Reporting and dashboards
Automating reporting and evaluations
The monthly report usually follows the same routine: export data from two or three systems, merge it in Excel, update KPIs, recreate charts, transfer everything into a template and send it out. Anyone who does this regularly knows how much time goes into steps that have nothing to do with the actual evaluation.
I automate that routine: the data is merged and checked, the KPIs are calculated according to documented rules, and the result is delivered in the form that is actually needed – as an updated Excel file, a PDF report or a dashboard.
Not every report needs a dashboard. The output format follows the need, not the other way round.
Typical starting points
- The monthly or weekly report is assembled by hand from several exports.
- KPIs live in different Excel files and nobody is sure which version is current.
- Charts and tables for management are recreated every time, although only the numbers change.
- An evaluation is so laborious that it is done less often than would be useful.
- Two departments calculate the same KPI differently and the numbers don't match.
Who is this for?
Departments and businesses where reports and evaluations are produced regularly: controlling, sales, management, project management, administration. This service is for people who produce or read reports – not for data teams with their own infrastructure.
What can be automated
Merging data
Automatically combine exports from several systems, Excel files and APIs into one consistent data basis.
Checking data
Automatically check completeness, plausibility and cut-offs so errors are caught before they end up in the report.
Calculating KPIs traceably
Every KPI gets a documented definition that applies to everyone. The calculation is reproducible and can be traced back to the source.
Generating recurring reports
Automatically fill and distribute Excel files, PDF reports or presentation slides based on existing templates.
Dashboards
When numbers are needed continuously and different people need different views, an interactive dashboard is the right form – with automatic updates.
Visualisation
Charts that make the decisive point visible, instead of cramming as many numbers as possible onto a page.
Report or dashboard – how I decide
An automatically generated report is the right choice when the evaluation is needed at fixed intervals, the recipients read it rather than work in it, and a template already exists that everyone is used to. Such a report can be distributed by email, filed and archived.
A dashboard pays off when numbers are needed continuously, different people want to see different views, or follow-up questions should be answered directly in the data. It needs a live data connection and someone to maintain it.
Often the best solution is a combination: an automated data basis that feeds both the monthly report and a current overview. Which tools are used – Excel, Power BI, a web view or something else – depends on what you already have in house.
When does it make sense?
Makes sense when …
- the same evaluation is produced regularly and the rules for it are known.
- the data exists, but assembling and preparing it takes most of the time.
- several people work with the same numbers and a shared state is missing.
- reports arrive too late to still influence decisions.
Less suitable when …
- the evaluation is a one-off or the question changes every time.
- the data basis itself is not right yet – then data collection should be sorted out first.
- an existing BI system already meets the requirement and only its use is missing.
How I work
- 01
Understand the report and its sources
We go through today's report: Which numbers does it contain, where do they come from, who reads it, which steps take the most time? This usually also reveals which KPIs are vaguely defined.
- 02
Build the data basis
Merging and checking the data is automated. KPIs get a fixed definition. This is the part that replaces most of the manual work.
- 03
Implement the output
Report, dashboard or both – implemented in the environment you already use wherever that makes sense. Existing templates are kept.
- 04
Updates and handover
Scheduled updates are set up. You receive documentation, KPI definitions and a walkthrough.
What you get
- An automated data basis that merges and checks exports
- Documented KPI definitions that apply to all reports
- Automatically generated reports, a dashboard or both – in the agreed format
- Scheduled updates, documentation and a walkthrough
Limits
- Automation makes reports faster and more consistent, but not smarter. Which KPIs matter is for you to decide.
- If source data is incomplete or contradictory, reporting shows the problem – only the source can fix it.
- A dashboard with a live data connection needs operation and maintenance. For infrequent reports that is often more effort than it saves.
Frequently asked
- Which reports can be automated?
- All reports that are produced regularly according to the same rules: monthly and weekly reports, KPI overviews, sales and project evaluations, management reports, reconciliations between systems. The prerequisite is that the data is accessible and the calculations can be described.
- Can data from several Excel files be merged?
- Yes. That is one of the most common cases. The files don't have to be structured identically; different column names or structures are standardised during merging.
- Do I need a dashboard for automated reporting?
- No. If a report is read at fixed intervals, an automatically generated Excel or PDF file is often enough. A dashboard pays off when numbers are needed continuously or different people want to see different views.
- How often can reports be updated?
- As often as the source data allows – daily, weekly, monthly or on demand at the push of a button. With a live data connection a dashboard can also be updated several times a day.
- Can existing report templates be reused?
- Yes, in most cases. A proven Excel or PowerPoint template is filled automatically instead of rebuilt. That eases adoption because recipients keep the familiar format.
Next step
Which report costs you the most time every time?
Describe where the numbers come from and who reads the report. You get an assessment of which steps can be automated and whether a dashboard is needed at all.