Data Formatting & Units

Consistent data formatting is crucial for readability and accuracy. Adhering to these guidelines ensures our stakeholders can quickly and correctly interpret the numbers presented.

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Number Formatting

How we present numerical data can significantly impact its clarity. This section outlines the standards for formatting numbers, including decimal places, thousands separators, and rounding, to ensure consistency and prevent misinterpretation.

Decimal Places: Use a consistent number of decimal places based on the data's precision requirements. Avoid excessive decimals that don't add value

Commas: Use commas as thousands separators (e.g., 1,234,567)

Rounding Rules: Clearly define and consistently apply rounding rules (e.g., round half up)

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Time & Date Formats

Dates and times are fundamental to many of our analyses. Standardising their display eliminates ambiguity and ensures that everyone interprets temporal data in the same way, regardless of the report or dashboard they are viewing.

Consistent Display: Standardise time and date formats across all products.

For example, use DD-MM-YYYY (e.g., 01-07-2025) or a more descriptive Month YYYY (e.g., July 2025) depending on the context. Avoid ambiguous formats.

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Currency & Units

When dealing with financial or measured data, clearly indicating the currency and units of measure is essential for comprehension. This ensures stakeholders understand the scale and denomination of the values they are seeing.

Clear Indication: Always clearly indicate currency (e.g., £, €) and units of measure (e.g., 'patients', 'hours').

Scale Abbreviations: Use standard abbreviations for scale where appropriate, such as K for thousand (£10K) and M for million (£5M).