Analysis of Visual Diagrams
A good report has to have visual diagrams that are easy for the readers to comprehend or retrieve information from. The report needs to create an appeal to the reader motivating him or her to continue analyzing the information presented without getting lost or confused. The bulk of report is normally made up of table, charts, and graphs. It is therefore, the responsibility of the report writer, editor, and publishing authority to ensure that these items are made as simple as possible to understand. Ambiguous and hard to comprehend visual diagrams normally cause the reader to become disinterested with content of the report. Reports are primarily created with the aim of providing information to interest parties regarding the overall standing of the company; overall performance, profitability, solvency, and other areas of concern for shareholders. Therefore, an easy to understand report that is accompanied by comprehendible visuals is likely to do very well with readers. And a well-received report is ten times more likely to open doors to new investors compared to a poorly read financial report. Most companies due to the numerous nature of business transactions and the extended duration between the start and end of a financial year are normally motivated to produce interim reports to keep the public interested in their services or products. Moreover, interim reports are seen as passive means of attracting investors within the financial year. Lastly, interim reports are used to better the organization’s performance in a given year by creating a benchmark using the first half of 2018 to effectively increase production and better the figures observed in the latter half of the year. Hence, Interim reports can be used to monitor performance (Vesey, 2018).
We will be looking at the charts, tables, and graphs presented in AGL Energy Limited Company’s interim report provided on the 8th of February 2018. AGL Energy Company is among the ASX200 listed Australian organizations, it specializes in the generation and distribution of electricity and gas for both home and commercial utility. This report was approved and released by Andy Vesey the managing director and CEO of AGL Energy. The charts will be discussed with regard to the image number they appear on in the report.
Image 4; graph one compares the frequency of injuries per one million hours worked by employees and contractors. The graph is quite informative and comprehensive it indicates the trend in injuries from one financial year to the next and highlights which group realized the most casualties. The graph is well labeled and clearly delivers the required information; as such, it is a good graph (Vesey, 2018).
Image 4
Image 4; graph two relates to the number of women occupying senior positions in the company management. Like the first graph is also is well labeled and data points are indicated depicting the actual number of women in senior position from financial year 2014-2017 and the first half of 2018. The trend from the graph informs the reader that the number of women in senior positions in gradually increasing from one day to the next. Hence, this is also a quality graphical representation of company records.
Image 5; The overall chart is a combination of two visual diagrams a word chart and a number chart, both of which emphasis the position of the company with regards to how they are doing financial within the first half of financial year 2018. The two charts clearly inform the reader on the set objectives of 2018 for the firm. Moreover, the charts provide data on the company’s current performance with regard to net profit, return on equity, and shareholder’s dividends that have been made so far. In addition, the charts indicate the percentage amount that 2018 first half (1H) results have improved from last years’ figures records within the same period. As such, the charts are also good.
Image 6; the chart here is a word chart that focuses on how the organization can select priority areas that will lead to the improvement of shareholder’s value. In spite of the fact that the chart mentions the key focus areas it does however fail to communicate effectively how these areas will be altered in order to bring about improved shareholder value. Hence, this chart is not comprehensive enough; as such, it needs to be improved on (Vesey, 2018).
Image 7; graph one is under the matter of creating sustainability and reliability in performance together with graph two. The chart shows how the production of electricity has remained relatively the same since July of 2015 to December of 2017. The graph indicates that the production of electricity has a cyclical pattern with small sized amplitude between the peak and the tough. As such, the graph allows the organization to effective create a baseline and a ceiling for electricity depending on the time of the year. Therefore, I feel the graph is a good representation of performance.
Image 7; graph two relates to the issue of equivalent availability factor that compares AGL’s portfolio average with set NERC average and NEM average. As such, the graph communicates the performance position of AGL in the production of energy throughout Australia with regard to recognized industry standards and averages. From the graph, it is clear that AGL is performing exceptionally well. As such, I feel the graph is effective and comprehensive.
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Image 8; a table that focuses on how investment funds equating to $2 billion will be used by the AGL Energy Company to better the lives of Australians through the provision of renewable energy, construction of more power stations, new supply and storage facilities, and development of improved energy production plans. The table is both eye capturing and informative to the reader.
Image 9; a combination of three graphs and three pictures, The first graph indicates the customer market churn occupied by AGL Energy relative to its other competitors, the second graph is a representation of customer appear and retention figures for AGL Energy for the first half of every financial year since 2016. The last chart compares the number of costumer accounts registered under AGL Energy for the second halves of year 2016 and 2017. The three pictures inform the reader on the trend in customer numbers and satisfaction level. There representations are clear and accurate creating a good overall report (Vesey, 2018).
Image 10; this is a single table with three columns. The columns do not have the same number of rows however they are tackle the issue of creating advocacy and value throughout the organization. Columns contain information on how this can be achieved through fairness, transparency, and simplicity. Moreover, each of three areas of focus are comprehensively debated allowing the reader of the report to clearly understand how AGL Energy hopes to create value and advocacy. As such, I believe the table is great choose and very effective in communicating the necessary information.
Image 11; it consists of a flowchart and a complex bar graph. The two diagrams are mean to demonstrate the influence of growth and transformation spending towards the mitigation/management of costs. The first diagram is a complex bar graph that seeks to explain how changes in spending with regard to several critical areas like customer market and group operations has affected the cost difference witnessed in IH of 2017 and 1H of 2018. The second diagram is a flowchart that shows the process that is created when AGL Energy decides to spend on growth and transformation. The flowchart shows that the need to increase growth will eventually necessitate the need for the company to find ways to reduce overall costs. The two charts are not easy to understand and are therefore poor representations of the company records
Image 13; a well labeled table with easy to understand and comprehend information. The table is meant to assist the reader with understanding the amount of statutory profit, tax payment, return on investment, and dividends issuable to shareholders. The information presented in the table draws comparison between the figures observed in the first half (1H) of 2017 and 2018. As such, the table provides a comprehensive pitch to potential investors on the current performance status of AGL Energy. Since, the table is well thought out, I feel the table is an effective representation tool of the shareholder information (Vesey, 2018).
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Image 14; A segmented bar graph that shows how the net profit after tax recorded in 1H of 2018 has improved from what was observed in 2017 for the same period. The graph takes into consideration how the forces of wholesale market, central activities, customer markets, and group operations contributed to this improvement. Even thou, the segmented bar graph appears a bit complex to comprehend it does however provide complete and exhaustive information on the factors that cause the net profit after tax to increase.
Image 15; A segment bar graph that indicates how different energy departments of AGL contributed to the improved after-tax net profit in 1H 2018 compared with 1H 2017. The segmented bar graph uses three departmental portfolios to examine their impact on after-tax net profit. These three are electricity portfolio margin, gas portfolio margin, and other AGL energy avenues. In spite of the complexity of the representation the information is still well thought out; as such, I would think the bar graph was moderately efficient in communicating the necessary message to readers.
Image 16; Staked bars that are used to demonstrate how different volumes of electricity generate in the 1H of 2017 and 1H of 2018 were consumed by different customers and business entities. The stacked bars indicate a decrement in both production of electricity and consumption in 2018 for the first half of the financial year. Since, the stacked bars were well labeled and easy to understand it is clear that the diagram was very effective in communicating the necessary information to readers (Vesey, 2018).
Image 17; Stacked/segmented bars which are used to indicate the difference in electricity gross margin between the 1H of 2017 and the 1H of 2018. From the two stacked bars it is clear that 2018 was more productive compared to the same period of 2017. The bars are easy to read and interpret hence they are good statistical charts for communicating the necessary insight about the company.
Image 18; Use stacked/segmented bars to transmit information of the sales volume for gas in the first halves of 2017 and 2018. The sales volume in 2017 is considerably greater than what was witnessed in 2018. It is clear that the information communicated via the two stacked bars was readable, complete, and well-labeled making them effective visual representation tools.
Image 19; Stacked/segmented bar were employed in the visualization of gas gross margin figures in a comparative sense for 1H of 2017 and 1H of 2018. Unlike in the electricity situation, for the first half of the financial year gas gross margin was higher in 2018 than in 2017; with wholesale proceeds taking up majority of the space on the segmented bar. The information is easy to discern making the segmented bar a comprehensive visual diagram.
In conclusion, AGL used very appropriate tables, charts, and graphs to deliver the required information to their audience. The report is mainly composed of visual diagrams making it appealing to potential stakeholder. Moreover, the visual diagrams are considerably easy to interpret and make sense of. Making the message in the report the first half of 2018 relatively plain to understand and communicate to other. The chart used were mainly those often found in numerous financial reports and statements making them familiar to the target audience and readers of the report. The bar graph is primarily used throughout the report; all thou, in a more advanced capacity in order to alliance causation and consequence on the same graph without necessitating the use of complex statistical tables and charts. Ideally, the report is designed to be visually informative without requiring the reader to go through paragraphs to gain a sense of what is being witnessed in the different financial periods (Vesey, 2018).
Reference
Vesey, A. (2018). AGL Energy FY18 Interim Results. Sydney, Australia: AGL Energy Company.
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