This document provides a standard operating procedure (SOP) for creating a QBR deck that follows a consistent format and structure and covers the essential information that stakeholders need to know.

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This document provides a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the vCIOs to follow in creating a QBR deck that follows a consistent format and structure and covers the essential information that stakeholders need to know.

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vCIOs, with support from vITMs and other teams as needed.

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1. QBR – Quarterly Business Review
2. VITM – Virtual IT Manager
3. VCIO – Virtual Chief Information Officer
4. CSAT – Customer Satisfaction

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Version 1.0, 05/08/2024

A quarterly business review (QBR) deck is a presentation that summarizes the key results, challenges, and opportunities of a Client in the past quarter. It is a tool for communicating the value and impact of the team’s work, identifying areas for improvement and alignment with the organizational goals, and measuring conformance to the technology roadmap and budget.

This document provides a standard operating procedure (SOP) for creating a QBR deck that follows a consistent format and structure and covers the essential information that stakeholders need to know. The SOP consists of the following steps:

• Step 1: Define the purpose and audience of the QBR deck

• Step 2: Gather and analyze the data and metrics for the QBR deck

• Step 3: Create the outline and draft the content of the QBR deck

• Step 4: Review and refine the QBR deck

• Step 5: Deliver and share the QBR deck

The first step in creating a QBR deck is to define the presentation’s purpose and audience. The purpose is the main message or goal that needs conveying with the QBR deck, such as highlighting the achievements, challenges, and learnings of the past quarter, or showcasing the value and impact of the team’s work. The audience is the group of people who will receive or view the QBR deck, such as senior management, peers, clients, or partners. The purpose and audience of the QBR deck will determine the tone, style, and level of detail of the presentation.

To define the purpose and audience of the QBR deck, you should answer the following questions:

• What is the main objective of the QBR deck? What do you want the audience to know, feel, or do after viewing the presentation?

• Who are the primary and secondary audiences of the QBR deck? What are their roles, interests, and expectations?

• How will the QBR deck be delivered and shared? Will it be a live presentation, a recorded video, a PDF document, or a combination of these formats?

• How much time and attention will the audience have for the QBR deck? How can you capture and maintain their interest and engagement?

Based on the answers to these questions, you should write a brief statement that summarizes the purpose and audience of the QBR deck, such as:

This QBR deck shows the achievements, challenges, and learnings of the Client’s business in Q2 2024 and demonstrates the value and impact of our work on the organizational goals. The primary audience is the senior management team, who are interested in the key results, insights, and recommendations from the marketing department. The secondary audience is the other business units and departments, who are interested in best practices, collaborations, and opportunities for alignment with the IT department. The QBR deck will be delivered as a live presentation via videoconference and will be shared as a PDF document via email. The presentation will last for 45 minutes, and will include 15 minutes for Q&A. The QBR deck will use a clear, concise, and compelling style, and will include visuals, stories, and data to support the main points.

The second step in creating a QBR deck is to gather and analyze the data and metrics that will support the purpose and message of the presentation. The data and metrics are the quantitative and qualitative evidence that show the performance and achievements of the business unit or department in the past quarter, as well as the challenges and opportunities for improvement. The data and metrics should be relevant, accurate, and reliable, and should align with the organizational goals and strategies.

To gather and analyze the data and metrics for the QBR deck, Virtual IT Managers (vITMs) and the Virtual Chief Information Officers (vCIOs) should follow these steps:

• Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the success and impact of the business unit, such as revenue, growth, retention, customer satisfaction, engagement, quality, efficiency, or innovation.

• Collect the data and metrics for the KPIs from various sources, such as reports, dashboards, surveys, feedback, or testimonials.

• Compare the data and metrics with the targets, benchmarks, or expectations that were set at the beginning of the quarter, or with the previous quarter or year.

• Analyze the data and metrics to identify the trends, patterns, outliers, gaps, or anomalies that explain the performance and achievements of the business unit or department.

• Interpret the data and metrics to derive the insights, learnings, and recommendations that will inform the actions and decisions for the next quarter.

Examples of data and metrics collected by the vITMs and the vCIOs for analytical purposes could include the following:

• Hardware warranty

• Trend reports

• Network diagram

• CSAT card comments

• Network assessment surveys

• Security training results

• Current technology roadmaps and budgets

• Current Cyber Maturity Model status

• Pending or in-progress projects

• Initiatives completed since last QBR

The third step in creating a QBR deck is to create the outline and draft the presentation’s content. The outline is the structure and flow of the QBR deck, and the content is the text, visuals, and stories that convey the main points and message of the presentation. The outline and content of the QBR deck should follow a logical and coherent sequence and should cover the essential information that the audience needs to know and should be standardized to ensure delivery continuity from quarter to quarter and client to client.

To create the outline and draft the content of the QBR deck, you should follow these steps:

• Use the current cIT QBR Deck template.

• Create a title slide that introduces the topic, the presenter, and the date of the QBR deck.

• Create an agenda slide that summarizes the main sections and points of the QBR deck.

• Create an introduction slide that provides the context, the purpose, and the audience of the QBR deck.

• Create a performance slide that shows the summary table of the data and metrics for the KPIs and highlights the key results and achievements of the past quarter.

• Create a challenge slide that shows the main difficulties, obstacles, or issues that the business unit or department faced or overcame in the past quarter, and how they were resolved or mitigated.

• Create an opportunity slide that shows the main opportunities, trends, or best practices that the business unit or department discovered or leveraged in the past quarter, and how they contributed to the performance and achievements.

• Create a learning slide that shows the main insights, learnings, or recommendations that the business unit or department derived from the data and metrics, and how they will inform the actions and decisions for the next quarter.

• If needed, create a slide that needs to address any current “hot topics” that need to be reviewed with the Client, including any service delivery or project implementation concerns, billing issues, or agreement issues.

• Create a conclusion slide that summarizes the main points and message of the QBR deck and provides a call to action or a next step for the audience.

• Create a Q&A slide that invites the audience to ask questions or provide feedback on the QBR deck.

• Create a thank you slide that thanks the audience for their time and attention and provides the contact information of the presenter.

• For each slide, write the headline, the bullet points, and the notes that capture the main idea and message of the slide. Use clear, concise, and compelling language, and avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that the audience may not understand.

• For each slide, add the proper visuals, such as charts, graphs, tables, images, icons, or logos that illustrate and support the main points and message of the slide. Use consistent and professional design, colors, fonts, and layout, and ensure that the visuals are legible, relevant, and accurate.

• For each slide, add the relevant stories, such as anecdotes, examples, testimonials, or case studies that demonstrate and humanize the main points and message of the slide. Use engaging and emotive language, and ensure that the stories are authentic, relatable, and impactful.

Based on the outline and content, the vCIO should create a draft of the QBR deck that follows the format and structure of the presentation software that will be used. The vCIO should review and revise the draft to ensure that it is clear, concise, and compelling, and that it meets the purpose and audience of the QBR deck.

The fourth step in creating a QBR deck is to review and refine the presentation. The review is the process of checking and improving the quality, accuracy, and effectiveness of the QBR deck, and the refinement is the process of making the final adjustments and enhancements to the QBR deck. The review and refinement of the QBR deck should ensure that the presentation is ready and polished for delivery and sharing.

To review and refine the QBR deck, you should follow these steps:

• Review the content of the QBR deck for clarity, consistency, and completeness. Check that the content covers the essential information that the audience needs to know, and that it follows a logical and coherent sequence. Check that the content uses clear, concise, and compelling language, and that it avoids jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that the audience may not understand. Check that the content aligns with the purpose and message of the QBR deck, and that it does not have any errors, gaps, or contradictions.

• Review the visuals of the QBR deck for relevance, accuracy, and legibility. Check that the visuals illustrate and support the main points and message of the content, and that they are not redundant, distracting, or misleading. Check that the visuals use consistent and professional design, colors, fonts, and layout, and that they are legible, relevant, and accurate. Check that the visuals do not have any errors, distortions, or inconsistencies.

• Review the stories of the QBR deck for authenticity, relatability, and impact. Check that the stories demonstrate and humanize the main points and message of the content, and that they are not irrelevant, exaggerated, or fabricated. Check that the stories use engaging and emotive language, and that they are authentic, relatable, and impactful. Check that the stories do not have any errors, inaccuracies, or biases.

• Refine the QBR deck for delivery and sharing. Check that the QBR deck follows the format and structure of the presentation software that you will use, and that it is compatible with the device and platform that you will use. Check that the QBR deck meets the time and attention constraints of the audience, and that it is not too long, too short, or too dense. Check that the QBR deck includes the necessary transitions, animations, or effects that will enhance the flow and engagement of the presentation. Check that the QBR deck includes the necessary notes, cues, or prompts that will help you deliver the presentation confidently and effectively.

Based on the review and refinement, you should create a final version of the QBR deck that is ready and polished for delivery and sharing. You should test and rehearse the QBR deck to ensure that it works smoothly and flawlessly, and that you are comfortable and prepared for the presentation.

The fifth and final step in creating a QBR deck is to deliver and share the presentation. The delivery is the process of presenting the QBR deck to the audience, and the sharing is the process of distributing the QBR deck to the audience or other stakeholders. The delivery and sharing of the QBR deck should ensure that the presentation is received and understood by the audience, and that it achieves the purpose and goal of the QBR deck.

To deliver and share the QBR deck, you should follow these steps:

• Deliver the QBR deck with confidence and enthusiasm. Use a clear, loud, and expressive voice, and maintain eye contact and body language that show your interest and engagement. Use the notes, cues, or prompts that you prepared to guide you through the presentation and avoid reading from the slides or the script. Use the transitions, animations, or effects that you added to enhance the flow and engagement of the presentation and avoid skipping or rushing through the slides. Use the stories, examples, or anecdotes that you included to show and humanize the main points and message of the presentation and avoid being too formal or impersonal.

• Share the QBR deck with the audience and other stakeholders. Provide the audience with a copy of the QBR deck in the format and medium they prefer, such as a PDF document, a link, or a file. Provide the audience with a summary or a follow-up email that highlights the main points and message of the QBR deck and provides the contact information of the presenter. Provide the other stakeholders, such as senior management, peers, clients, or partners, with a copy of the QBR deck or the summary, and explain the purpose and goal of the presentation, and the key results, insights, and recommendations from the QBR deck.

Based on the delivery and sharing, you should collect and analyze the feedback and evaluation of the QBR deck from the audience and other stakeholders. You should use the feedback and evaluation to measure the success and impact of the QBR deck, and to show the strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement of the presentation. You should use the feedback and evaluation to inform and improve your future QBR decks.

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1. A QBR presentation delivered to the client with action items and client agreement.

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QBR Process Swimlane Map.pdf

Note: Please add KB relationships to core process, process. SOPs or other WIs on the right.