What Great Reporting Feels Like
Most financial reports are useless. They're accurate, comprehensive, and ignored.
Great reporting is different. It changes behavior. It drives decisions. It creates clarity.
Here's what great reporting feels like.
Good Reporting vs. Great Reporting
Good reporting: Accurate numbers, comprehensive data, delivered on time. Fills folders. Satisfies requirements.
Great reporting: Clear insights, actionable information, drives decisions. Changes behavior. Creates value.
The difference isn't accuracy or completeness. It's usefulness.
What Great Reporting Feels Like
When you see great reporting, you know it:
You understand immediately: No need to study it. No confusion. You see what's happening.
You know what to do: The report points to actions. You don't need to figure out what it means—it tells you.
You trust it: The numbers make sense. They align with what you're seeing in the business.
You use it: You reference it in meetings. You make decisions based on it. It's not just paperwork.
You want more: You wish you had more reports like this. Other reports feel inadequate.
Great reporting has these qualities because it's built for decision-making, not documentation.
The Characteristics of Great Reporting
Great reports share these traits:
Relevant: They show what matters. Not everything—just what drives decisions.
Timely: They arrive when you need them. Not too early (you forget) or too late (you've already decided).
Visual: They use charts and graphs to show patterns. Numbers are supported by visuals.
Contextual: They compare to plans, prior periods, or benchmarks. They show change, not just status.
Actionable: They point to next steps. They highlight what needs attention.
Accessible: They're easy to understand. No finance degree required.
Consistent: They follow the same format each time. You know where to find what you need.
Focused: They answer specific questions. Not everything—just what you need to know.
These characteristics make reports useful, not just accurate.
What Great Reporting Shows
Great reports focus on what matters:
Key metrics: Not every metric—just the ones that drive your business. 5-7 metrics, maximum.
Trends: Not just this month, but last month, last quarter, last year. Patterns matter more than points.
Variances: What's different from plan? What's unusual? What needs attention?
Forward-looking: Not just what happened, but what's likely to happen. Forecasts and scenarios.
Drivers: Not just results, but what drove the results. Revenue is up—why? Costs are down—how?
Comparisons: To plan, to prior periods, to benchmarks. Context makes numbers meaningful.
Highlights: What's most important? What needs immediate attention? Lead with that.
Great reports answer questions, not just present data.
The Reporting Hierarchy
Not all reports are equal. Prioritize:
Strategic reports: Monthly or quarterly. High-level view. Strategic insights. For leadership.
Operational reports: Weekly or monthly. Operational metrics. For managers and operators.
Tactical reports: Daily or weekly. Real-time data. For day-to-day decisions.
Ad-hoc reports: As needed. Specific questions. For specific decisions.
Great reporting means the right report, for the right audience, at the right time.
Building Great Reports
Great reporting requires intention:
Start with questions: What questions does this report need to answer? Build from there.
Know your audience: What does this person need to know? What will they do with this information?
Design for scanning: Put the most important information first. Use visual hierarchy.
Show comparisons: Numbers alone aren't useful. Show trends, variances, and context.
Highlight what matters: Don't make people search. Show what needs attention.
Make it actionable: What should someone do based on this report? Make that clear.
Iterate: Reports should improve over time. Ask: "What would make this more useful?"
Great reporting is designed, not generated.
The Cost of Bad Reporting
Bad reporting has real costs:
Missed opportunities: You don't see problems or opportunities because they're buried in data.
Slow decisions: You spend time analyzing reports instead of acting on them.
Wasted time: People create reports that nobody uses. Time and effort wasted.
Lost trust: When reports are confusing or wrong, people stop trusting them.
Poor decisions: Decisions based on unclear or incomplete information are often wrong.
Bad reporting costs more than it appears. The time spent creating unused reports. The decisions made without good information. The opportunities missed.
The Value of Great Reporting
Great reporting creates value:
Faster decisions: Clear information enables fast, good decisions.
Better outcomes: Decisions based on great reporting are better than decisions based on guesswork.
Aligned teams: When everyone sees the same clear picture, teams align around shared understanding.
Proactive management: Great reporting surfaces problems early, when they're easier to fix.
Strategic insights: Patterns emerge when you see data clearly. Insights drive strategy.
Great reporting pays for itself many times over.
The Bottom Line
Great reporting isn't about accuracy or completeness. It's about usefulness.
When reporting changes behavior, drives decisions, and creates clarity, it's great. When it just fills folders, it's not.
Build reports that answer questions. Design them for decision-making. Make them visual, contextual, and actionable.
Great reporting feels different. You understand it immediately. You know what to do. You use it.
Build reporting that feels great. Your business will be better for it.