Identify the audience
Identifying the audience is one of the most important steps in the report design process. It enables the report author to create a final result that can be efficiently used and will meet the needs of the report consumer.
The three broad report consumer audiences are:
Executive
Analyst
Information worker
An executive is a person who is charged with making plans and decisions that often involve a medium or long-term focus. Executives are responsible for making the business run smoothly. For example, the C-level executives at the Contoso Skateboard Store would be an executive audience.
An analyst is a person who provides guidance to the organization. Analysts can be responsible for a range of tasks, often with goals of determining the effectiveness of business strategies, developing or improving processes, or implementing change. A business analyst (or data analyst) in the sales division of the Contoso Skateboard Store is an example of an analyst audience.
An information worker is someone who uses data to help make decisions or take actions. Often, these decisions and actions are operational in that they are done on a daily basis. The inventory manager at the Contoso Skateboard Store, who needs up-to-date information about stock levels, is an example of an information worker audience.
