3. WORD
Remember, the CFO is your audience, so focus on the numbers. It should be very clear what the document is about, what the analysis implies, and what recommendations you are making (if any) for future progression of the initiative.
You will lose marks if you include superfluous information. The CFO is highly knowledgeable about the business and will be irritated by time wasted reading an unfocussed report. Your report must present only pertinent information and key aspects of the financial modelling.
This is a business style report for a non-academic ‘insider’. It must provide concise and easily readable information to aid decision-making. It must include explanation of major conceptual points with simple definitions and explanation of relevant terminology (especially operational matters) and complexities). The CFO is often unfamiliar with operational matters.
You MUST INCLUDE an Executive Summary. Assume that your report will be sent to the CFO so it must be comprehensive and describe the ‘big picture’ and the main ‘numbers’ (e.g., EBIT, Capex, NPV, IRR). The structure should also include Introduction, Discussion of Key Findings, and Conclusion. The Cover Page should not include the Executive Summary.
The CFO will expect your report to:
? analyse and discuss the information, and evaluate it critically. ? identify problems and suggest solutions.
? speculate about future trends and impacts.