Management Reporting
Beginning in fall 2022, Management Reports will be distributed by Strategy, Management & Budget twice a year, in October and March, and provide deans and directors a financial status “snapshots” for funds they oversee directly and indirectly. The reports combine current financial information and year-end projections based on the information in Western’s financial system with fields for areas to communicate about planned activity that is not yet reflected in our system.
- The goal of Management Reporting is to foster communication about budgeting at all levels of the university, identify potential problems early, and assist areas in strategic planning by providing a management tool to heighten the visibility of budget performance.
- Management Reports bring together detailed budget and financial information about funds and represent a new way of compiling and reviewing area resources.
- This is an opportunity for deans and directors to convey a short or long-term fiscal plans or communicate about emerging trends. Dashboards within the report are updated when forecasts are added that provides a way to explore different scenarios.
For more information about Management Reporting, you can view our Overview and Instructions or review our Frequently Asked Questions below.
Timeline for Reporting
October 2022 - June 2023
October 28: Fall Management Reports distributed to deans and directors
November 23: Division share completed reports with SMB
December: SMB distributes follow up survey and initiates process review
March 2023: Spring Management Reports distributed to deans and directors
April: Division share completed reports with SMB
June: SMB staff review reports and follows up with units and divisions for feedback about the reports and process
Management Reporting F.A.Q.
The Management Report is an Excel workbook that contains a summary dashboard, a unit or department-level report with drill-down capabilities, and a data tab with comprehensive, fund-level financial data. Data is extracted from Western's financial system as snapshots twice a year (through the September and February financial periods) before reports are distributed. The fund data sheet includes input areas for forecasts that update year-end balance projections within the sheet and throughout the workbook, including the dashboards.
Generally, reports will be distributed to individuals who report directly to the Vice President but the distribution structure is different for each division. We refer to the recipients in instructions as "deans and directors" but titles also vary across divisions.
While fiscal support staff will be invaluable in assisting with this report, it is ultimately the responsibility of deans and directors to be engaging directly, understanding the contents of the report, discussing the impacts of decision-making, and responding to the information with planning for addressing highlighted issues.
Management Reports are distributed to deans and directors for them to review year-end balance projections, add forecasts for future revenue, expenses or transfers, and address funds identified to have a year-end deficit. What makes Management Reports different from other reports available is that users can enter forecasts for planned revenue, expenses, and transfers and evaluate the impacts of their budgeting plan.
Funds that are predicted to have a year-end deficit based on the snapshot financial data are highlighted in the report for additional, required information. Deans and directors will need to communicate their plans for these funds with forecast entry and a brief explanation of their plan. Areas have about three weeks to review and update their reports before returning them to their divisions and Budget & Financial Planning.
The goal of Management Reporting is to foster communication about budgeting at all levels of the university by providing an opportunity for area leaders to think about budget structure and build collaboration with their departments or units, division, and Budget and Financial Planning.