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Same questions · same data

Twenty questions a director asks. Four assistants.

We asked SmartBI IQ, Claude Desktop with the Power BI MCP, the Fabric Data Agent and Power BI Copilot what a director asks in any given week. The questions were put in Spanish, and the screenshots are untranslated: these are the answers, exactly as they came out.

SmartBI IQwith Claude, by Anthropic
20 of 20

All twenty right, with charts and always saying what period it is talking about.

Claude Desktopwith the Power BI MCP, unprepared
16 of 20

Four more halfway. The same brain as IQ, with an analyst driving it.

Data Agentwith GPT-5.1
6 of 20

Four more halfway. Set up with the same glossary and the same rules as IQ.

Copilotas it ships
6 of 20

Two more halfway. It answers well when the answer is a single figure.

The same Power BI models

Sales and Results from a demo distributor, with sales through Sep 23 2026 and accounting closed through August.

The same yardstick

Every correct answer was worked out by hand, with our own queries, before asking.

No home advantage for IQ

The Data Agent has the same glossary and the same business rules as IQ. Claude Desktop got the MCP and nothing else: just the model, the way an analyst uses it. Tested on Oct 11 2026.

The everyday ones

What a director asks before a meeting.

Tap any screenshot to see it full size.

1

How are this year's sales doing against last year?

Right: +8.1%, Jan 1 to Sep 23 against the same stretch of 2025. Against all of 2025 it shows a drop that is not there.

SmartBI IQRight

+8.1%. It cut both years on the same day and showed the month by month.

SmartBI IQ answer: How are this year's sales doing against last year?
Claude DesktopRight

+8.1%, the same stretch in both years. Adds units, invoices and average ticket.

Claude Desktop answer: How are this year's sales doing against last year?
Data AgentRight

+8.1%: $614.4M against $568.4M for the same period.

Data Agent answer: How are this year's sales doing against last year?
CopilotWrong

"A year-on-year drop of around 66.4%": it compared nine months against a prior year of $1,829M.

Copilot answer: How are this year's sales doing against last year?
2

Which branch is furthest from its budget?

Right: Rosario, at 82% and $12.8M below.

SmartBI IQRight

Rosario, 81.6% and -$12.8M. Adds that GBA Norte is next.

SmartBI IQ answer: Which branch is furthest from its budget?
Claude DesktopRight

Rosario, 81.6% and -$12.8M, with the table of all eight branches.

Claude Desktop answer: Which branch is furthest from its budget?
Data AgentRight

Rosario, at 82.3%. It does not give the amount.

Data Agent answer: Which branch is furthest from its budget?
CopilotWrong

Cordoba, which is the one that most overshoots: it took the biggest gap without looking at the sign.

Copilot answer: Which branch is furthest from its budget?
3

Why isn't Rosario hitting budget?

Right: it sells 13% less than last year. Candy and Housewares are down, and customers buy less often.

SmartBI IQRight

It sells 12.9% less: eight customers that all but stopped buying, Candy -$3.1M and Housewares -$2.5M. "This is not one salesperson."

SmartBI IQ answer: Why isn't Rosario hitting budget?
Claude DesktopRight

It sells 12.9% less. The twelve customers that dropped the most add up to -$12.9M; it is not one salesperson or one month.

Claude Desktop answer: Why isn't Rosario hitting budget?
Data AgentWrong

"Rosario's budget was oversized": it blames the budget.

Data Agent answer: Why isn't Rosario hitting budget?
CopilotWrong

It compared each category's sales against the entire branch budget.

Copilot answer: Why isn't Rosario hitting budget?
4

What percentage of sales do we keep as net profit?

Right: 2.2% January to August, $11.9M on $551.6M.

SmartBI IQRight

2.2% January to August, against 2.3% for the same stretch of 2025.

SmartBI IQ answer: What percentage of sales do we keep as net profit?
Claude DesktopHalfway

The 2.2% is there, but it opens with "between 2 and 3 cents" and asks for the period.

Claude Desktop answer: What percentage of sales do we keep as net profit?
Data AgentWrong

"For every $100 we sell, around $35 is left as net profit": it took the last full year.

Data Agent answer: What percentage of sales do we keep as net profit?
CopilotWrong

"Roughly 2.7% of sales", without saying for what period.

Copilot answer: What percentage of sales do we keep as net profit?
5

How many employees do we have?

Right: that figure is not in the data. Salespeople are there, and they are a different thing.

SmartBI IQRight

"I do not have the total number of employees." It gives the 36 active salespeople, noting that is only the sales force.

SmartBI IQ answer: How many employees do we have?
Claude DesktopRight

There is no employee data. It gives the 36 salespeople, noting they are only the sales force.

Claude Desktop answer: How many employees do we have?
Data AgentWrong

"You currently have 36 active salespeople", as the answer to how many employees there are.

Data Agent answer: How many employees do we have?
CopilotRight

There is no table representing employees; it offers salespeople as a subset.

Copilot answer: How many employees do we have?
6

Sales says we sold 549 million and accounting gives a different number. Which one is right?

Right: both are right. The 549 is missing August 31; January to August, both come to $551.6M.

SmartBI IQRight

"Both numbers are right": the $548.9M is missing Monday Aug 31, which is $2.7M.

SmartBI IQ answer: Sales says we sold 549 million and accounting gives a different number. Which one is right?
Claude DesktopHalfway

It sees that both models give $551.6M through August, but it does not find where the 549 comes from and asks.

Claude Desktop answer: Sales says we sold 549 million and accounting gives a different number. Which one is right?
Data AgentWrong

It adds up every year, says accounting is the one that counts and that the 549 "is probably a partial cut".

Data Agent answer: Sales says we sold 549 million and accounting gives a different number. Which one is right?
CopilotWrong

It does not answer: it asks for the period. It only lets you add one source per question, and this one needs both.

Copilot answer: Sales says we sold 549 million and accounting gives a different number. Which one is right?

The ones that need an analyst

Project, recommend, find what is off.

7

How are we going to close the year? Do we hit budget?

Right: about $916M against $919M. It falls a little short, and the budget is weighted to the last quarter.

SmartBI IQRight

At this year's pace, ~$916M against $919M: short by about $3M. Hitting it would take +9.1% over what is left.

SmartBI IQ answer: How are we going to close the year? Do we hit budget?
Claude DesktopRight

It falls short: ~$903M against $919M, using 2025 seasonality.

Claude Desktop answer: How are we going to close the year? Do we hit budget?
Data AgentWrong

"The year is running slightly ahead of plan… we should close in line with budget or a bit better."

Data Agent answer: How are we going to close the year? Do we hit budget?
CopilotWrong

"Projected attainment 50%": it inferred an annual budget of $1,838M.

Copilot answer: How are we going to close the year? Do we hit budget?
8

What three things would you do this quarter to improve margin?

Right: levers with the company's own figures, and how much each one moves.

SmartBI IQRight

Three, with numbers: "every $10M in Housewares instead of Groceries is ~$2.5M more margin"; and the distributor discount, where one point is ~$2.5M.

SmartBI IQ answer: What three things would you do this quarter to improve margin?
Claude DesktopHalfway

Two queries hung in the MCP. It gets to one measured lever — each point of discount, ~$2.4M a quarter — and the rest stays a hypothesis.

Claude Desktop answer: What three things would you do this quarter to improve margin?
Data AgentWrong

"Raise prices where it hurts least", "prune the toxic mix": advice without looking at the data.

Data Agent answer: What three things would you do this quarter to improve margin?
CopilotWrong

General advice, without a single figure from the company.

Copilot answer: What three things would you do this quarter to improve margin?
9

Is there anything odd in recent months I should look at?

Right: the growth depends on Cordoba, Rosario has been down for months, and June and August came out flat.

SmartBI IQRight

Almost all the growth comes from Cordoba: $19.6M of $20.4M. Without Cordoba it would be +0.4%, and Rosario is down 19%.

SmartBI IQ answer: Is there anything odd in recent months I should look at?
Claude DesktopRight

Rosario down six months, Cordoba growing and offsetting, June and August flat. It also finds an inactive salesperson still selling.

Claude Desktop answer: Is there anything odd in recent months I should look at?
Data AgentWrong

"Seasonality" and "stable margins".

Data Agent answer: Is there anything odd in recent months I should look at?
CopilotWrong

"I cannot automatically detect unusual behaviour": it offers reports and looks at nothing.

Copilot answer: Is there anything odd in recent months I should look at?

And eleven more

Budget, margin, accounting, customers and products.

10

How is each branch doing against its budget this year?

Right: the company is at 98.4%, $9.7M below. Rosario alone owes $12.8M, more than the entire shortfall: without Rosario, the rest together are above target, largely thanks to Cordoba.

SmartBI IQRight

98.4%, -$9.7M. "All of that shortfall is explained by Rosario… without Rosario, the rest would be above target, largely thanks to Cordoba."

SmartBI IQ answer: How is each branch doing against its budget this year?
Claude DesktopHalfway

The table is right, but it puts both readings together: "Cordoba offsets almost all of it, and Rosario explains most of the gap."

Claude Desktop answer: How is each branch doing against its budget this year?
Data AgentHalfway

The framing is right — Cordoba up, Rosario down — but with no company total and no figures.

Data Agent answer: How is each branch doing against its budget this year?
CopilotWrong

"No branch reaches its budget: they sell between 58% and 75%": it compared nine months against the full-year budget.

Copilot answer: How is each branch doing against its budget this year?
11

What margin did we make this year by category, against the same period last year?

Right: margin is down in five categories and up in the rest.

SmartBI IQRight

All twelve categories with margin % and the change in points. Groceries is the one that drops most.

SmartBI IQ answer: What margin did we make this year by category, against the same period last year?
Claude DesktopRight

All twelve, with margin % for both years. "Groceries fell the most."

Claude Desktop answer: What margin did we make this year by category, against the same period last year?
Data AgentWrong

"The only category losing margin in pesos is Candy": in pesos, none of them lose.

Data Agent answer: What margin did we make this year by category, against the same period last year?
CopilotWrong

"Margin is lower in every category": it compared the year to date against all of 2025.

Copilot answer: What margin did we make this year by category, against the same period last year?
12

Who is the top salesperson this year?

Right: Martin Acosta, $25.3M. The next two are within 2%.

SmartBI IQRight

Martin Acosta, $25.3M. "Micaela Lopez and Federico Benitez are within $0.5M."

SmartBI IQ answer: Who is the top salesperson this year?
Claude DesktopRight

Martin Acosta, $25.28M, and it flags that the second is 1.8% behind.

Claude Desktop answer: Who is the top salesperson this year?
Data AgentRight

Martin Acosta, ~$25.3M.

Data Agent answer: Who is the top salesperson this year?
CopilotRight

Martin Acosta, $25.28M.

Copilot answer: Who is the top salesperson this year?
13

Why did net profit barely grow against last year?

Right: it came out almost the same, about $11.9M. Sales grew, but margin on sales shrank.

SmartBI IQRight

+$0.15M: sales +6.6% and gross margin +$11.0M, against selling expenses +$7.2M — from 14.1% to 14.6% of sales — plus taxes and admin, +$1.8M each.

SmartBI IQ answer: Why did net profit barely grow against last year?
Claude DesktopRight

+$0.15M January to August: selling expenses, +9.8%, are the main drag.

Claude Desktop answer: Why did net profit barely grow against last year?
Data AgentHalfway

The figures are right, but it explains almost all of it with taxes: it misses selling expenses, which weigh the most.

Data Agent answer: Why did net profit barely grow against last year?
CopilotWrong

It does not answer: it asks back which period to compare — and asks in English.

Copilot answer: Why did net profit barely grow against last year?
14

Which line of the P&L is furthest from budget this year?

Right: sales revenue, about $8M below. Cost of sales came in under plan and offsets part of it.

SmartBI IQRight

Sales revenue, -$8.2M. Cost of sales, $7.5M under plan, "offsets almost all of it".

SmartBI IQ answer: Which line of the P&L is furthest from budget this year?
Claude DesktopRight

Sales revenue, -$8.23M; cost of sales, under plan, works in our favour.

Claude Desktop answer: Which line of the P&L is furthest from budget this year?
Data AgentRight

Sales revenue, -$8.2M; everything else, much smaller.

Data Agent answer: Which line of the P&L is furthest from budget this year?
CopilotWrong

"Cost of sales, the main source of the gap": it presents what came in under plan as a problem.

Copilot answer: Which line of the P&L is furthest from budget this year?
15

Was there a month with a loss this year?

Right: February and June.

SmartBI IQRight

February -$0.53M and June -$0.85M. It explains that operations were positive and taxes and expenses ate it.

SmartBI IQ answer: Was there a month with a loss this year?
Claude DesktopRight

February and June, with both figures.

Claude Desktop answer: Was there a month with a loss this year?
Data AgentRight

February and June.

Data Agent answer: Was there a month with a loss this year?
CopilotRight

February and June.

Copilot answer: Was there a month with a loss this year?
16

How much did we sell to large customers this year?

Right: "large customers" is not defined. It has to say what it counted: wholesalers and distributors come to $389.7M.

SmartBI IQRight

"I took large customers to mean wholesalers and distributors": $389.7M. And it offers the other reading, the top 20% by purchases.

SmartBI IQ answer: How much did we sell to large customers this year?
Claude DesktopRight

"The model does not define a large customer": it gives both possible figures and asks which one they use.

Claude Desktop answer: How much did we sell to large customers this year?
Data AgentWrong

"The model has no sales loaded for the Large segment": it looked for a segment that does not exist.

Data Agent answer: How much did we sell to large customers this year?
CopilotHalfway

It says what it counted — wholesalers, $180.3M — but leaves out distributors, which are bigger.

Copilot answer: How much did we sell to large customers this year?
17

Do we sell on Sundays?

Right: there are no Sunday sales, and Saturday sells considerably less than a weekday.

SmartBI IQRight

Not one invoice issued on a Sunday. Saturday, $52.6M: less than half of Wednesday.

SmartBI IQ answer: Do we sell on Sundays?
Claude DesktopRight

There are no Sunday sales; Saturday, around half.

Claude Desktop answer: Do we sell on Sundays?
Data AgentRight

"No, we do not sell on Sundays… it runs Monday to Saturday."

Data Agent answer: Do we sell on Sundays?
CopilotRight

No sales recorded on Sundays, with the table by day.

Copilot answer: Do we sell on Sundays?
18

How much did July sales grow against July last year?

Right: +11.6%: $86.0M against $77.0M.

SmartBI IQRight

+11.6%, $86.0M against $77.0M.

SmartBI IQ answer: How much did July sales grow against July last year?
Claude DesktopRight

+11.6%, $85.96M against $77.01M.

Claude Desktop answer: How much did July sales grow against July last year?
Data AgentHalfway

"+11%", close, but it cut July on the 23rd in both years: $57.9M against $64.5M.

Data Agent answer: How much did July sales grow against July last year?
CopilotRight

+11.62%, with both figures.

Copilot answer: How much did July sales grow against July last year?
19

If I have to push one category to make more money, which one?

Right: Housewares, with the best margin — close to 40% — and enough weight.

SmartBI IQRight

Housewares: ~$40 of margin per $100, against $14 for Groceries. And where to grow: 60 stores that do not carry Housewares yet.

SmartBI IQ answer: If I have to push one category to make more money, which one?
Claude DesktopRight

Housewares: the largest margin in pesos and in percentage, and the fastest growing.

Claude Desktop answer: If I have to push one category to make more money, which one?
Data AgentWrong

Pet food, on volume: "the one that bills the most". It does not look at margin.

Data Agent answer: If I have to push one category to make more money, which one?
CopilotRight

Housewares, on total profit and margin. The figures are for all of 2025, but the conclusion does not change.

Copilot answer: If I have to push one category to make more money, which one?
20

Which products account for most of this year's sales?

Right: sales are not concentrated. The top ten are 25%, and reaching 80% takes 121 products.

SmartBI IQRight

"Very spread out": the top 10 is 25%, half comes from 39 products out of 327, and 80% from 121.

SmartBI IQ answer: Which products account for most of this year's sales?
Claude DesktopRight

Not concentrated: the top 10 is 25.2% and it takes 121 products to reach 80%.

Claude Desktop answer: Which products account for most of this year's sales?
Data AgentHalfway

The figures are right — top 10 ≈ 26% — but it concludes "sales are hyper-concentrated".

Data Agent answer: Which products account for most of this year's sales?
CopilotHalfway

The top five with their weight, right. It does not say how many products make 80%. And it answers in English.

Copilot answer: Which products account for most of this year's sales?

All four agents queried the same Power BI model. It is not set up for IQ: it is set up so that any agent can read it — measures with descriptions, the words the business uses, and the technical parts hidden. With more detailed questions, saying which period, against what and using which measure, Copilot, the Data Agent and Claude would do better than they do here. But nobody in a company asks that way: they ask the way they would ask a colleague. IQ does that work on the product side, not the user's.

The brain is Claude. IQ puts it to work for your company.

Claude Desktop, with the Power BI model and an analyst driving it, gets to almost everything: it compares like with like, projects and proposes. IQ adds what is missing for a director to use it, every day.

  • 6

    It finds the other number.The 549 million is missing August 31. Claude on its own asks for the figure; IQ finds it.

  • 10

    One reading, not two.Rosario alone owes more than the entire shortfall. Adding that Cordoba offsets it mixes two things that do not go together.

  • →

    In business words.No measure names, no technical messages in the middle.

  • →

    With charts.Month by month, the waterfall of the bottom line, attainment by branch. Nothing to build.

  • →

    For anyone in the company.Nothing to install and nothing to connect, on the phone too, with spend under control.