Prepare a report for the right audience

A correct report can still contain too much information for its audience. Decide what the reader needs to do with it before sharing a report or a copy.

Choose the useful level of detail

1. Identify the audience and their decision. An operational coordinator may need item-level exceptions; a sponsor may need totals and a short risk summary. An external participant may need only their own instructions.

2. Include the report’s scope, source version and as-of time. Keep the counts behind percentages and explain any important limits.

3. Remove fields the reader does not need. Raw event history, personal details and unrelated records are not automatically useful just because they are available.

Check the sharing route

4. Before using the available publishing or sharing controls, confirm the exact report, intended audience and level of access. A BI space name does not by itself establish privacy.

5. After sharing through the supported route, ask an intended viewer to open the same report or file using their own account. Check that they can see the required content with the intended access.

6. If they cannot open it, resolve the specific account, object or permission issue. Do not make the report public or send the full raw dataset simply to avoid that problem.

Keep copies understandable

An exported or standalone copy can become out of date. Give it a version and an as-of label. If you correct a report, explain what changed rather than assuming everyone saw the replacement.

Your result is a useful audience-specific report and a checked handoff. A sent link or Published label alone does not prove that the intended person can read it.

Use the controls actually available in your workroom; this guide does not assume a particular BI sharing dialog or permission model.

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In this series: Build useful business reports — guide 6 of 8.

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