Phrases such as ‘unlocking value’, ‘strategic alignment’ and ‘driving transformation’ could leave readers unclear about what a business has actually done, a digital publishing expert warns.

Adrian Moza, CEO of Flipsnack, says company reports risk losing their purpose when broad statements about progress replace specific information about results, responsibilities and next steps.

Moza said: ‘A report should help someone understand the business. If they reach the end of a paragraph and still cannot explain what changed, the language may be getting in the way.

‘Words such as ‘transformation’ and ‘value’ are not automatically wrong. The problem is using them without saying what they refer to. Has a process become faster? Did costs fall? Did customers receive a better service?

‘A polished phrase cannot answer those questions on its own.’

Five phrases worth questioning

‘Unlocking value’

This leaves the reader asking what kind of value, for whom and how. If the intended meaning is cutting waste, the report could say which waste was reduced and give the supporting result.

‘Strategic alignment’

This may describe agreement on priorities, but it does not identify them. Where that is the intended meaning, a clearer version could explain that sales and marketing have agreed to focus on retaining existing customers.

‘Driving transformation’

This could mean anything from introducing software to changing the business model. Naming the change, such as replacing separate spreadsheets with one shared stock system, gives readers something concrete to assess.

‘Optimising operational efficiency’

This needs an explanation of which operation improved. If order processing became quicker, the report could state that directly and include the measured improvement.

‘Leveraging synergies’

This may refer to teams sharing resources or combining work. A report could explain that two departments now use one supplier contract, then describe the effect if it has been measured.

Numbers also need context to help readers understand their significance. For example, saying a business “reduced print costs by around 90%” gives a percentage but little explanation of the impact.

Explaining what changed, what the saving was compared with and how much money it represented turns an isolated figure into a clearer story. Reports should connect key numbers to practical outcomes, helping readers understand why the results matter.

Moza continued: ‘The answer is not simply to swap a long word for a short one. Sometimes the sentence needs information that was missing in the first place.

”We improved efficiency’ is easier to read than ‘we optimised operational efficiency’, but neither explains very much without the process, the change and the result.

‘Clear writing can expose gaps in the thinking. If nobody can explain what a claim means, it may need more investigation before it belongs in a report.’

Make responsibility visible

Moza also suggests checking whether a report tells readers who owns the next action.

He added: ‘A sentence such as ‘implementation will be progressed’ leaves the reader guessing who is responsible. If there is an agreed plan, name the team and explain its next step.

‘Specialist terms have a place when they communicate something precise to the intended audience. Explain them where necessary and preserve their meaning.

‘The test is whether someone outside the project can understand what happened, why it matters and what happens next. If the report leaves them with those answers, it has done useful work.’

About Flipsnack

Flipsnack is a digital publishing platform that helps businesses create, share and measure interactive online documents, including product catalogues, marketing materials, sales brochures, training resources and internal communications.

Website: https://www.flipsnack.com/