How can you use technology to better engage stakeholders in business reporting?

1 Use data visualization

Data visualization is the art and science of presenting data in a visual form, such as charts, graphs, maps, or dashboards. Data visualization can help you communicate complex information in a simple and effective way, highlighting key insights, trends, and patterns. Data visualization can also make your reports more attractive, memorable, and persuasive, as people tend to process visual information faster and better than text. You can use various tools and platforms to create and share data visualizations, such as Power BI, Tableau, or Google Data Studio.

3 Use storytelling techniques

Storytelling techniques are methods that help you structure, narrate, and illustrate your reports in a way that captures the attention, emotion, and imagination of your stakeholders. Storytelling techniques can help you engage your stakeholders by creating a clear and compelling narrative, using relevant and relatable examples, and adding visual and audio elements. Storytelling techniques can also help you convey your message and purpose, as well as persuade your stakeholders to take action. You can use tools such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or Adobe Spark to create and deliver stories in your reports.

4 Use feedback mechanisms

Feedback mechanisms are channels that allow you to collect and respond to the opinions, questions, and suggestions of your stakeholders. Feedback mechanisms can help you engage your stakeholders by inviting them to participate, share, and collaborate in your reporting process, as well as showing them that you value and appreciate their input. Feedback mechanisms can also help you improve the quality and relevance of your reports, as you can learn from the feedback and incorporate it in your future reports. You can use tools such as SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Slack to create and manage feedback mechanisms in your reports.

5 Use automation tools

Automation tools are software applications that help you automate and streamline some of the tasks involved in creating and distributing your reports, such as data collection, analysis, formatting, or emailing. Automation tools can help you engage your stakeholders by saving you time and effort, reducing human errors, and ensuring consistency and accuracy. Automation tools can also help you optimize the frequency and timing of your reports, as you can schedule them to be delivered at the most convenient and relevant moments for your stakeholders. You can use tools such as Zapier, IFTTT, or Mailchimp to automate and integrate your reporting workflows.

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?