A report needs manual copying from several systems. What should we automate first?
Fragile reporting pipelineStandardize definitions and source ownership before automating extraction and reconciliation. Automating inconsistent data faster does not make the report reliable.
What to do now
- Map the source and meaning of each field
- Resolve duplicate or conflicting definitions
- Automate repeatable extraction and checks
- Retain review for material exceptions
When to escalate
Escalate when
Automation would publish unverified or sensitive data.
Who decides
The metric owner and relevant decision maker
Example
A report automates approved invoice and receipt extraction with reconciliation checks.
Mistake to avoid
Building an automated dashboard before agreeing what its numbers mean.
Prevent a repeat
Check data freshness and meaning, and verify that the measure improves decisions rather than encouraging cosmetic progress.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Projects
- Tasks
- Timesheets
- Documents
Use the underlying named records and evidence when explaining a metric; validate any dashboard behavior against the current implementation. See the platform
Related cases
- How do we detect vanity metrics in project reporting?Metrics without decision value
- How do we report forecast changes over time?Lost forecast history
- How do we decide which tests to automate first?Automation priority
- How do we report one status across predictive and adaptive workstreams?Incompatible progress measures