While 2025 annual reports are on their way, let’s demystify the image of this famous regulatory document!
“It’s long and complicated”
Long is an understatement! Some companies produce annual reports that can run to 1,500 pages. These documents are so exhaustive because they must comply with regulatory requirements, such as ESEF published in 2021 or CSRD… And sometimes several of them simultaneously! Some companies need to print the document and also produce a digital version in the well-known XBRL regulatory format… This gives a less than flattering picture of the project: it’s laborious, even indigestible. Better than betaine citrate, a Disclosure Management solution like Pomdoc DM allows you to bring together all the necessary features in real time to facilitate the creation process. So yes, these are substantial documents, but with the right tool, you can absolutely optimize your time and bring all contributors together.
“Nobody reads it”
Here is a second misconception, because the annual report is a true showcase for a company. In fact, it’s much more than just an institutional document. It’s a communication tool that allows all companies to demonstrate their financial stability and/or progress on various topics (both financial and non-financial). The press, investors, analysts, and even AI (thanks to the XBRL format of the reports) are, in some cases, closely monitoring the publication date and readily reading the entire document. But apart from that, “nobody reads it”…
“We have to start all over again the next year.”
This is precisely the advantage of choosing a solution like Pomdoc DM, which can perform roll-forward and automate data updates. This eliminates the need to start from scratch with the previous year’s document. This misconception is a relic of a time when documents were created using desktop publishing software or office applications. Hence the importance of implementing a Disclosure Management solution as soon as possible, and avoiding having to start from scratch!
“We multiply software for one document”
Not necessarily! Some tools, like Pomdoc DM, can combine features such as project planning, graphic editing, and tagging. Furthermore, more and more platforms can now interconnect via APIs. So, once you reach the stage of writing the annual report, you can automate data import, updates, and formatting. That’s the real advantage of choosing an all-in-one platform!
“Translation is a mess”
It’s true that translating such large numbers of pages is a challenge… But that will be handled by an experienced translator. And to make their life easier, there’s nothing better than entering their translations in an XLIFF file and load it directly into the tool that will update the document. A real time-saver for all translation projects.
To make a long story short, even though the annual report is a large-scale project, tools like Pomdoc DM make its creation easier and dispel all the myths mentioned above. The next time you hear one of these misconceptions, you will think about Pomdoc DM!