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DeltaMaster clicks!
August 2009

Trick of the month:
Uniform report designs
with notation rules

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August 2009

Greetings, fellow data analysts!

In an attempt to spice up their writing, some authors have a heavy hand with synonyms. Instead of saying 'Frankfurt', they'll say 'Mainhattan' or for Cologne they'll say 'The Cathedral City'. But synonyms can be confusing as well. Although there are no other financial centers on the Main River, Cologne isn't the only city that has a cathedral. In most cases, too, the meanings of synonyms are similar but not equal. In fact, the famous German linguist Wolf Schneider once warned "Synonyms become an idealism that gravely abuses comprehension." In short, don’t

overdo it. When it comes to reporting, several factors - including language, numbers and visualiza­tions - all come into play. Reports, however, shouldn't serve as a guinea pig for testing the latest effects from a souped-up chart library. When dealing with informa­tion, you want clarity - in other words, consistency and not individualism. With DeltaMaster you can even create these standards without extra work. The graphical tables automatically direct report authors to an elegant report and the integrated notation. And by using notations, which are the focus of this edition of clicks!, you won't have to constantly refer to your style guidelines.

Both don't make a report easier to understand per se. But they do help the reader focus on what's important: the situation, the message, the essence – in short, the content.

Best regards,

Your Bissantz & Company team

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