Why Reporting Systems Break Under Pressure, And What August Is For

Every finance team has a reporting process that works. Until it doesn’t.

At first, the process is manageable. You have a template that you and everyone around you know how to use, you know where the numbers live, and you can close out a cycle and get reports out the door without too much stress.

But as the business grows, or gets more complex, the pressure builds. New entities are added. More people need different versions of the same report. Someone leaves and takes their spreadsheet logic with them. And slowly, very quietly, the process begins to strain.

It still works (technically), but the cracks are forming.

This pattern that’s often mistaken for a failure of planning or capability is one that shows up in finance teams more often than people like to admit.

Why this happens (and why it often shows up too late)

Most reporting systems are built incrementally. It starts with a team that tries to implement something simple that fits the size and shape of the business at the time. But then the business changes… faster than the system does.

In response to this change, new demands are met with workarounds, and teams adapt to pressure by patching, not redesigning. And because the numbers still go out on time, the underlying fragility goes unnoticed. Until something finally gives.

This pressure isn’t evenly distributed throughout the year, though. It tends to build slowly, often peaking right before budgeting season begins. That’s why August matters more than it seems.

August gives you space. Use it.

The rhythm of August is unique. Some people are out on leave. Decision-making slows. And there’s a brief pause before budget season begins.

This window is one of the few times when finance teams can step back and reflect on more than just the outputs of their hard labour. They have the opportunity to analyse the process behind the outputs.

Questions to Ask Before Reporting Season Begins

You don’t need a full audit. But a few good questions can reveal whether the system still fits the team or whether it’s being held together by habit and quiet fixes.

If you’re not sure where to start, try asking:

• Are we relying on one or two people to run the entire reporting process?
• What’s the one step in our process that everyone dreads?
• Do we spend more time preparing data or interpreting it?
• How easy is it to make a small change, like adding a new business unit or reporting view, without breaking something else?
• When was the last time we reviewed the logic behind our templates, not just the numbers inside them?
• Could someone new to the team pick up our process without shadowing someone for a week?
• Are we still using tools and templates that made sense two years ago, but don’t really fit anymore?

It’s about readiness.

Not every team needs a full system change, but every team needs to know whether what they’re using today will still work when things get busier, or more complex, or less predictable.

August isn’t just a break in the calendar. It’s a chance to fix something before it fails. And often, the cost of doing nothing is far higher than the cost of making one thoughtful change now.

One final thought

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. We’ve worked with teams who’ve built brilliant systems that just needed a small shift to keep going, and others who needed more support to move from patchwork to structure.

If you’re thinking about what to fix, or just wondering where to start, we’re happy to talk it through.