option.

The most common processes to automate are: periodic report generation (daily, weekly, monthly), data consolidation from multiple sources, automatic email report sending, dashboard updates, data extraction from legacy systems, and competitor price monitoring. If a process repeats more than once a week and follows clear rules, it can probably be automated.

Typical savings are 70-90% of time spent on manual reporting. A report that takes 4 hours weekly of manual preparation can be reduced to minutes with automation. In concrete terms, we've helped teams recover 15-20 hours weekly that they previously spent copying data between systems and formatting Excel reports.

RPA (Robotic Process Automation) uses robots that mimic human actions on graphical interfaces, ideal for systems without APIs. Python scripts interact directly with databases and APIs, being faster and more robust. For SMEs, we generally recommend Python because it's more maintainable, economical, and flexible. RPA is better when you need to automate legacy systems without access to underlying data.

No, automation frees employees from repetitive tasks so they can focus on higher-value work. In our experience, teams that automate reporting can dedicate more time to analysis, strategy, and customer service. Automation complements human work, it doesn't replace it. The goal is to eliminate tedious tasks, not people.

Yes, it's one of the most common use cases. We can create a process that automatically extracts data from your sources, generates the report in Excel with the format you need, and sends it by email to the right recipients at the scheduled time. The process can include validations to alert you if there's anomalous data before sending.

The process has 5 stages: (1) Free diagnosis where we understand your needs and available data, (2) Proposal with scope, timeline, and budget, (3) Design where we define KPIs and dashboard structure, (4) Development with incremental deliveries for your feedback, (5) Training and delivery with documentation. The entire process includes constant communication via WhatsApp or email.

No, you don't need technical knowledge. We handle all the technical parts. What we do need from you is clarity about what decisions you want to make with the data, access to information sources, and availability for feedback meetings (typically 1-2 hours weekly during the project). We design solutions that your team can use without programming knowledge.

Jorge Cepeda, founder of Lumina Consulting, is the main point of contact on all projects. Unlike large consultancies where they assign a junior, here you work directly with a professional with an MBA from UC Chile and 15 years of experience. This ensures that design and prioritization decisions are made with real strategic business vision.

Yes, we work with an iterative methodology. We typically make partial deliveries every 1-2 weeks so you can see progress, provide feedback, and request adjustments. This ensures the final result is exactly what you need, without surprises. We use collaborative tools where you can see the dashboard in development at any time.

Yes, all projects include training. We conduct hands-on sessions where your team learns to navigate the dashboards, interpret visualizations, and use filters to answer their own questions. We also provide written documentation and recorded videos for future reference. Training ensures the tool is used effectively after we leave.

We use market-proven technologies: Power BI for enterprise dashboards, Streamlit and Python for custom data web applications, SQL for databases, REST APIs for integrations, and cloud tools like Azure and AWS. We select technology based on project needs, not personal preference. We prioritize solutions that your team can maintain long-term.

Yes, security is a priority. We sign confidentiality agreements (NDA) before accessing data. We work in secure environments with controlled access. We don't store client data after completing the project. For sensitive data, we can work in your own infrastructure. We follow information security best practices and comply with data protection regulations.

Yes, we work with both models. We can connect to databases in Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, or on-premise servers in your office. Power BI has connectors for both scenarios. If you have security restrictions that prevent taking data to the cloud, we can implement completely on-premise solutions with Power BI Report Server.

That's normal and we handle it. Part of our process includes data cleaning and structuring (ETL). We identify inconsistencies, missing values, duplicates, and incorrect formats. We create transformation processes that automatically clean data for future analysis. In fact, many projects start with messy data and end with a solid structure for ongoing analysis.

Jorge Cepeda has over 15 years of experience in financial control and management at Grupo Security, one of Chile's leading financial holdings. He holds an MBA from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, is an Advanced Data Analytics Professor at Universidad de los Andes, and has the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification (PL-300). This combination of corporate, academic, and technical experience enables delivering solutions with real strategic vision.

Yes, founder Jorge Cepeda holds the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate (PL-300) certification. This certification validates competencies in data preparation, modeling, visualization, and analysis in Power BI. It's Microsoft's official certification for Business Intelligence professionals and guarantees up-to-date platform knowledge.

We have experience across multiple industries: retail (store networks and sales analysis), automotive (dealerships and technical services), healthcare (clinics and medical centers), financial services, real estate, and technology companies. This diversity allows us to apply cross-industry best practices and adapt proven solutions to new contexts.