Leverage with AINumbers and reporting
Every Monday somebody copies the same numbers by hand
A report that assembles itself and arrives by email, with the same numbers defined the same way every time.
Who this is for Owners and managers whose decisions rest on a few numbers living in several different systems.
The problem
The weekly numbers assembled by hand
The numbers exist, but in different places: the shop, the books, an ad account, a spreadsheet. Once a week somebody gathers them by hand, so the report is late, and now and then something is counted slightly differently from last time. Comparing with last month is hard, because the method moved.
You will know it by
- The report needs a person and a couple of hours.
- The same figure differs between two spreadsheets.
- Decisions get made from memory, because the numbers are not ready yet.
- When that one person is away, there is no report.
Possible solutions
Not every road leads to me
One tidy spreadsheet
A clear sheet with defined figures, filled in by hand.
Where it stands Often enough, and the right place to start. The limit is that it gets filled in only while somebody has time.
A dashboard tool
Tools that connect sources and draw the charts.
Where it stands Powerful, but they need the data to be tidy already, and the fee repeats every month.
A report that arrives on its own
The numbers gathered from your systems and emailed at an agreed time, with a note on what changed.
Where it stands This is the one I build. Worth it when there are several sources but few figures and they are settled.
What I set up
We agree the five or six numbers that actually change decisions, and define exactly how each one is counted, once. They are then gathered from your systems automatically and arrive by email at an agreed time, with a comparison against last week and a short note on what moved. When a number is not available the report says so, rather than leaving a zero that looks like an answer.
How it goes in
- We choose the figures by one test: what would I do differently because of this.
- We define how each one is counted, in writing, so it stops moving.
- We connect the sources and compare against a report prepared by hand.
- We set the time and the recipients, and leave it running.
The limit The report is only as right as its sources. If the data is entered inconsistently, fixing that is the first job, and it becomes obvious the moment two sources are compared for the first time.
The work It depends on whether your systems let you reach your own data. Some do, some need an export route, and that is checked before the scope is agreed.
The prices on this site are final.
What it brings
Numbers when the decision is made
Monday's decision rests on Monday's report rather than on last month's feel.
The same counting every time
Comparing weeks means something only when the method stays still.
The report does not depend on one person
A holiday stops being the reason there are no numbers.
How you check it yourself
Note how long the report takes to prepare now, and how many times a quarter it was late or missing. After this, the second number should be zero and the first should stop mattering.
Is this your job?
Tell me how this runs at your place now. On a 30 minute call I will say whether it is worth automating, where I would start and what it needs.
Book a 30 minute callThe call is free, with no obligation and nothing to sign.
Not sure which job is first for you? The free assessment says where the hours go. Start the assessment
Common questions
Does this even need AI?
Usually not, and I say so plainly. Gathering numbers is automation, not AI. AI earns its place here only where a change needs explaining in words, or where free-text feedback needs summarising.
Can it be a dashboard rather than an email?
It can, but a dashboard has to be opened while an email arrives on its own. We start with the email, and build a dashboard only if you find yourself wanting to dig, rather than up front.