How to Automate Reporting: The Practical Guide with No Fluff

In the days of old, standard data searches and manual report generation used to consume days on end to prepare data, including wasted hours laboring over Excel formula errors. I've been able to design an automated Report Generation System in literally minutes—without hiring developers and without multi-million dollar budgets—here at ASCN.AI.

In over 11 years of working within the industry, I have learned one thing: if your company doesn't automate routine tasks, you will ultimately lose to your competitors. You won't necessarily lose because your products are inferior; your company will likely lose because of speed and accuracy. The difference between your company and the competition is that your employees are drowning in spreadsheets (Excel) and manually generating data from multiple databases and systems; whereas, your competitors' employees have everything automated.

The first thing ASCN.AI did after we launched our Ecosystem in 2022 was we eliminated ALL routine reporting functions within the company. As a result of this approach, five people now perform the functions of twenty! The goal was not to downsize the company; instead, we have freed up over 75% of the employees' daily responsibilities allowing employees time to perform the functions that matter most to the overall success of the company.

How Does Report Automation Work?

Report Automation refers to the process of automatically collecting, processing, and structuring your company's data into a finished document. You do not have to do anything in this process. You design the report once; after that, you will never be required to manually enter data again. On a daily basis, at 9:00 AM, an email with your current (up-to-date) financial report generated automatically will be delivered to your inbox. This report has automatically compiled data from your CRM, Accounting Software, and Bank Statements.

With a fully integrated system, you're able to automatically generate an employee expense report directly from scanned receipts. You no longer have to deal with questions like "Where's the file?" or "Why don't the numbers match?" because it's an automated event that occurs once your receipts are uploaded.

Here's how it works: You provide your system access to your data source (DBs, Tables, and APIs) and set up processing rules (where you put each piece of data and how you calculate certain totals) and configure triggers. A trigger is simply something that makes the report run, such as "every Monday" or "immediately after receiving my payment".

Why Automate It?

An automated report saves 5–40 working hours per month, depending on the volume and frequency of your reporting. As an example, after implementing an automated reporting process within QuickShock, our accountant no longer takes 2 days to close each month; rather, he only takes 3 hours, and the majority of those 3 hours are spent verifying the information rather than gathering it.

You can significantly decrease the time required to prepare reports through the use of automation. Obviously, that's a huge benefit to business owners by saving them money.

By automating the report-preparation process, automation can greatly reduce the amount of time spent preparing reports by between 20–80%, thus saving a tremendous amount on labor costs.

In addition, automation offers significant accuracy advantages. Humans can become tired, lose focus, and mix columns up, especially when processing large volumes of data. An automated system can be programmed to make very few errors if configured properly; hence, when using automation, management reporting errors often decline from a rate of 15%–20% to less than 2%. By removing the possibility of human error by automating a report preparation process, you can expect an overall reduction in error rates of 70%–90%.

Reporting automation decreases the possibility for error by 70–90% by using automated processes instead of manual methods.

And lastly, there is the speed of decision-making. Reports can be created at the same time as the problem presents itself. For example, if someone has exceeded their budget for a given category, the system will send out an automatic alert. You wouldn't find out about an over-expenditure until the end of the week. Having access to reports in real time increases the speed of management decision-making by 30%.

The purpose of this article is to provide information for educational purposes only. Consult with professionals that specialize in automating these types of processes before implementing anything based upon this information.

The Impact of Report Automation on Business Operations

The impact of automation on reports cannot be understated; the entire organization will be impacted. Since departments are now able to work together in real-time, the "disconnect" that exists between departments is eliminated. This means that sales, finance, and management can all see the same critical information with no delays.

This is especially important when working in the volatile crypto market. Arbitrage Scanner identifies arbitrage opportunities between exchanges in seconds. If it were being collected by hand, that opportunity would not be there when you reached it. Also, using the same collection method to create funding reports would provide a complete view of where your positions are profitable in less than 10 seconds.

With integrated data automation, departments can achieve consistency in how they operate, while at the same time, the speed of information flow between departments increases significantly. Because of this capability, it is no longer necessary for organizations to rely on "irreplaceable" employees to generate reports. Instead, with rules-based report generation taking place, an individual can learn to produce reports in a few days (as opposed to several months with traditional methods) using a fully functional report generation system.

Two Major Components of Automatic Reporting

Expense Reports

An expense report is one of the most common report types for Automated Report Generation and is used as a verification method by employees for the expenses they have incurred from advances issued to them. The typical workflow of processing an expense report is as follows: An Employee will accumulate their receipts, summarize the information into a spreadsheet or manually enter the data from their receipts, attach the receipts electronically, and send the expense report to their Accountant for review. The Accountant will then review the expense report, determine the accuracy of the information contained within it, and return the expense report to the Employee for corrective action. This cycle continues until the expense report is approved by the Accountant.

However, with Automated expense report processing, it is much easier for the Employee. The Employee can take pictures of their receipts (via a messenger or by uploading the receipts directly to the system), and the program will automatically:

• convert the image of the receipt into text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
• extract the required details (such as amount, date, and category)
• populate the expense report with this information
• present the Employee with the information that needs to be verified prior to submission

The accounting department will receive an organized, structured document with attachments.

Automation of Expense Reporting Specifics

The most difficult part about automating Expense Reporting is the difference in the format of Receipts as well as the requirement that the information included on the receipt includes mandatory information (e.g. Tax ID, amount, date). As such, the system must be able to convert a receipt from a café, a hotel invoice, and an e-ticket into a common format that allows for efficient completion of the report by the Employee.

OCR and Data Validation will be utilized by the system to notify the Employee immediately if a receipt they are trying to submit for reimbursement is deemed "corrupted" or missing required details; however, this notification will occur at the same time the Employee submits their report, as opposed to the following week after their report has been returned by their Accountant.

The ability to integrate the Automated Expense Reporting System with Accounting systems such as 1C or SAP via APIs provides the ability to export Expense Reporting data without having to duplicate the effort of manual data entry. Setup occurs once and the process continues to run unattended until it reaches its end.

Automated Expense Reporting saves approximately 60–80% of the time needed to process expenses, therefore reducing the number of errors made in processing.

Financial & Management Report Automation

Financial reports include Balance Sheets, Profit And Loss statements, and Cash Flow reports. Internal Management Reports are designed specifically to help the company evaluate individual manager sales performance, the success of its marketing department and to track key indicators (KPIs).

Automation provides the highest level of accuracy possible in financial reporting. Therefore, the most advanced tools that are currently available are used to automate financial report generation. These tools include Enterprise Resource Planning systems, such as SAP and Oracle, as well as online accounting platforms like 1C: Fresh or MoySklad. The analysis tools provided by these systems allow financial data to be simultaneously generated in accounting entries and final report forms (Balance, Income, Cash Flow reports). Implementation time for these automated tools can vary from a few days to months, but once established all reports will be updated with the click of a button or automatically.

Management Reports are frequently designed to include analysis metrics that do not appear in the standard financial report forms. Business Intelligence systems collect data from disparate sources, integrate, analyse and report on the data via an interactive graphical Dashboard. Some examples of such metrics include: the profit related to marketing costs and the profitability of a project.

Other Types of Automated Reports

In addition to the above mentioned types of financial and expense reports, many other types of reports can now also be automated, to include: timesheets, inventory reports, sales/trade reports, project reports, and KPI reports.

KPI and Project Reports

KPI Reports include the status of the tasks performed and/or budgeted by the project managers and provide valuable insights into the status of projects as they progress over time. Traditional methods for tracking task status have included using multiple spreadsheets and periodic meetings to review project performance, creating significant difficulties for teams attempting to conduct timely and accurate project reporting. By utilizing Project Management System Integration tools, teams can use their tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello, ClickUp) to automate reporting on project tasks and thereby have access to predictable and timely reports. Automated task, deadline and costs tracking provides for real-time visibility of project progress. Alerts and live dashboards can be configured to provide immediate updates to project team members.

Reporting on KPI metrics (conversion rate and average response time) allows project managers to quickly review performance in one click through an export of CRM data to a Business Intelligence Analytics tool (Google Data Studio, Power BI).

Combining automated reporting with project management systems increases transparency and saves managers 40% of the time it takes to prepare reports.

Report Automation Tools and Systems

Excel is one of the easiest platforms to use for enabling report automation. As a result, it is commonly used across organizations since the cost of entry is affordable; there is no need to purchase expensive software or learn how to use complicated programs. The following are essential components required to create automated report forms:

• A formula (examples are SUM(), VLOOKUP(), SUMIF()) will automatically generate totals
• Pivot Tables to aggregate data according to pre-selected criteria with just a click
• Power Query for connecting with external data sources (databases, APIs, other Excel files) to automatically pull the latest data into the report when it is created or updated

Illustration of Commonly Used Formulas and Macros for Reporting

Example formula for monthly sales report for Ivanov:

=SUMIFS(D:D, B:B, "Ivanov", A:A, ">=01.01.2025", A:A, "<=31.01.2025")

Utilization of VBA macros allows for automating routine administrative functions like the creation of a new spreadsheet with formatted headers. Example of a Macro:

Sub CreateReport()
    Sheets.Add.Name = "Report " & Format(Date, "mmm yyyy")
    Range("A1:E1").Value = Array("Date", "Manager", "Client", "Amount", "Comment")
    ' Next: copy and format data rows
End Sub

For non-programmers who wish to create macros, both the built-in recorder and tools like ChatGPT are available.

Popular Automation Systems (BI, CRM, ERP)

• Business Intelligence (BI) — Power BI, Tableau, Google Data Studio: combine multiple data streams into one source and create interactive dashboard displays.
• CRM — amoCRM, Bitrix24, Salesforce: track your sales process and get reports on your sales funnel, conversion rate, and efficiency.
• ERP — 1C, SAP, Oracle: an all-in-one solution that keeps all of your data and processes organised in one place and enables you to generate financial reports based on accounting data.

Connecting to Accounting / Financial Systems

The primary objective is to be able to automatically connect your accounting system (1C) to your bank(s) through an API. This allows you to receive automatic electronic updates of bank statements, which can then be assigned to different accounts and utilized to create up-to-date cash flow statements. Connectors and ETL tools allow you to perform this type of integration without having to duplicate any of your work.

We have set up integrations for some of our clients that allow us to pull data from cryptocurrency exchanges using an API to Google Sheets, where we generate automated reports. The setup of those integrations took a few hours, and what used to take them almost a full day of manual labour now takes them almost no time to complete.

No-Code Platforms

If creating code or connecting via APIs doesn't interest you, there are multiple no-code platforms available — visual automation builders — including Zapier, Integromat (also known as Make), n8n, and ASCN.AI NoCode. You may simply select a trigger (e.g. "new row in Google Sheets"), attach actions (such as sending the data to a CRM, generating a report, sending a notification via Telegram), all from within an integrated graphical interface.

ASCN.AI NoCode — Capabilities and Configuration

ASCN.AI NoCode is a specific automation platform specifically designed for the crypto industry and AI agent use cases. It has been built because many of the available no-code solutions do not support complex logic or access to blockchain-derived data.

• Pre-configured automation scenarios for the automation of finance, sales, expenses, and project analytics reporting
• AI agents to automate the analysis and decision-making for specific use cases such as expense categorization and task prioritization
• Dedicated connectors to enable integration with platforms such as Google Sheets, Telegram, CRM Systems, Banking APIs, and Crypto Exchanges
• Blockchain API technology for reports on Ethereum wallets, Bitcoin wallets, transactions, and DeFi

You create your workflow visually by adding the nodes you will require to perform the tasks, then you link these nodes together using arrows, and the result is a working workflow. For example, "Every Monday → Collect data from table → Send report to Telegram."

As a company we are currently using ASCN.AI for our internal processes. We generate and distribute to the team daily reports on Arbitrage Scanner subscriptions. This saves the team a lot of time.

Practical Steps to Automated Reports

Data Analysis / Preparation

Before you start with the process of creating automated reports, you should consider the data sources that you will use and their formats. If you are using multiple sources to create the report (e.g., from a CRM, warehouse, Bank, Advertisement and Spreadsheets), you should check the following:

• Data Availability: Are there APIs for the data sets? Is there an ability to export the data file to CSV/Excel? Where is the data kept?
• Format of the Data: Are the formats of the data consistent? Examples of formats are: Dates, Currencies, and Fields — should not contain duplicates within the source data.
• Completeness of the Data: Have all mandatory fields been completed when compiling the report?

If you don't analyse correctly, you could quickly cause errors or inaccurate reports through your automated systems. The next step in the process is the cleaning and standardisation of your data; this includes putting all of your dates into a single formatted way, putting all of your amounts into one currency, and creating a standard reference book for categories. You can accomplish these tasks using Excel, Python programs, or ETL tools (Extract, Transform, and Load).

Building the Automated Report Form

To create an automated report, identify which fields and calculations you need to include in your final report and how to group that data together. For example, in an expense report, the final report will contain the date of the transaction, the category of the transaction, the amount of the transaction, any comments included by the user, a scanned copy of the receipt provided by the user, the total amount calculated for that user's report, and any remaining balance due from the previous report.

Once you identify the fields required for the final report, you need to create a template in Excel, Google Sheets, or a database that will allow you to automatically populate all of the fields with data you enter into your template.

Using no-code platforms (for example, ASCN.AI), you will build the workflow for your automated report: Trigger → Collect → Process → Generate Document.

Generation and Delivery Configuration

To build out the pipeline for the generation and delivery of reports, you need to set up where to send your reports based on how you would like to be able to access those reports from your no-code platform (for example, to send them via email, messenger, or a cloud folder).

Triggers to execute your report generation can be based on:

• Scheduled — for example, daily, weekly, at the beginning of a month
• Event-Based — for example, when a new transaction or order or payment is input
• User-Requested — when a user requests a specific report through the interface

Testing and Launch

Once you have created your reports through the automated process, it is essential to thoroughly test each and every one of them:

1. Manually reconcile your automated reports against your manual calculations on test data to ensure accuracy.
2. Verify error resistance — missing required fields or incorrect data should trigger a notification, not a crash.
3. Assess how quickly you can generate automated reports — if you are experiencing delays, identify the cause and eliminate it.

Once you have tested your automated report generation system with successful results, your system will be ready for full production mode. Monitor your initial automated report process for several weeks. Gather feedback.

Automating Report Generation: Step-by-Step

1. Goal Definition. For example, we want to automate our weekly sales report with metrics for leads, conversions, and revenue.
2. Collect Data Sources. To collect data for the sales report via our CRM tool (amoCRM), we will also need access to Google Sheets as a data source for transactions, and check whether there is an available API for access.
3. Create New Workflow. In your automation software, create a new workflow and name it.
4. Schedule Trigger. Define the time trigger for the report: for example, every Monday morning at 9:00 AM.
5. Connect Data Sources. Connect to amoCRM API via an HTTP request, and to Google Sheets for transaction data.
6. Process Data. Use logical nodes and AI agents within your workflow to process the data and generate the final report (as a text message or table).
7. Delivery Configuration. Configure the report delivery. For example, if you are using Telegram, configure your delivery to send to a specific chat.
8. Manual Testing. Test the reports generated by the automated process manually to ensure they are correct.
9. Workflow Activation. Activate the automated workflow so that it will run regularly.

Comprehensive Automation Tips and Recommendations

Process Optimization

Remember that automation is simply a tool and does not solve disorganized processes. You will need to establish a Single Source of Truth (SSOT) for all source data, create a unified system to define how source data is filled out, and develop best practices and processes to accurately fill out your SSOT.

Questions for Optimizing Automation Process:

• Can we reduce the number of data sources we use to compile reports?
• Can we simplify our calculations?
• Can we eliminate duplicate information?

Through our practice, we find that process optimization can reduce total workload for automated reports by 30%–40% before any technical configuration occurs.

Common Automation Errors and Recommended Avoidances

• Mistake #1: Automate all processes at once rather than in phased implementation. It is much better to automate one task and then expand on that as time goes on.
• Mistake #2: Ignoring error handling. A system must report a mandatory field as empty, rather than crashing.
• Mistake #3: Not documenting settings. Document how formulas, data sources and calculations are organized.
• Mistake #4: Storing passwords and API keys insecurely. Utilize secure vaults for storing API keys and passwords.
• Mistake #5: Not training employees. Automation will not work unless employees are trained.

The effectiveness of even the best automation relies heavily upon employees' readiness and continuous support from the company.

Monitoring Automated Reports & Their Updates

Monitor regularly for:

1. The health status of the API and data sources
2. The relevance of the business rules and calculations from sources
3. The addition and necessary modification of new metrics

Keep an electronic changelog for easy identification of failures.

FAQ

How can I automate my reports in Excel?

There are several ways to automate reports:

1. You can create simple reports and update them manually, or use Power Query to pull external data automatically using formulas or pivot tables.
2. You can create repetitive, more complex forms of automation using VBA Macros, which can execute on their own upon completion of a user-created task.
3. You can use Power Query for external, real-time data pull without writing any code.

Excel has frequently been combined with various no-code platforms (such as ASCN.AI) to provide a means of automatically generating and distributing reports on a timetable.

Which systems can best automate reports?

The system that will support the automation of reports depends on how large your company is.

• For a Small Company: Use Google Sheets along with either Zapier or ASCN.AI NoCode as a fast and affordable solution.
• For a Medium Sized Company: A CRM and BI Systems along with cloud based accounting would address the company's primary reporting function requirements.
• For Large Corporations: An ERP and professional BI Systems can help to provide the full automation of all business reporting processes/systems.
• For Companies Operating In The Cryptocurrency Market: ASCN.AI has a very robust native integration of APIs/data feeds from many of the world's major exchanges.

Can Expense Reports Be Automated?

Yes, they can. Simply have the employee upload a receipt, where the system will use OCR to scan and identify the receipt, then a structured report will be produced. The accountant will verify and approve it with one click of a button, and the information will then be automatically exported to accounting software as well. This saves the processing team upwards of 80% of the time they typically would have spent processing an expense report, and significantly reduces the likelihood of errors occurring.

Conclusion and Summary of Key Points

1. The first step to building a solid foundation for automation is to thoroughly analyse and optimise existing processes.
2. Select your reporting tools based on the size and functions of the intended reports (from Excel to ERP Systems and NoCode Platforms).
3. Conduct thorough tests on all automations to prevent any error occurrences before enabling full function.
4. Train all employees to efficiently use automated reporting systems, as they are the key to maximising the effectiveness of the automated system.
5. Maintain and update all automation solutions with consideration of new technologies and changing business processes as they evolve.

After 11 years of working in automation, I have come to believe that the speed at which an organisation makes decisions, and how efficient it operates, is tied directly to the level of reporting automation employed by that organisation. Speed and accuracy in accessing data is a genuine advantage over competitors, and the basis for sustainable growth.

Next Steps To Begin Automating Reporting Within Your Organisation

1. Identify your most painful report from the standpoints of time and/or effort required to produce it, and document in great detail the entire process of collecting the necessary data for that report.
2. Find a tool that will meet your needs at an acceptable cost for automating the reporting process.
3. Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for automating the report, then add features/functions over time.
4. Test the results using historical data inserted into the MVP, compare the results and make necessary adjustments.
5. Implement your fully functioning process and actively solicit feedback from users.
6. Once the process has stabilised, scale it to other reporting processes as well.