Write down the comparison
Record the exact report or saved-search names, the totals being compared and the business question. Preserve the run date and the parameters used. A screenshot without the settings may hide the reason two results differ.
Align the reporting context
Check the period or date range, subsidiary, currency, accounting book where applicable, and other relevant filters. Note the user role and whether the two views were run under the same access. These are investigation points, not an assumption that any one setting is the cause.
Find a small, concrete example
Identify one transaction or a narrow group of records that appears in one result but not the other. Capture the record identifiers, the expected treatment and any related adjustments. A specific example is easier to investigate than a large unexplained difference.
Share the evidence securely
Provide the report definitions, parameters and examples through the agreed support channel. Keep sensitive financial and customer data out of public messages. Tell the consultant about deadlines, recent report changes and any manual adjustments used to reconcile the totals.
Agree on how the fix will be checked
Define what a correct comparison means with the finance owner. Re-run the agreed examples after a change and check a second period or representative exception where appropriate. Document the settings and explanation so the team can repeat the process.