In-House or Outsourced? Choosing the Right Approach to Business Reporting

In today’s fast-moving world, business reporting is no longer optional, it’s the foundation for smarter, faster decision-making.

Yet for many small businesses, reporting remains a frustrating task. Manual spreadsheets, data scattered across multiple systems, and unclear KPIs make it hard to get the insights you really need.

That’s where the decision comes in: should you build and manage reporting in-house, or outsource it to a specialist partner?

In this guide, we’ll explore both options, weigh the pros and cons, and show how modern business intelligence solutions like those from Sontai can simplify reporting for small businesses.

What Is Business Reporting?

Business reporting is the process of collecting, analysing, and presenting data in a structured way so leaders and teams can make informed decisions. Reports highlight performance against key metrics, uncover trends, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Traditionally, this was done manually, pulling numbers into spreadsheets or presentations. Today, many companies rely on BI software and business intelligence solutions that automate the process, turning raw data into clear dashboards and insights.

The Two Approaches to Business Reporting

When it comes to managing business reporting, most small businesses face a choice:

1. Do it in-house – build reports yourself using spreadsheets or BI tools.

   
   

2. Outsource to specialists – work with a partner like Sontai that delivers fully managed dashboards and automated reporting.

   
   

Let’s break down the benefits and challenges of each.

In-House Business Reporting

Benefits

• Control: You decide how reports are structured and what metrics are included.

• Customisation: Reports can be adapted to specific business needs.

• Immediate access: Data and processes are kept within your own team.

Challenges

• Time-consuming: Manually maintaining reports can take hours each week.

• Skills gap: Many small businesses lack staff with BI or data engineering expertise.

• Inconsistent KPIs: Without clear standards, reports may vary from one person to another.

• Hidden costs: Hiring and training staff, maintaining BI software, and managing data pipelines add up quickly.

Example: A small retailer creates weekly sales reports in Excel. It works at first, but as the business grows, reporting becomes slow and error-prone. Managers spend more time updating spreadsheets than analysing results.

Outsourced Business Reporting

Benefits

• Time savings: Automated dashboards mean no more manual reporting.

• Expertise on tap: Specialists set up, integrate, and maintain the system.

• Clarity: Standardised KPIs provide a single version of the truth.

• Scalability: Reports adapt as your business grows.

• Accessibility: Secure cloud dashboards give every team member the insights they need.

Challenges

• Less direct control: You’ll rely on an external partner to manage reporting.

• Vendor selection: Not all providers offer the same level of service or support.

Example: A services company outsources reporting to Sontai. Instead of manually pulling data from CRM, finance, and marketing tools, managers log into a cloud portal where up-to-date dashboards show KPIs in real time.

Quick Comparison: In-House vs Outsourced

Factor	In-House Reporting	Outsourced Reporting (Sontai)
Cost	High (staff, software, training)	Predictable, affordable plans
Time	Hours weekly for manual updates	Fully automated, instant access
Expertise	Requires BI/data skills	Delivered by specialists
Scalability	Limited by internal resources	Easily scales with business
Clarity	Risk of inconsistent KPIs	Standardised and reliable
Access	Often restricted to analysts	Accessible to all team members

How BI Software and Business Intelligence Solutions Fit In

Modern BI software can help, but it still requires internal know-how to set up, manage, and maintain. Many small businesses find that buying a tool is only half the battle. Without data engineers or analysts, dashboards may sit unused or deliver confusing results.

That’s why business intelligence solutions from partners like Sontai go further. Instead of just giving you the software, Sontai manages the whole process, from connecting your data sources to delivering automated dashboards.

The result? Clear, actionable insights without the complexity.

Choosing the Right Option for Your Business

Here are a few questions to guide your decision:

• Do you have in-house expertise to manage data pipelines and BI software?

  
  

• How much time does your team currently spend on reporting?

  
  

• Are your KPIs clearly defined and consistent across teams?

  
  

• What’s the cost of hiring and training staff compared to outsourcing?

  
  

• Do you need scalable, future-proof reporting?

If reporting feels like a burden, outsourcing may be the smarter choice.

Why Businesses Choose Sontai

Sontai helps small businesses simplify reporting by delivering:

• Customised KPI dashboards – focused on the metrics that matter most.

• Fully automated reporting – no more manual updates.

• Secure, cloud-based access – see your KPIs anytime, anywhere.

• Scalable solutions – grow without outgrowing your reporting.

• Clarity and simplicity – actionable insights, not just data.

With Sontai, you don’t need to hire a BI team or wrestle with complex tools. You get a fully managed service that saves time, reduces costs, and unlocks smarter decision-making.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to keep business reporting in-house or outsource to specialists depends on your resources, skills, and priorities. In-house may suit businesses with data expertise, but for most small companies, outsourcing delivers more value, speed, and clarity.

With Sontai’s business intelligence solutions, you can skip the hassle of manual reporting and focus on what really matters: growing your business.

Discover smarter reporting today — book a demo with Sontai to see how you can get expertly designed and built reports in your business.