Variance Needs A Cause Chain
Write variance commentary that separates the symptom, driver, root cause, and management action.
Variance commentary should answer the next why. Symptom Name the gap with numbers: actual versus plan, prior period, or forecast. Without the baseline, the reader cannot judge scale. Driver Identify the first business driver: volume, price, mix, timing, productivity, quality, or data restatement. This explains the arithmetic. Root Cause Ask why the driver changed. Keep going until the cause reaches a controllable process, decision, handoff, or constraint. Do not stop at a label like "demand" or "delays" if it still hides ownership. Action Close the comment with owner, action, and next evidence point. That turns variance reporting into operating control.
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