Finance Function & CFO Advisory
Too many reports, and still unclear which numbers matter
“There are too many reports and I still do not know which numbers matter.”What owners tell us
The situation
Signs you are facing this
- Dozens of reports, nobody reads them all
- Different reports give different numbers
- Meetings argue about data instead of decisions
- KPIs change every quarter
The situation
Too many reports, and still unclear which numbers matter
Driver 1
Reports added, never removed
Each request creates a new report.
Driver 2
No single source
Numbers are pulled from different systems and dates.
Driver 3
KPIs not linked to strategy
Measures are easy to count, not important.
- 1
Diagnose
Pick the KPIs
A short list tied to how the business makes money.
- 2
Design
One source of truth
Agreed definitions and data from one place.
- 3
Embed
One-page dashboard
Trend, target and owner for each measure.
- Report inventory and clean-up
- A short list of decision metrics
- One-page management dashboard
- Owner and cadence for each metric
Common questions
How many KPIs should a business track?
Leadership usually works best with a small set, often under ten, each with a clear owner and target. Teams can track more detail below that.
What is the difference between a KPI and a metric?
Every KPI is a metric, but a KPI is one of the few that directly shows whether the business is meeting its goals.
Related situations
- “Our finance team records numbers but gives us little insight.”Finance records the numbers but gives no insight
- “Our business has grown faster than our systems.”The business has outgrown its systems
- “We need CFO-level thinking without hiring a full-time CFO.”CFO-level thinking without a full-time CFO