I've been struggling with executive summaries lately. CFOs want everything on one page but there's so much to cover. How do you all structure your executive summaries? What do you lead with - total savings, biggest single finding, or process overview?
Executive Summary Best Practices - What Works?
Donna, I always lead with the total dollar amount in big bold numbers. Everything else is secondary. If you found $47,000 in overcharges, that goes right at the top. Then I do three bullets: biggest single issue, systemic problems, and implementation timeline.
Randy's right about the dollar amount first. I also include a simple pie chart showing breakdown by utility if it's a multi-site audit. Visual impact is huge with executives. They'll flip past paragraphs but stop at graphics.
What about ROI? I always put the payback period right up front. Just had a Georgia Power audit where we found $23K annually and the fixes cost $2,800. That 1.5 month payback gets attention fast.
Marcus that's brilliant! Stealing that idea. Do you use the same color coding throughout the full report? I've been looking for ways to make 40-page reports more digestible.
This is all great advice. I'm updating my template tonight. One more thing - I always end the executive summary with next steps and timeline. Gives them a clear path forward instead of just dumping problems on their desk.
Chad - yes, consistent color coding throughout. Each finding gets tagged with its priority color. Makes it easy for them to focus on the reds first if they're short on time or budget.
I use a traffic light system - red for critical issues requiring immediate action, yellow for significant savings opportunities, green for minor items. Executives love the visual simplicity. Makes the whole report feel organized even if the details get complex.