Confirm the boundary
Free · 15 minutes
Fifteen minutes to confirm recurrence, report ownership, input count and whether the work sits inside the launch scope.
Recurring Report Automation Sprint
One report. One reliable workflow. Ten business days.
We rebuild one recurring client report around your existing tools, reconcile the output and hand over a documented system your team can run.
Decision before build
Know what should be rebuilt before touching live systems.
The sprint begins only after a paid diagnostic has established the current workflow, stable inputs, privacy boundary, success criteria and a practical implementation route.
Map the decision
NZ$350
A written current-state map, feasibility assessment, risks, assumptions and recommended sprint. Credited if you proceed.
Build and hand over
NZ$1,800
Ten business days to simplify, build, reconcile, document and hand over the approved workflow.
Exact launch scope
A fixed implementation, not an open-ended software project.
Every boundary appears in the diagnostic and written statement of work. Anything that changes these assumptions is handled through explicit change control.
The complete first-report system
- One existing monthly or quarterly client report.
- No more than two defined, stable input sources.
- One output family: for example, a PDF plus its editable source.
- Mapped inputs, rules, exceptions, owners and review points.
- One semi-automated workflow appropriate to the current tools.
- One stakeholder review round against the approved scope.
- Reconciliation and QA checklist.
- Operating guide, change log and documented handover.
- Fourteen calendar days of bounded post-handover support.
Work that changes the engagement
- A third source system or materially unstable source data.
- A second output family or a materially different report purpose.
- Enterprise data warehousing, platform migration or real-time BI.
- Regulated tax, investment, clinical or legal calculations or advice.
- Health, student or highly sensitive personal information at launch.
- Custom application development beyond a bounded workflow component.
- Unlimited revisions, 24/7 support, uptime guarantees or weekend work.
- Copywriting or analysis that replaces the consultant’s professional judgement.
Change-control rule: anything that adds a source, materially changes the report purpose, creates a new output family, introduces regulated logic or requires platform migration becomes a separate estimate.
Deliverable pack
The workflow is only complete when someone else can run and check it.
The exact technical component varies by report; the control and handover artefacts remain consistent.
Current-state map
Source descriptions, owners, manual steps, transformations, exceptions, checks and delivery path.
Source and rule definitions
Named fields, date logic, joins, filters, calculations, assumptions and sensitivity notes.
Rebuilt workflow
Template, formula, query, script, export routine or simple dashboard chosen for reliability and maintainability.
Client-ready output
A consistent report in the approved Sheets, Excel, Docs, Slides, PDF or dashboard format.
QA and reconciliation
Source totals, row counts, reporting period, filters, formulas, exceptions, narrative and final approval checks.
Operating guide
Refresh, review, exception handling, export, delivery, recovery and ownership instructions.
Change log
Version, date, requested change, reason, risk, test result, reviewer and approval status.
Handover support
Fourteen days for bounded questions or corrections related to the approved implementation.
10-business-day method
Map, simplify, build, reconcile, document and hand over.
The schedule assumes the current report, source access, decision owner and timely feedback are ready when the sprint starts.
Map
Confirm sources, rules, manual steps, known exceptions, ownership, access and success criteria.
Simplify
Remove avoidable steps, standardise labels and decide what should remain deliberately human.
Build
Create the approved workflow in client-controlled accounts wherever practical.
Reconcile
Compare source and output, test exceptions, verify formatting and record unresolved assumptions.
Hand over
Deliver the operating guide, QA checklist, change log, walkthrough and support boundary.
Control and ownership
Automation removes repetition. It does not remove accountability.
The workflow stays understandable, human reviewed and under the client’s control.
Client-controlled accounts
Where practical, files, tools, credentials and production workflows remain in accounts the client owns and administers.
Minimum necessary access
Access is limited to the approved task, with MFA and least privilege expected for project systems.
Human approval
Commentary, exceptions, professional interpretation and final client-facing approval remain human responsibilities.
Visible reconciliation
Every output is checked against defined source totals, periods, filters, rules and exceptions.
Documented handover
The operating guide, QA checklist and change log make the system maintainable beyond the project.
No AI theatre
AI is not the product. A bounded AI step is used only when appropriate, approved and safe for the data involved.
Optional continuity
Keep the workflow reliable when sources and client needs change.
The Report Care Plan is for bounded maintenance after a successful sprint. It is not required for ownership or operation of the workflow.
- Scheduled QA of the operating workflow.
- Minor source, formula, field or layout changes within a defined monthly allowance.
- One bounded improvement allocation.
- Updated change log and a short care note.
- Clear escalation when a change requires a new estimate.
Service questions
The boundaries buyers usually want clarified.
Start with a high-level description. Do not send a report file, client data or credentials through the public website.
What is included in one report?
One existing recurring client report, no more than two defined input sources, one output family, one stakeholder review round, one documented handover and 14 calendar days of bounded post-handover support.
What counts as an input source?
A stable spreadsheet, export, database view or other clearly defined source that can be accessed safely. Several tabs inside one controlled workbook may count as one source when they form one coherent input. The diagnostic makes this explicit.
Can you work with Sheets, Excel, Docs or Slides?
Yes. The method is tool-agnostic and may use Sheets, Excel, Docs, Slides, PDF, a simple dashboard, formulas, queries or a small script. The simplest reliable method is chosen around your existing workflow.
Will you replace our current report design?
Only where the existing design prevents a reliable workflow or you approve an improvement. The goal is to preserve useful analysis and client expectations while making production controlled and repeatable.
How is the output checked?
The sprint defines source totals, reporting dates, filters, joins, calculations, blanks, exceptions and layout checks. The rebuilt output is reconciled against the current source and report before handover.
What is outside the fixed scope?
Additional sources, a new output family, platform migration, real-time enterprise BI, regulated calculations, highly sensitive data, open-ended development, emergency support and material scope changes are separate or excluded.
Do we have to buy the care plan?
No. The workflow is designed for client ownership. The Report Care Plan is optional and covers bounded source changes, minor edits, scheduled QA and a defined improvement allocation.
What happens after the fit check?
A suitable engagement moves to the paid Report Workflow Diagnostic. That diagnostic maps the current state, feasibility, assumptions, risks and exact sprint recommendation before live systems are changed.
Start with fit, not files
Describe the report you rebuild every cycle.
Frequency, format, number of inputs and time spent are enough for the first step.
Book a 15-minute report fit check
No obligation · no public file upload · limited weekday slots