Switch to the Dutch version/Switch to the English version
  1. Home
  2. All courses
  3. Communication & Personal effectiveness
  4. Presenting & writing
  5. Effective reporting

Effective Reports course

In this course you will learn to produce effective management reports in 5 steps, with clear KPIs and data visualisation that turn figures into genuine management information.

9.3 from 2 reviews 4,6 on Google NRTO quality mark

Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so feel free to book now.

For a team or department? Arrange your own group, at your premises or ours. In-company for your team

In brief. Effective Reporting is a 1-day classroom course. You can take it in Amsterdam, The Hague and Arnhem or online, in a group of no more than 8 participants. The price is € 625,- excl. VAT per participant, including course materials, lunch on location and a certificate of attendance. For a team or department we also deliver this course in-company.

  • In 5 steps to powerful management information
  • Directly applicable to your reports
  • Your template, ready to use
  • Data visualisation that actually says something
  • Pitfalls you will avoid effortlessly from now on
ChristyLuisRubenHugo

Your trainer: Christy, Luis, Ruben or Hugo 447 evaluations in total, with an average of 9.0. View the trainers

Spending too much time on management reports that deliver little? At Learnit you learn how to produce effective financial reports in five steps, with the right KPIs and clear data visualisation. From loose figures to concrete management information.

Description

Does producing management reports take up a lot of your time? Do your financial reports fail to deliver the insights you are looking for, or does the management information simply go unused? In the Effective Reporting course you work on the quality and effectiveness of your management reports.

You learn to draw up an effective management report in five steps and to avoid the main pitfalls. You discover how to choose the right KPIs, how to create overview and coherence and how to align better with the objectives of your organisation. Using targeted questions and assignments, you put together a sample report step by step, tailored to your own working practice.

You will also gain insight into the information paradox: more information is not always better. You learn how to make financial reports more understandable through data visualisation, which charts and diagrams do and do not work on a management dashboard, and how to turn individual figures into action-oriented management information.

Topics

The Effective Reporting course covers, among others, the following topics:

  • Management reports: what has happened, where do we stand now and where do we want to go?
  • What makes financial reports effective or in fact ineffective?
  • The information paradox: why more information is not always better.
  • Common mistakes: avoid the main pitfalls in financial reporting.
  • The components of an effective management report.
  • Producing an effective financial report in 5 steps.
  • The optimal layout and content of a management report.
  • Data visualisation: making management information visually clear and understandable.
  • Charts and diagrams on a management dashboard: dos and don'ts.
  • From figures to management information: improving the quality of your reports.
  • A sample management report tailored to your own organisation.

Result

After the Effective Reporting course you know what makes a financial report effective or in fact ineffective. You know the components of a good management report and can draw one up yourself in 5 steps. You know how to avoid the main pitfalls in financial reporting and how to choose the optimal layout and content.

You will also know how to use data visualisation to make your management information clear and understandable, and which charts and diagrams do or do not work on a management dashboard. You go home with a tailor-made example management report that you can put to use straight away.

Target audience

The Effective Reporting course is intended for finance professionals who are responsible for, or involved in, producing timely, accurate and action-oriented management reports. Think of controllers, finance managers, financial advisers and finance directors who want to turn their reports into genuine management information.

Teaching method

During this course you work with exercises and examples that match your day-to-day practice. You learn how to produce financial reports quickly and effectively and are given a practical step-by-step approach.

In this financial reporting workshop you build a sample management report for your own organisation. That way you take material back to work that you can use straight away.

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required for this course. It is useful, however, if you deal with financial or management reports in your work, so that you can link the assignments directly to your own practice.

Comments

None in particular.

Practical information

Number of days
1 day
Course times
from 10 am to 5 pm
Teaching hours
6 hours
Education level
Suitable for all levels
Preparation time
None
Included
Course materials and lunch on site
Certificate
At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance
Cancel
Free up to four weeks before the start (cancellation terms)

Language

The course is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer speaks English. English-language course materials can be used. If at least 3 participants register, the course can also be given entirely in English.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

Request a quote More about Effective Reporting in-company

All start dates

1 training day. In order of date.

  • Thu 21 January 2027 Online · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 24 December Enrol
  • Thu 21 January 2027 Arnhem · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 24 December Enrol
  • Tue 2 February 2027 Amsterdam · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 5 January Enrol
  • Tue 10 August 2027 The Hague · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 13 July Enrol

No suitable start date? Send us a date request, and we'll look at the options together.

This course for your team?

Plan your own group on a date that suits you, at your office, at our premises or online. We tailor the content to your day-to-day work, and training a whole group is cheaper than individual bookings.

  • Your date and location
  • Tailored content
  • Multiple groups or an academy are also possible
  • More than 25 years' experience
Request a quote No obligation, an adviser will be in touch shortly How in-company works

The trainers for this course

Ratings from participants after completing their course, across all courses by this trainer.

Christy

trainer in communication and leadership 9,2 from 256 evaluations

Luis

Finance and tax trainer 8,9 from 162 evaluations

Ruben

Trainer in project management, change management and lean 8,2

Hugo

Trainer Excel, Power BI and MS Project 8,7

What others say about this course

9.3
Effective Reporting course: average 9.3 from 2 reviews

“Good course, focused on various types of reports for different levels within an organisation.”

P. Steur - HDD BV8.6

“An enjoyable and worthwhile course with plenty of tips and tricks!”

M. van 't Riet - HKV Lijn in water10.0

Training formats

Classroom

1 day€ 625,-
  • Pleasant venue with a good trainer
  • Small groups
  • Inspiring and motivating
Choose a date

Online

1 day€ 540,-
  • Online with a trainer
  • Personal
  • Practical and interactive
Choose a date

In-company

Bespoke trainingOn request
  • 100% for your group
  • Bespoke training
  • At your place or ours
View in-company

Workshop

Up to 4 hours for groupsOn request
  • Suitable for events
  • Interactive and inspiring
  • Large groups too
Request a quote

Private training

At our place or yoursOn request
  • 100% just for you
  • Achieve a lot in little time
  • Whenever you want
Request a quote

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel free of charge?

Yes. Up to four weeks before the first day of the course you can cancel free of charge, without giving a reason. You then receive a credit note or, if you have already paid, a refund. If you cancel later, you pay part of the course fee: 25% between four and two weeks before the start, 75% in the two weeks before it and 100% in the final week. Moving to another start date is free of charge up to two weeks before the start, after that 50%. Sending a colleague in your place is always possible. Read the cancellation terms.

How long does the Effective Reporting course take and what does it cost?
The Effective Reporting course lasts one day. You take the course in a classroom setting in a small group, guided by an experienced trainer. In a full course day you learn to produce an effective management report in 5 steps, including practical assignments and a sample template that you can use straight away in your own organisation. The current price can be found on the course page.
Who is the Effective Reporting course intended for and what prior knowledge do you need?
The Effective Reporting course is intended for finance professionals who produce or supply management reports, such as controllers, finance managers, financial advisers and finance directors. No specific prior knowledge is required. You will work most effectively if you are already involved in financial reporting in your day-to-day work, because during the course day you work on a sample report for your own organisation.
What do you learn in the Effective Reporting course and which topics are covered?
In the Effective Reporting course you learn to draw up an effective management report in 5 steps. Topics include: choosing the right KPIs, the information paradox, common pitfalls in financial reporting, the optimal layout, data visualisation and which charts do and do not work on a management dashboard. You close the day with a sample report tailored to your organisation.
Do you receive a certificate after the Effective Reporting course and what is the delivery format?
Yes, on completion of the Effective Reporting course you receive a certificate of participation from Learnit. The course is taught in a classroom setting. You work in a small group under the guidance of an experienced trainer and get started straight away on a sample management report tailored to your own organisation.
Can you also follow the Effective Reporting course in-company at your own organisation?
Yes, the Effective Reporting course can also be delivered in-company. Your team then works together on a sample management report tailored to your organisation, using your own KPIs, data and reporting challenges as the starting point. The course is delivered at a location of your choice. An in-company programme is ideal for finance teams that want to deliver uniform, action-oriented reports. For the investment and the options, get in touch via the course page.
Which steps do you learn in the Effective Reporting course for drawing up a management report?
In the Effective Reports course you learn to produce an effective management report in 5 steps. You work on choosing the right KPIs, creating a clear overview and coherence, aligning with organisational objectives, applying data visualisation and turning figures into concrete management information. By the end you will have a template tailored to your own organisation.
What is the difference between the Effective Reports course and a general data visualisation or Power BI course?
The Effective Reporting course focuses specifically on the content and structure of financial management reports, not on a tool. You learn to build a report in 5 steps, choose KPIs that match the organisation's objectives and translate figures into management information. A Power BI or data visualisation course mainly teaches you how to build dashboards technically; this course covers what you put on them and why. Data visualisation is addressed as a means: which charts and diagrams do or do not work on a management dashboard. The course is classroom-based. Suitable for controllers, finance managers and financial advisers who want to sharpen their existing reports, whichever reporting tool they use.
How do I know whether the Effective Reports course is right for me if I have been producing management reports for years?
The Effective Reporting course is suitable for you if you find that your reports take up a lot of time, lead to little action or do not align with the strategic goals of your organisation. The course is aimed at finance professionals with practical experience, such as controllers, finance managers and finance directors. You will not receive basic instruction in Excel or bookkeeping; instead you work on the content and structure of your reports. In a single course day you work through a 5-step plan, learn to recognise the information paradox and apply data visualisation principles to a sample report for your own organisation. If you have never produced a management report before, this course is too specialised. If you have been working with reports for years but want to make them sharper and more action-oriented, the programme is a good fit.
When do you choose a classroom-based Effective Reporting course instead of self-study through books or online articles?
Self-study works fine if you want to pick up separate knowledge about KPIs, data visualisation or report structure. The classroom-based Effective Reporting course adds three things that self-study does not give you. You work under guidance on a sample management report tailored to your own organisation, with direct feedback from an experienced trainer. You test your approach against that of other finance professionals, controllers and financial managers in the group. And you work through the complete 5-step plan, including the information paradox and the dos and don'ts of charts on a dashboard. Choose the course if you want to deliver a workable template within a short time that you can use at the office on Monday. Choose self-study if you are mainly reading to orientate yourself and do not need a concrete end product.
What do you get in the Effective Reporting course that you would not learn from a book on financial reporting or an online article about KPIs?
The Effective Reporting course delivers three things that you rarely get from self-study. First, you work on a sample management report tailored to your own organisation, with your KPIs and your audience within management. So you do not start from a generic template. Second, you receive direct feedback from an experienced trainer on the choices you make: which figures to include and which not, which chart suits which message, and where you are slipping into the information paradox. Third, you learn the 5-step plan for effective financial reports, including the common mistakes that books often do not name explicitly. A book gives you theory; this classroom-based course gives you a working reporting template that you can use the next working day.
How quickly after the Effective Reporting course can you apply the approach you have learnt to your own management reports?
You can get started straight after the course day. During the course you already work on a sample management report tailored to your own organisation, including the 5-step plan and a template you take away with you. In practice this means you can use the very next reporting cycle to apply the new structure, KPI selection and data visualisation. A full redesign of an existing reporting cycle usually takes more time, because you need to align with management on which management information is genuinely relevant. Expect a few reporting rounds before your reports are fully action-oriented. The course is classroom-based. You receive a step-by-step plan, examples and a template with which you can continue independently.
For which type of finance professional is the Effective Reporting course most valuable: a starting controller or an experienced finance manager?
The Effective Reporting course is suitable for both profiles, but the emphasis differs. A junior controller mainly learns the step-by-step plan: how to build a management report in 5 steps, which KPIs to choose and which pitfalls to avoid. An experienced financial manager gains more from the deeper material on data visualisation, the information paradox (more data is not better) and the shift from figures to management information on which management actually bases decisions. The course is classroom-based. You work on a sample report tailored to your own organisation. Target group: controllers, financial advisers, financial managers and finance directors. Have you never drawn up a report before? Then the learning curve is steeper and you will get less out of the practical assignments.

Read our blog

The duties of a minute takerOvercoming presentation anxiety: how to stay calm in front of a groupTo write or not to write

Next start date: Thu 21 January 2027 in Arnhem, also available online

Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so you can secure a place now.

Choose a date Request a quote
€ 625,-excl. VAT · next start Thu 21 Jan
Choose a date