Automated Reporting
The problem
Every week someone exports data from several tools, pastes it into a spreadsheet and builds the same report. It takes time, numbers disagree between sources, and the report is already out of date when it is read.
How it works
The data sources are connected once. A scheduled job pulls, cleans and combines the data, and delivers the finished report to the right people by email or in a shared portal.
The calculations are defined once, so everyone sees the same figures.
- Agree the questions. List what the report must answer and who reads it.
- Connect the sources. Secure, read-only connections pull the data automatically.
- Define the calculations. Metrics are defined once and reused every time.
- Deliver on a schedule. The report is generated and sent without anyone building it.
What it automates
- Pulling data from several systems
- Combining and cleaning the data
- Calculating agreed metrics
- Generating and sending the report
- Flagging data that looks wrong
Where it fits
It reads from the tools you already use and writes to email or a shared dashboard. It does not change how data is entered in those tools.
Potential benefits
- Less time spent building reports
- One agreed definition of each figure
- Reports available on time, every time
Limitations
- It can only report what the source systems record accurately
- Changes to a source tool may need the connection updated
- Someone still needs to interpret the results
How to start
- Pick one recurring report that takes the most effort.
- Write down exactly how each figure is calculated today.
- Automate that one report, compare it with the manual version, then move to the next.
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