Select a report and the decision it supports
Identify its readers, deadline, and the decision that follows. An illustrative example is a weekly operations report used to decide which branches need attention. Collect earlier report versions and note frequently corrected sections. The requirement becomes clearer when the team separates time-consuming preparation from judgments that still belong to a manager. Ask readers which fields actually affect their decision.
Agree KPI definitions before connecting data
Document the formula, unit, period, and included or excluded transactions for each indicator. Sales might mean orders placed, invoices issued, or payments received. Do not mix those meanings without explanation. Decide how cancellations, returns, tax, and late transactions affect the report. The business owner should approve definitions before the figures become performance measures. Keep those definitions alongside the reporting specification.
Map sources and the level of detail in each table
Record the source application, owner, access method, refresh schedule, and transaction identifiers. Check whether each row represents an order, an order line, or a daily summary so joins do not duplicate values. Microsoft’s modeling guidance explains the importance of consistent data granularity. Define checks for missing records, duplicates, and differences from source totals before producing an automated narrative.
Separate calculations from narrative drafts
Run agreed formulas through calculation logic that can be inspected. AI can help explain figures that have already been validated. Require the narrative to identify its period and indicators, and distinguish observations from possible explanations. A sales decline alone does not demonstrate that promotion, service, or market conditions caused it. Any causal interpretation needs additional evidence and appropriate review.
Define corrections, failures, and approval
Decide whether a report can be released when one source is incomplete. Show refresh time and draft status so readers understand the limitations. Assign an owner for failure notifications and an approver for distribution. When source data is corrected, keep enough version information to explain what changed. Automated delivery should follow agreed recipient and approval rules, including handling a corrected report.
Evaluate alongside the current process
Compare automated output with a team-reviewed report for the same period. Record numerical differences, narrative corrections, preparation time, and review time. Assess more than dashboard appearance. KODE can discuss reporting automation around available sources and the decision being supported. A sanitized example of the report structure is enough to begin scoping, followed by agreement on the comparisons required before wider use.