Readability checks before your quarterly brief
Steering committees often include directors who read the report on paper during the meeting, without a data officer at their shoulder. Layout choices that look fine on screen can fail in that room.
Pass 1: Table title completeness
Every table title should state the indicator, unit, period, and geography level. "Table 4" is not a title. Reviewers photograph pages; incomplete titles become ambiguous in shared folders.
Pass 2: Chart axis and legend at print size
Print one page at final size. If axis labels require squinting at arm's length, increase font size or simplify the chart. Dual-axis charts are often unreadable on paper — split them.
Pass 3: Footnote numbering continuity
Walk footnotes from first table to last. Restarting numbering per section confuses reviewers who search for "note 3" across the document. One sequence per report is easier to follow.
Pass 4: Variance narrative beside the figure
Place the explanation for a large swing on the same page or immediately after the table it references. Cross-references to page 18 during a briefing on page 6 lose the room.
Pass 5: Executive summary matches final tables
Reconcile summary bullets to final rounded figures after the last data edit. Mismatches between summary and body are a common formal return reason.
We apply these passes on every report production engagement before draft circulation.