Internal Reporting SOP
Purpose
This SOP defines how we report internally: concise, relevant information that supports decision-making without noise. One number you can act on beats forty-seven pages.
Scope
| Context |
Applies to |
| Internal only |
Team, leadership, project owners |
| Excludes |
Client-facing reports (see External Reporting) |
Definitions
| Term |
Definition |
| One-number focus |
Primary metric to act on; cost per opportunity, CAC, etc. |
| Blocker |
Issue that stalls progress; requires action |
| PDCA |
Plan-Do-Check-Act; see Frameworks & Principles |
Principles
| Principle |
Meaning |
| Concise |
Max 1 page or 5 bullets; no filler |
| Relevant |
Only what you need to decide or act |
| Actionable |
Clear next step or decision |
| Single source of truth |
One place; no duplicate status |
Content Structure
Mandatory elements
| Element |
Format |
Max length |
| One number |
Primary metric vs target or prior |
1 line |
| Status |
On track / At risk / Blocked |
1 word |
| Blockers |
What’s blocking; who owns fix |
3 bullets max |
| Next period |
Top 3 priorities |
3 bullets |
| Decisions needed |
What needs a call |
2 bullets max |
Optional (only if relevant)
| Element |
When to include |
| Supporting metrics |
If they explain the one number |
| Hypothesis |
If testing something |
| Lessons learned |
If material for future |
Frequency
| Cadence |
Purpose |
| Weekly |
Per engagement; 5-min read |
| Bi-weekly |
Portfolio or team summary |
| Monthly |
Cross-engagement; one-number rollup |
| Quarterly |
PDCA; strategy; what to change |
Delivery
| Channel |
Use for |
| Shared doc |
Live status; single source of truth |
| Slack |
Blocker alert; quick update |
| Meeting |
Decisions; discussion; not status dump |
Roles & Responsibilities (RACI)
| Deliverable |
Project Lead |
Analyst / Owner |
| Pull data |
I |
R |
| Draft update |
R |
R |
| Share internally |
R |
I |
| Act on blockers |
R |
R |
Escalation
| Trigger |
Action |
| Blocked > 48 hrs |
Escalate per Frameworks & Principles |
| One number off track |
Call out; propose fix |
| Missing data |
Flag; document gap |
Version & Approval
| Field |
Value |
| Last updated |
February 2025 |
| Approver |
— |