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 meet the needs of the report consumer.

There are three broad report consumer audiences:

• Executive
• Analyst
• Information worker

An Executive is a person responsible for making plans and decisions that typically 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 are 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're done on a daily basis and are aligned to processes. 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.