How do you create network reports that management will love?

1 Know your audience

Before you start creating your network report, it's important to understand who will read it and what they care about. Different audiences may have different expectations, goals, and preferences for the format, content, and level of detail of your network report. Thus, to tailor your network report to your audience, you should identify the purpose and objectives of the report, define the scope and frequency of it, and choose the appropriate format and style. Specifically, consider what main questions or issues your network report should address, what desired outcomes or actions it should support, how much data and how long of a period it should cover, and how often you should generate and update it. Additionally, think about how you will deliver your network report to your audience - will you use a document, a presentation, a dashboard or a combination? And consider how you will organize, structure, label your network report as well as use visuals, colors, fonts and icons to enhance it.

2 Collect and analyze your data

Once you have identified your audience and their needs, it is essential to collect and analyze the data that will support your network report. Depending on the type and scope of your report, different tools and methods may be required to gather and process the data, such as network monitoring and management tools (SNMP, Ping, Traceroute, Nmap, Nagios) for measuring and tracking network performance, availability, and utilization; network security and compliance tools (Firewall, IDS, IPS, VPN, NAC) for detecting and preventing threats, vulnerabilities, and breaches; or network documentation and reporting tools (Visio, Excel, PowerPoint, Tableau) for organizing, visualizing, and exporting data. When collecting and analyzing data you should make sure it is accurate and reliable by verifying sources, methods, timestamps and checking for errors or outliers. It is also important to apply relevant filters or criteria to the data while performing necessary calculations such as averages or trends. Finally, look for key insights or patterns from the data that show the most significant results or changes while highlighting any anomalies or opportunities.

3 Present and explain your findings

After you have collected and analyzed your data, you need to present and explain your findings to your audience. This is where you can demonstrate your value and achievements through your network report. To present and explain your findings, you should use clear and concise language that is easy to comprehend. Visuals and graphics can help illustrate the data in a way that is readable and understandable. Additionally, stories and narratives should be used to connect with the audience, helping to explain the context, background, and implications of the data while highlighting the challenges, solutions, and successes of your network projects and activities.

4 Provide recommendations and actions

The final step of creating your network report is to provide recommendations and actions based on your findings. To do this effectively, it's important to align your recommendations and actions with your purpose and objectives, while also prioritizing them according to importance, urgency, and impact. Additionally, you should justify your recommendations and actions with evidence and logic, providing the reasons, benefits, and risks of each recommendation or action as well as the data, facts, and examples that back up your claims. With these steps taken into account, you can influence your audience and persuade them to take the next steps or make the decisions that you want.

5 Solicit feedback and improvement

The last tip for creating network reports that management will love is to solicit feedback and improvement from your audience. This is a great way to demonstrate your professionalism and commitment to continuous learning and improvement. To do this, you should ask for feedback and suggestions from your audience, acknowledging and appreciating their input. Additionally, you should review and evaluate the feedback and suggestions, making any necessary changes or updates to your network report. Doing this will show respect for your audience's time and attention, while also ensuring that your report is up-to-date and accurate.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?