IBM Controller Disclosure Management: bringing the numbers and the story together
You’ve completed your consolidation in IBM Controller. The numbers are all ready. Now you need to turn them into a report that explains what they mean.
That final stage tends to involve moving figures into word or adobe, adding commentary, and checking that everything still matches when the numbers change. IBM Controller Disclosure Management (DM) is being developed to bring those steps closer together.
Let’s consider what DM could mean for your reporting process and what to expect from this initial phase of release.
What is Disclosure Management?
DM is a new tool within IBM Controller for last mile reporting: bringing financial results and written commentary together in a reporting pack for external or statutory disclosure.
The idea is straightforward. You’ll be able to build reports using numbers from Controller, then write and format the accompanying text alongside them. That could reduce the time spent copying figures into Word and checking them again every time something changes.
DM is tied to IBM Controller 11.2, released in September 2026, and subsequent versions. It is a new part of the Controller offering, so it’s useful to look at what IBM plans for the initial release separately from the possibilities it is considering for later.
What can you expect initially?
DM will call reports projects. Within a project, you’ll be able to combine Controller data with text entered through a browser-based editor.
IBM has chosen a text editor rather than building the experience around Microsoft Word. This gives its development team more scope to shape how users work with commentary as DM develops.
Variables are another part of the planned experience. They let you place values within your written commentary, so you don’t have to type every figure or detail manually.
- Global variables for information you may want to use across reports, such as an auditor’s name.
- Project variables for figures drawn from Controller, such as operating profit or net assets, which can update as the source data changes.
- Custom variables for calculations configured within a particular project, such as a profit percentage.
The first release is also expected to support assigning users to sections of a project with contributor, reviewer or approver roles. That matters when several people are responsible for producing and signing off a report: each person can work on their part, and the commentary can move through review before the report is complete.
For now, IBM Controller will be DM’s only data source. The planned output formats are PDF, HTML and Word, with an Adobe InDesign option for teams that need more extensive design work on the finished report.
PowerPoint output isn’t in the initial scope. IBM’s current focus is reporting for an external or statutory audience, rather than management presentations. However, PowerPoint, a chart engine, side-by-side version comparisons and iXBRL are among the areas IBM may consider as DM develops.
Why are we interested?
And we are very interested. If you use Controller, you already know how much work goes into getting group results right. Producing the final report is another substantial job, especially when figures and commentary have to be kept in step across different files.
Disclosure Management has the potential to make that last stage much easier to manage. It adds a way to bring the narrative together with the consolidated results, building on the reporting process you already have in Controller.
It’s early days, but we are very excited and are looking forward to trialling it. If you could benefit from quicker and more accurate financial reporting, you can email us or get in touch via the form below.