What Good Management Reports Actually Look Like

Most management packs are long, late, and unclear – and FDs are stuck translating raw numbers into insight.

Ask any Finance Director what their management reports look like – and you’ll usually get a sigh.

Because in most businesses, the “management pack” is:

• Delivered late
• Full of unexplained variances
• Dozens of pages long
• And barely read

Here’s how to fix that:

1. Decide what decisions you want to support

A management report isn’t just a numbers dump.

It should help someone make a decision.

Cut costs. Change direction. Hold someone accountable.

Start there – then work backward.

2. Don’t just show variances – explain them

“Spend is up 12%” is not useful.

Why is it up? What changed? What’s the likely impact?

A good report anticipates these questions and answers them up front.

3. Make it visual, short, and easy to navigate

Reports shouldn’t need explaining.

Use charts, summaries, and clear structure to reduce cognitive load.

Make sure anyone – ops, sales, board – can understand what they’re seeing.

Good reporting isn’t about more data.

It’s about better decisions.

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