1. Issue
Management Reporting is defined as that part of the overall company information system that delivers all necessary details to managers at all levels for their decision making. This means:a) Decisions along the management cycle
The first issue therefore is to define which information is necessary to plan, to measure and to adapt by way of corrections. The single elements of this information are called indicators in order to distinguish them from the underlying basic data.
b) Doable indicators
Doable means in the first place that the basic data must be available to calculate the desired indicators. In the next step efficiency criteria must be applied: the collection of the basic data and loading of them into the system must be doable with a reasonable effort and at the desired time. The screening with efficiency criteria often requires elimination of some desired indicators.c) “Human” presentation
Managers have to be able to read, digest and understand the indicators rapidly and in a holistic way. The way the indicators are presented can help greatly but can also be quite misleading. This is especially evident for graphs. “Holistic” means having an integrated view of indicators; most managers do not influence directly monetary indicators but technical ones. As a consequence a management reporting has to be a mix of monetary and technical indicators.d) Relevance
The decisive question is always the one each manager has to answer for himself: “Do I reach better decisions if I find the desired indicators in the report?”2. Potential Consulting Scope
- Audit of an existing Management Reporting
- Definition of projects to develop a new or to adapt an existing Management Reporting
- Project management
- Coaching of an internal project team
- Training of management teams in the use of a Management Reporting