Before opening a spreadsheet, decide what question the report should answer. A stock question, an advertising question and a payment question need different records.
Name the question and the measure
Examples include which ASINs have sellable stock, which search terms received ad clicks, or which charges appear in a settlement. Write the measure beside the question so that a similar-looking column is not substituted later.
Amazon’s FBA documentation distinguishes sales, inventory, payments and other report groups. Their coverage and update timing differ. Amazon’s FBA report definitions.
Add a short report note
For each file, record:
- Source account and marketplace.
- Report name and date range.
- Retrieval date and timezone, where applicable.
- Currency and the identifiers used in each row.
- Included statuses, filters and exclusions.
- Whether a missing value is blank, unavailable or a recorded zero.
Keep the downloaded file unchanged. Work in a separate copy and retain the steps used to reach any total.
Read the total in context
A total without its scope can be misleading. Check whether cancelled items, returns, tax or shipping are included. If the file does not answer the original question, identify the additional record needed instead of relabelling the total.
End the review with a short decision note: what is known, what remains missing and what action the information supports. A chart is useful only when its reader can trace the figures back to that note.