15/09/2026
REPORTS SHOULD LEAD TO DECISIONS.
A dashboard can be accurate, attractive and still leave a meeting without a clear next step.
Before adding another metric, ask what someone will do differently when that number changes.
If delivery times rise, who investigates? If a sales forecast drops, what decision follows? If a customer issue stays open, when does it need attention?
For each important measure, define the business question, the person responsible and the action it should support. Make the source and update time clear, too, so the team knows what it is looking at.
That gives reporting a practical purpose. It also helps teams decide which information deserves space on the screen.
When planning a reporting solution, start with the decisions people need to make during a normal working week. Then work back to the data.
Which report in your business consistently leads to action?