Business Reporting Is No Longer Static

A look at How Business Reporting has Evolved for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

If you’re finding that your business reporting practices aren’t giving you the full picture, you’re not alone. Static and traditional reporting often means delayed access to vital information, while also failing to encompass the insight you can gain from including non-traditional data sources.

The Limitations of Static Business Reporting

One of the most obvious limitations of static business reporting is that the information presented is based on a specific point in time. If reports are taking days, weeks or longer to compile then there can be significant drawbacks for executives who are reliant on information for effective decision-making.

Traditional static reports are also difficult to customize or personalise and are typically presented in a fixed format, which offers limited ability to drill down into information or re-present information in different ways. This lack of interactivity and inability to manipulate data in real-time, hinders deeper understanding of the information presented.

Periodically produced, static business reports are generally focused on predefined metrics. While this may have been enough information when the reports were originally set up, its likely that as a business evolved and grew, the reports available and design of those reports didn’t, resulting in large gaps in the readers ability to understand business performance.

Static reporting systems may also face scalability challenges with increasing volumes of data and expanding reporting requirements putting a strain on traditional reporting tools, leading to performance issues.

The High Resource Needs of Traditional Business Reporting

Maintaining traditional, static business reporting systems can be costly and resource-intensive. As new data sources are brought into the company’s reporting eco-system, there is an associated consulting cost to integrate that data with the existing business reporting protocols.

The addition of new data sources can require significant effort as well as changes to the format of existing reports.

The Impact of Delayed Access to Vital Business Information

Delayed access to crucial business information can result in missed business opportunities and reduced competitiveness. Making decisions based on outdated or incomplete data, increases the risk of making less than ideal choices that could impact the company’s performance and competitiveness.

Effective strategic planning relies on up-to-date information, while in industries where customer expectations are high, delayed access to information can impact customer service.

For businesses involved in manufacturing or distribution, delays in accessing critical information can disrupt the supply chain, which can lead to inefficiencies, increased costs, and the potential for negative customer impact.

Delayed access to information can also pose compliance risks where timely reporting and adherence to regulatory guidelines are an essential part of doing business.
In the back office, if you’re making employees spend more time searching for data or working with outdated information, the inefficiencies can impact overall workplace morale.

Navigating the Digital Landscape: A Paradigm Shift in Business Reporting

ERP Technologies Are Transforming Analytics For Smaller Businesses

ERP systems such as NetSuite, which have incorporated generative AI-powered capabilities into their reporting tools, help users across your organisation to leverage company-specific, relevant, data, resulting in content that is contextual and personalised.

Embedded AI tools, such as Text Enhance, can help finance and accounting teams to close the books faster, and focus on more strategic and fulfilling work by accelerating time-consuming administrative tasks like writing personalised collection letters and generating summaries and narratives for financial reports.

These are just 2 examples of how reporting has evolved within a business management system, yet there are so many more reporting tools within both the NetSuite and MYOB Acumatica systems, such as; the ability to use past data to forecast, review live data, drill into reports, active or dynamic dashboards for executives and other employees to start their day with.

Embracing Dynamic Reporting Approaches for a Comprehensive View

Adopting flexible and real-time methods of gathering, analysing, and presenting business data harnesses the benefits of agility, interactivity, and responsiveness in the face of an ever-evolving business landscape.

Dynamic reporting enables users to customise reports to focus on specific metrics, adjust parameters, and explore different dimensions of data. Unlike static reports, end users can drill down into data, explore details, and interact with visualisations.

Businesses can integrate data from non-traditional data sources such as social media, customer feedback, or emerging market trends. By incorporating diverse datasets, businesses gain a more comprehensive and holistic view of their operations and external factors impacting their industry. Visually intuitive representations make it easier for users to grasp complex information quickly, facilitating more informed decision-making.

Modern dynamic reporting tools found in ERP systems such as NetSuite, often include collaborative features that enable teams to work together in real-time and are completely capable of scaling with the growing needs of the business. Whether it’s an increase in data volume or reporting complexity, dynamic approaches can handle the demands of a rapidly expanding organization without compromising performance.

The Value of Non-Traditional Data Sources in Business Reporting

Non-traditional data sources are used to enrich analyses of traditional data, providing early insight and more nuanced understanding of your business operations.

Non-traditional data sources might include geospatial data from mobile devices and social media check-ins, or might use tracking data from IoT devices, weather patterns, or social media discussions related to specific products, which can enhance forecasting accuracy and help in mitigating potential disruptions.

Rapidly evolving technology, complex data sources, and demand for real-time insight leaves traditional, static business reporting practices out in the cold.

Adapting Reporting Practices to Enhance Business Agility

The rise of big data, and growing importance on data visualisation emphasizes the need for modern reporting solutions that can leverage advanced analytics, machine learning, and interactive dashboards to provide actionable insight while allowing users to explore data in-depth and adapt to changing business requirements.

Traditional business reporting wasn’t designed for today’s fast-paced and data-driven world, resulting in an increasing gap between the information being presented to executives and their ability to make effective decisions from that information.

As the business landscape continues to evolve, staying competitive and making informed decisions means shifting away from traditional static, periodic reporting methods, and embracing contemporary reporting practices that are better equipped to handle the demands of the digital age.