6 simple steps to successful project reporting? It can be done!

By Rita Hassani Idrissi

Published: November 13, 2024

Project reporting, also known as project reports, plays an essential role in project management. They enable you to communicate on the progress of your projects, schedules and budget, while giving you an overall view of your activity.

For these reports to be relevant, it is essential to define the information to be included at the outset of the project. However, if a change occurs during the course of the project, your entire plan is likely to change, and you're likely to lose time.

Fortunately, thanks to analytical software and various reporting tools, it is now very easy to monitor, modify and analyze your project reporting in real time.

We support you in the creation of your project reporting in 6 key steps, accompanied by essential tools and ready-to-use Excel templates.

See all software Project Management

Project reporting: definition

What is activity reporting?

Project reporting, also known as activity reporting, is a tool for periodically taking into account the various performance indicators of a project. It therefore contains a set of data and information that have been collected, sorted and presented in a clear manner so that they can be analyzed and exploited.

This information can be presented in a variety of ways:

diagrams (Gantt chart, Kiviat chart, etc.),
pie charts,
bar charts,
tables (e.g. Kanban), etc.

The relevance of this information, as well as the way it is used and presented , is more than essential to good project reporting. Since the aim of this reporting is to :

facilitate communication of quantified results ,
promote project progress monitoring,
present a clear and relevant global vision of the project,
materialize data and make them comprehensible.

What are the differences between reporting and dashboarding?

Reporting and dashboards are quite similar in form, but the main difference lies in their purpose.

👉 Reporting processes and exploits raw data that project managers have previously sorted.

👉 The dashboard, on the other hand, analyzes the data and transforms it into concrete information to facilitate decision-making.

How do you create a project report?

1 - Define audience objectives

The first stage of reporting is the most important: if the information presented is not appropriate, the whole report will be distorted and unsuitable. You need to ensure that your report contains exactly the information you want, no more, no less.

👉 Ask yourself: what message do we want to convey?

💡 For example, if your reporting concerns a sales project, you need to define the project group's objectives and the target's needs upstream. To do this, you can get in touch with the sales team, who will be able to define clear sales objectives and relevant sales KPIs.

2 - Collect the right data

Now that you know what type of data to collect and for whom, you need to collect it. To do this, you can use ETL software, which extracts, transforms and processes your data to extract only the relevant information.

Although these tools are very effective, they are not always sufficient. Don't hesitate to ask around, and don't limit your field of research.

👉 Compare the data collected with the reality of your activities. This may enable you to delete unnecessary data, or add new ones.

💡 Using the same example as above, present the data collected to your sales team. You'll be able to get relevant feedback, which will enable you to adapt the report as best you can before going any further. Working together will help you build a better report.

3 - Converting data into information

To make the report clearer and more comprehensible to employees, this data needs to be transformed into concrete information.

💡 For example, several sales figures spread over a period X, can be presented by a percentage of evolution or decrease, or even by a diagram.

In fact, displaying a whole list of figures without giving any guidelines won't be relevant to the reader, whereas giving a clear percentage will show him directly whether sales are falling or rising, making him more responsive in his decision-making.

👉 Finally, avoid overloading the report with data. Too much information could confuse the reader, who may not continue reading or may feel lost. Focus only on essential information.

4 - Add graphics and visuals

Now that your data has been transformed and your information properly synthesized, add visuals and graphics to your content to make it easier to read. A report should be pleasant to read:

in terms of content (relevant, appropriate and concise),
in form (visuals, graphics, colors, etc.).

Use the right graphics for each type of information, and color is also important. Everything must be done to make reading as pleasant as possible, and to ensure that the information is correctly and pleasantly conveyed. Here's a quick guide:

Bar charts for data comparison

Bar charts are very easy to read, and are very effective when it comes to comparing data. For example, to compare the distribution of employees according to different criteria (age, seniority, gender...), or to segment customers according to different elements.

Line charts

Curves are very easy to read and are ideal for time-based data. The curve clearly shows the change in evolution, making it perfectly suited to variations in turnover or sales.

Pie chart

The pie chart is a very useful way of comparing different percentage or quantity "shares". It's perfect for comparing the percentage of different products purchased within a company, for example: you can see at a glance which is the leading type of product.

5 - Install a feedback system

It's very important to install a feedback system within your corporate policy, in order to study how the message is perceived by its recipients, and thus enter into a logic of continuous improvement.

This feedback can be provided via several channels:

questionnaires,
suggestion boxes,
quizzes,
project management software, etc.

👉 Ask yourself: how is the message perceived? This will enable you to check that the communication is transparent.

6 - Archive your information

Finally, it's important to archive your documentation and all your reports for future use, and to keep a record of the various analyses you've carried out.

👉 Indeed, reporting represents a veritable treasure trove of information that will enable you to be quicker and more efficient in your future projects.

Equip yourself with a project reporting tool

Project management software

Project management software is the most suitable management tool for reporting. Dedicated to task planning, resource allocation and activity monitoring, they bring together in a single platform all the functionalities required for good project management.

Project management software is an efficient, intuitive solution that provides you with comprehensive reporting of all kinds:

Financial reporting

Track the costs of a project, whether carried out internally or externally. You'll benefit from financial visibility into the future, efficient tracking of committed amounts, automated forecasting...

Activity monitoring reporting

You have access to a clear picture of the time spent by your teams on each project. This gives you an overview, enabling you to allocate the right resources to the right place.

Sales reporting

Track your sales with customizable dashboards and relevant sales management features and analyses. This enables your steering committee and sales staff to make decisions and negotiate sales based on data updated in real time.

PPM (project portfolio management) software

Online PPM software has been developed to make project management processes practical and efficient. These solutions enable you to considerably speed up and improve the monitoring of all projects carried out by a company. They are particularly well suited to companies managing a large number of projects at the same time.

🛠 Examples of PPM :

AirSaas is governance software that gives you greater control and visibility over your project portfolio. By centralizing your data within the tool, project managers save precious time in drawing up accurate, up-to-date reports. The solution even includes a one-click function for generating flash reports in your corporate colors, for transmission to your business sponsors.
Project Monitor is a complete, simple and scalable project portfolio management software. Thanks to its customizable reporting and dashboard functionalities , you benefit from customized project assessments and analytical reports , updated automatically and in real time. The software transforms your data into actionable information, helping you to make the right decisions and save precious time.
Triskell is a PPM integrated with your company's strategic management. In other words, it aligns strategy, capacity and operational execution. For a 360° view of your portfolios' performance, you benefit from visual reports that can be customized to your needs, and generated in just a few clicks. And for greater control over your data, Triskell integrates an easy-to-use, dynamic centralized repository into the solution.

Analytical software

Analytical software, as the name suggests, manages the majority of your analytical process, from data collection to sorting, and produces relevant reports.