Reporting survey 2010 – Insight or fatigue?
Our research shows that reporting among larger listed companies is improving, but progress is slow and some are falling far short of the clarity and quality investors, government and regulators want. This risks undermining management teams and confidence in business.
People are looking for ways to reduce the volume of reporting while at the same time making it more insightful and accessible. Our research – Insights or fatigue? – highlights the need for this. In particular, we found that reporting in the UK’s FTSE 350 companies could communicate better about:
- The effectiveness of governance and risk management
- How key performance indicators and executive pay is driven by strategic priorities
- The strength of the business model and key relationships
The analysis points to causes such as compliance fatigue, compartmentalised reporting, weak links between strategy/objectives and data, and difficulties in assessing the value annual reports can bring.
Understanding where reporting is not clear is a good starting point. We have also suggested next steps to be taken by legislators, regulators, managers and boards to help make reporting more effective.
Individual benchmarking is available for FTSE 350 companies; contact us for further information.
Request hard copies of the survey here
Findings - what’s clear and what's not in reporting?
| Area reported | What’s clear in reporting | What’s not clear |
| Market context | 74% talk about the future | 13% explain what it means |
| Strategy | 90% include strategic priorities | 12% base reporting on strategy |
| Risks | 75% talk about risks | 35% explain risks clearly |
| Performance | 88% explicitly identify KPIs | 25% match KPIs to strategy |
| Sustainability | 61% give sustainability KPIs | 15% link sustainability to strategy |
To discuss reporting issues speak to your usual PwC contact or email info@corporatereporting.com
