Are You Actually Reporting Too Much?
Let’s talk about something I see far too often: businesses drowning in reports. You’ve got spreadsheets stacked on spreadsheets, monthly reports that look like novels, and dashboards full of numbers. But here’s the real kicker—most of it goes unread. Sound familiar?
If you’ve got an endless pile of reports and no one’s actually looking at them, there’s a good chance you’re reporting too much. And believe me, this happens more than you might think. Here’s how it usually unfolds:
How Reporting Overload Starts
It starts with good intentions. Something goes wrong in the business, or there’s a new metric that seems crucial, and the answer is, “Let’s add that to the report. ”Then the next week, another thing pops up. “Add that to the report.” Week by week, this cycle repeats, and before you know it, you’ve got a monthly reporting pack as thick as an old-school phone book.
But the problem is, by the time that pack lands in front of the team, they flip through a couple of pages, glance at one or two metrics, and ignore the rest. Nothing in that report is driving decisions, and you’re left with a mountain of numbers that no one’s using.
The Cost of Reporting Too Much
When you’re reporting everything, you end up highlighting nothing. Critical insights get buried, people get overwhelmed, and the report loses its value. Not to mention the time and resources wasted on producing it. You’re not helping your team make better decisions; you’re just creating more noise.
The Trick to Effective Reporting: Less is More
Here’s where it gets real. The key to effective reporting is to pare it back—all the way back. It’s about having that tough conversation with the leadership team to identify what truly matters. Ask yourselves, “What are the key numbers that drive our business?” It could be:
- Labour utilisation
- Machine utilisation
- Sales and marketing performance
- Delivery or operations metrics
- Manufacturing throughput
Whatever the critical drivers are for your business, narrow it down to the top 5-6 metrics that actually impact performance. That’s what should be in your dashboard—nothing more.
Focus on a Dashboard, Not a Data Dump
Once you’ve identified the essentials, build a dashboard that keeps these core metrics front and centre. Everything else can be handled in ad-hoc analysis as needed. If a specific issue crops up that requires a deep dive, do that analysis outside the regular reporting cycle. But don’t let it clog up your weekly or monthly reporting pack.
The goal isto create a streamlined, high-impact dashboard that gives you and your team a clear view of the health of the business. When you’re focusing on just the keymetrics, you’re not just simplifying the report; you’re creating something thatdrives real action.
Less Data, Better Decisions
In the end,effective reporting isn’t about how much data you have; it’s about how usefulthat data is. Strip away the noise, focus on what matters, and make sure everynumber on your dashboard has a purpose. That’s how you drive smarter decisions,faster.
So, take ahard look at your reporting. Are you actually reporting too much?
