When the Report Doesn’t Report: Communicating with Impact in Cost and Profitability Analytics
Intro
Picture this: I’m sitting in a boardroom with the CFO of a leading hospital group in Latin America. We’re poring over a quarterly report on oncology treatment costs, segmented by insurance type and patient profile. The document is dense with data—charts, tables, percentages. But the room is silent, save for the faint tick-tock of a wall clock.
After what feels like an eternity, the CFO looks up and says, “Pedro, I don’t get it. There are numbers everywhere, but what’s the point?”
That moment hit me hard. It wasn’t about the data being wrong—it was accurate to the decimal. The problem was that the report didn’t speak. It didn’t guide, inspire, or drive action.
Over the years, I’ve heard similar frustrations across various industries—manufacturing, fintech, retail, and so on. The issue isn’t technical precision; it’s communication. A report that doesn’t connect with its audience is just a stack of paper (or a PDF) gathering dust.
This experience led me to develop a six-part framework to transform reports from data dumps into powerful decision-making tools: Usability, Relevance, Communication, Stakeholder Focus, Visual Design, and Trustworthiness. Let’s dive into how these dimensions can make your reports not just informative, but impactful.
Guiding Questions
- Why do technically flawless reports often fail to influence critical decisions?
- How much potential revenue is lost when cost and profitability reports don’t drive action?
- What transforms a report into a tool for alignment, action, and strategy?
- How do companies that excel at impactful reporting stand out from the rest?
A 2023 McKinsey study found that ineffective reporting can cost companies up to 10% of potential revenue due to delayed or misinformed decisions. On the other hand, organizations with clear, actionable reports can reduce decision-making time by 15%, thereby boosting efficiency and financial outcomes.
3. Analytical Dimensions
1 Usability of Information: Can I Understand It Without a Translator?
A planning manager at a Latin American retail chain once told me, “If a report needs a 30-minute explanation, it’s not a report—it’s a puzzle.”
A good report should be intuitive, like a well-designed app. Yet, in over 60% of organizations I’ve worked with, users need hand-holding to act on reports. That’s a massive barrier.
Example: A consumer goods company found that 72% of its supervisors ignored their product profitability report because, frankly, they couldn’t decipher it. After adding a one-page glossary, visual cues, and a concise executive summary, report adoption jumped by 40%.
Application: Embed simple glossaries, use real-world examples to show how to apply the data, and include clear summaries. Usability is the gateway to impact—make it easy, and people will engage.
2. Business Relevance: Does It Help Me Decide Today?
A key account manager in the food industry once shared, “They send me the overall operating margin, but I need to know if I can keep our wholesale promotion running this month.”
Data only matters if it’s tied to the moment and the decision at hand. Deloitte’s 2023 report on digital finance notes that only 40% of strategic decisions leverage traditional financial reports, as they often fail to meet immediate business needs.
Example: A regional fintech revamped its dashboard to highlight just three actionable KPIs per team—impact, urgency, and deviation. The result? Decision-making speed increased by 25%, directly impacting campaign rollouts.
Application: Tailor content to the user’s role and the timing of their decisions. Focus on what’s actionable now, and cut the noise.
3. Communication Experience: What Story Are You Telling?
“I see profitability dropped. But why? And what should I do about it?”
Numbers without context are just static. A 2021 Harvard Business Review study found that reports with narrative elements—like explaining what happened, why it matters, and what’s next—help leaders grasp trends 30% faster.
Example: A manufacturing firm added short, interpretive comments to its cost report, like “Raw material costs spiked due to supply chain delays; consider supplier diversification.” This simple change cut planning cycles by two weeks.
Application: Use a storytelling structure: what changed, why it happened, the risks involved, and recommended actions. Visuals, such as trend lines or heatmaps, can make the story stand out.
4. Stakeholder Service Level God-level: Was This Made for Me?
“I get an 80-page PDF, but I only care about two tables,” a logistics director at an Andean industrial group complained.
One-size-fits-all reports are like serving a buffet to someone who just wants a sandwich. Different roles need different data, delivered in ways that fit their workflow.
Example: A U.S. healthcare network segmented its reports into three tiers—executive (2 pages), operational (10 pages), and analytical (more than 20 pages). Adoption soared by 47%, as users finally received what they needed without having to wade through irrelevant details.
Application: Design modular reports tailored to specific roles. Deliver them through preferred channels (email, app, or dashboard) to boost engagement.
5. Visual Design and Accessibility: Can I Read It on My Phone?
“If I need to boot up my laptop to view it, I’m already checked out,” a busy executive told me.
Visual design isn’t just aesthetics—it’s about accessibility. Paystand’s 2024 analytics report shows mobile-optimized reports have 30% higher open rates.
Example: A Central American telecom company switched to mobile-friendly Power BI dashboards. Weekly report usage tripled, as managers could check KPIs on the go.
Application: Ensure reports are responsive, with clear visual cues (think traffic-light colors or simple icons) and a layout that works on any device. Make it glanceable, not cumbersome.
6. Data Trustworthiness: Can I Believe What I See?
“There are three versions of the same margin figure. Which one’s right?”
When data contradicts itself, trust erodes. PwC’s 2024 Global Digital Trust Insights report found that companies with inconsistent data sources score below 60% on internal trust metrics.
Example: A global pharmaceutical company consolidated 12 overlapping reports into one unified model. Within six months, internal trust in data jumped from 58% to 85%.
Application: Establish a single source of truth with clear data lineage. Stamp each number with its source and ensure robust governance to eliminate discrepancies.
Reflection Break
Are your reports being actively used, or are they collecting digital dust in a shared drive? A great report doesn’t just inform—it guides, inspires, and empowers. The value lies not in the data alone but in how you craft the experience around it.
Try this: Audit one of your current reports. Does it check the boxes for usability, relevance, storytelling, stakeholder focus, design, and trust? Ask users for feedback. This simple exercise can reveal gaps and spark improvements that make your reports indispensable.
Conclusion and next thinking...
How you communicate matters as much as what you communicate. Profitability isn’t just about crunching numbers—it’s about telling a story that drives action.
A report isn’t just a file; it’s a chance to align teams, spark decisions, and shape strategy. For example, a European logistics firm revamped its reporting system to prioritize real-time insights into its supply chain. The result? A 15% reduction in decision-making time and a 10% boost in profit margins within a year.
When we fail to communicate with clarity and impact, we turn technical precision into missed opportunities.
So, next time you craft a report, ask yourself: Does this help someone make a better decision today? If not, it’s time to rethink your approach.
References
- Matei, S. A. (2021). Data storytelling is not storytelling with data: A framework for storytelling in science communication and data journalism.
- Heravi, B. (2025). Exploratory and explanatory features in data storytelling.
- Shao, H., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Echeverria, V., Yan, L., & Gasevic, D. (2024). Data Storytelling in Data Visualisation: Does it Enhance the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Information Retrieval and Insights Comprehension?
- Schröder, K., Eberhardt, W., Belavadi, P., et al. (2023). Telling stories with data – A systematic review.
- Lo Duca, A. (2025). Using the S-DIKW framework to transform data visualization.
- Saveljeva, J., et al. (2025). A Survey on Digital Trust: Towards a Validated Definition.
- Echeverria, V. (2021). Educational data storytelling: How can we communicate important insights into your learning dashboards?
- Strazzullo, S. (2024). Fostering digital trust in manufacturing companies.
Author
Pedro San Martín, CPA, MBA
Principal, Asher & Company x PwC
psanmartin@asheranalytics.com