The difference between data and information
You're probably drowning in data and starved for information. Knowing the difference is the first step to reporting that matters.
Data is raw: rows, events, numbers. Information is data with enough context to mean something. Most organizations have an abundance of the first and a shortage of the second, and they confuse having data for being informed.
Context is the difference
'Revenue was 412,000' is data. 'Revenue was 412,000, up 9% on last month and ahead of plan' is information — it tells you whether to worry. The number didn't change; the context did all the work.
Report information, store data
Keep the raw data — it's the foundation. But what people consume should be information: comparisons, trends, and the answer to 'is this good?' built in. A report that makes someone do the interpreting themselves usually doesn't get used.
More data rarely makes a team smarter. More context always does.