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5 steps towards Integrated Reporting in business

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5 steps towards Integrated Reporting in business

The chances are, if you’re reading this then you’re considering changing your company’s reporting process. If you’re thinking about engaging with Integrated Reporting for the first time, ‘evolution not revolution’ is a useful mantra to adopt.

By shifting slowly to an integrated model over two or three reporting cycles, rather than trying to do it overnight, companies can embrace change in a way that does not cause undue disruption or disorientation. An extended period of transition will enable you to put processes and systems in place and engage with the broader range of stakeholders required.

It’s often a concern that the adoption of integrated reporting will involve huge amounts of time, work and resource. As with any change in corporate system or process, the transition will involve a degree of thought, effort and application.

But it needn’t be as onerous as you might think. Most companies find that a lot of the prerequisites for integrated reporting are already in place. For UK companies of a certain size, for example, the preparation of strategic reports in line with Financial Reporting Council (FRC) requirements demands a focus on quality and materiality not dissimilar to that of the International Integrated Reporting Council’s (IIRC) International Integrated Reporting Framework.

As part of this process, the following first steps could help set the would-be practitioner on the path to integration:

Step 1 – Issue a ‘statement of intent’:
Let your stakeholders know of your intentions; set out your aims and ambitions and your reasons for making the switch. As part of this statement, you could reaffirm your commitment to good governance, transparency, long-term strategic thinking and corporate sustainability. You should also scope out your anticipated journey towards integration; how long you expect it to take and anticipated milestones along the way.

Step 2 – Conduct stakeholder mapping and engagement:
Cast your net wide to identify your principal stakeholders. You need to understand who they are, what they expect of your company, and what they consider the most material issues for you to address. As Integrated Reporting looks beyond the investor community, your report will need to reflect a broad range of stakeholder opinions.

Step 3 – Think about value creation:
In addition to the financial aspect, what are the different ways in which your company creates value? Does it manufacture goods? Does it invest in the local community? Does it look after its employees? Does it provide important advisory services? Try to match up these value creation points with the ‘six capitals’ set out by the IIRC.

Step 4 – Consider your business model:
How well does your business model support value creation, and how well does it link to your company strategy and connect to sustainability? Does your business model reflect your stakeholders’ expectations? Do you need to adjust your business model and strategy in light of your stakeholder mapping/engagement and value creation analysis? If your business model is too narrowly focused, if it doesn’t yet take account of your non-financial resources and relationships, it needs reworking.

Step 5 – Embrace integrated thinking and behaviours:
Integrated Reporting is dependent on, and helps to achieve, integrated thinking. An Integrated Report is all about making connections; in order to provide connected and cohesive information, you need a connected and cohesive workforce and set of systems. Are the right people talking to each other internally? Are you doing enough to break down silos? Are you encouraging cross-organisational communication and engagement with your strategy?

Source: Darren Clare (Stratton Craig)

Investar Staff