Aramar
  • About Aramar
    • Meet The Team
    • Working at Aramar
    • News, Blogs and Events
  • How can we help?
  • IBM Analytics
    • IBM Cognos Controller
    • IBM Planning Analytics with Watson
    • IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson
    • IBM Legacy Software Support
    • Supporting Software
  • Services
    • Product Specialists
    • IBM Software Licencing
    • Cognos Analytics Cloud Migrations
    • Training Courses
    • IFRS 16
  • Support
  • Fast Financials
  • Knowledge Share
Get in touch

Aramar Knowledge Share Documentatation

IBM Planning Analytics

  • How to: Change the display row limit in Planning Analytics for Excel
  • How to: Mapping a CSV data source directory in Planning Analytics on Cloud
  • How to: Checking whether a Dimension exists in Planning Analytics
  • How to: Change maximum login attempts to Planning Analytics on Cloud
  • How to: Mapping a Network Drive between Live and Development Environments in Planning Analytics on Cloud
  • Aramar Tips: Moving Databases in Planning Analytics
  • How to: Change a Dimension Element Weight in Planning Analytics via TI process
  • How to: Using the While statement (TI) in Planning Analytics
  • How To: Investigating issues using the TM1 Server Log
  • How to: Create Subsets driven by another Dimension in Planning Analytics
  • Aramar Tips: Creating documentation IBM Planning Analytics
  • Aramar Tips: Checking your parameters in a Planning Analytics TI Process
  • Aramar Tips: Using PowerShell in Planning Analytics
  • Fundamentals: Feeders in IBM Planning Analytics
  • Fundamentals: Cube Viewer in Planning Analytics for Excel
  • Fundamentals: DBRW in Planning Analytics

General

  • Aramar Tips: 5 Easy tips to consider when adding commentary to your financial reports 
  • Home
  • knowledge-share
  • General
  • Aramar Tips: 5 Easy tips to consider when adding commentary to your financial reports 

Aramar Tips: 5 Easy tips to consider when adding commentary to your financial reports 

You are putting together a board pack that contains lots of financial information. You’ve wrangled the numbers, added in some nice visuals, but now you have been asked to write some ‘commentary’.  As a ‘numbers’ person, adding commentary may not be one of your strengths.  Not to worry – we have put together 5 tips to help your financial commentary really tell a story.

 

1 Flag key financial information in the summary 

Reports are better when they include a summary because it provides an opportunity to flag all the key messages, including financial information. The key messages don’t need to be dealt with in any depth, but they let you know upfront what you can expect from the report, where it is heading and what it will cover. 

That may sound obvious, but some writers cover the financials in a separate section of the report.  This makes for a disjointed reading experience, and the directors are forced to spend time joining the dots. Make your commentary clear, concise, and complete. 

2 Only write financial commentary that adds value 

Adding commentary to financial information is an opportunity to explain what the data really means and why it matters to the business.  It is a waste of time to simply re-state in words what is in the table since all directors must be able to read and understand financial information.  You should be writing commentary that really gets behind the numbers. 

3 Integrate the commentary with the visuals 

Do you have several tables or other visuals (charts, graphs) to include with your financial data? Break up blocks of heavy text with your visuals as paragraphs with lots of numbers can be difficult to read and boring to look at. 

4 Use your headings to help tell the story 

Try to include insightful headings for your financial tables or graphs.  The heading doesn’t have to be mundane, and they can be used to help convey your message. For example: Profits up because custard selling well. 

5 Take a break 

When you have completed your document, take a break, and come back to it later. Read through it objectively from the directors’ point of view. What questions are they likely to ask?  What do they want to know? Good commentary is all about anticipating questions and providing intelligent answers. 

Share This Article :
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
Still stuck? How can we help?

How can we help?

Updated on July 6, 2022

Powered by BetterDocs

Aramar

We deliver expert consultancy services, supply software licences on behalf of IBM and offer training and technical support across the complete IBM Analytics suite.

Contact us today

Useful Links

  • About Aramar
  • How can we help?
  • IBM Analytics Suite
  • Services
  • Training Courses
  • Case Studies

Contact Us

0330 1242797
contactus@aramar.co.uk

Registered Address:

124 City Road,

London,

EC1V 2NX

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with industry insights and latest news

© Aramar 2022.

Terms of use Privacy Policy

Marketing by Unity Online