Automation can gather information for reports, and AI may help draft a summary. The report is only useful if its sources, figures and interpretation are checked.
Connect the information
Identify which approved systems or spreadsheets contain the data, who owns them and how often they update. A connection may require technical work and access controls.
Prepare and check
A report can highlight changes or suggest commentary. Check the calculations and explanations against the source; AI may miss context or state an incorrect conclusion confidently.
Agree responsibility
Name someone to review and approve the report, handle missing data and investigate failures. Measure whether it reduces effort without reducing quality.
Agree what each figure means
Before combining reports, name the source for each measure, its owner and the period it covers. Check whether two systems describe the same item differently, whether values use the same currency and whether an update has arrived on time.
Test a normal reporting period, a missing source and a duplicate record. The report should make gaps visible and allow a reviewer to trace important figures back to the source. An AI-written explanation is a draft, not a substitute for checking the calculation.
Make a sales report useful
For a weekly sales report, agree whether a figure means new enquiries, signed orders or money received; these are different measures. Show the reporting dates and when each source was last updated. If a source is late, mark the result as incomplete rather than reporting a drop as though all the information had arrived.
A colleague can review a draft summary against the figures and add context such as a seasonal closure. Compare preparation and checking time with the existing report, and make sure a reader can find the underlying records when a number needs investigation.
See APIs and integrations explained for the basics of moving information between tools.
