Reporting is the process of recording information within an organised
structure and in the required format. The reports, a document or
presentation used either internally and/or presented to clients, are a method
of analysing an organisation or department progress in comparison to their
goals.
Reports are usually structured by timeframes, and can detail results
on a certain period or event to allow for business development.
Reporting is a fundamental part of Business Intelligence (BI). Being able to create reports on time and discover insights from the data for improvement is a vital part of any business. Reports will be used to create or adapt strategies, and therefore managers within departments must be able to use their expertise and experience to translate the data into realistic goals.
All IT professionals will use reporting in their work, whether it is preparing data, creating the report or using the report to point out insights about the organisation. It is a highly desirable skill that all IT professionals must be able to demonstrate.