Addressing Executive Reporting Misalignment

This position paper documents the structural issues causing executive reporting misalignment in organizations. It identifies seven patterns that lead to discrepancies among executive dashboards, which are often built using different business intelligence (BI) tools, resulting in divergent metrics. The paper explains that conventional governance solutions, such as metric glossaries and governance committees, fail to address the root causes of these discrepancies. Instead, it proposes an architectural approach that emphasizes the need for a unified access layer that ensures all executives view the same certified content. The paper outlines five conditions necessary for trustworthy executive reporting, including the need for a single source per metric, visible ownership, and mechanisms for detecting discrepancies before board meetings. The proposed solution aims to enhance consistency and trust in executive reporting by addressing the underlying architectural issues rather than relying on documentation or manual reconciliation processes.