I've been delivering findings as an email with a spreadsheet attached. It works but it feels unprofessional. What format do you use for your findings report? Is there a standard in our industry?
What goes in your findings report? Share your format
There's no industry standard but a professional report should include: an executive summary with total findings in dollars, a detailed breakdown of each finding with the error description, tariff citation, monthly overcharge amount, refund calculation, and ongoing savings. Include the supporting documentation — copies of the relevant tariff pages, the bills showing the error, and your calculations. Keep the executive summary to one page. The client's CFO reads page one. The facilities manager reads the details. Always lead with the total dollar amount — that's what gets attention.
I use a standard Word template: one-page executive summary, then one page per finding with the error explanation, tariff reference, and dollar impact. I attach the supporting bills and tariff pages as appendices. Total report is usually 5-12 pages depending on how many findings. The key is making it clear enough that the client could hand it to the utility themselves if they wanted to — although I always recommend letting me handle the claim filing.
I include a "next steps" section at the end: what I'm going to do to file the claims, what the client needs to do (usually just sign the LOA if they haven't already), and the expected timeline for refund. Clients appreciate knowing what happens after the report.
Great suggestions. Building my template this week with the one-page executive summary and per-finding detail pages. The "next steps" section is a nice touch too. Thanks all.