Chapter 3

Is knowing the variance enough?

Biết lệch bao nhiêu đã đủ chưa?

The chapter's question

Where does this month's biggest variance come from?

Big idea

Saying how big a variance is is easy; saying why and who does what next is the finance person's real job.

In this chapter

  1. Part 3.1

    Volume or Price

    Did revenue fall short because we sold less or because we sold cheaper?

  2. Part 3.2

    One-Off or Recurring

    Will this item happen again next month?

  3. Part 3.3

    Who Knows Why

    Whom in the company do I ask before writing the explanation?

  4. Part 3.4

    How Short to Write It

    How many sentences does one variance need?

The reading for this chapter is inside Conan School

This chapter has 4 readings, with case stories and exercises. Chapter 1 of Reports People Actually Use is free to read right here.

Read in Conan School

Chapters of Reports People Actually Use

  1. 1.If a report is for everyone, who reads it?
  2. 2.Thirty-page report: how many pages get read?
  3. 3.Is knowing the variance enough?
  4. 4.Why does every meeting become a fight over numbers?
  5. 5.Who listens to a great analyst who presents poorly?