Which documents can be created automatically?
Efficiency question :
A very wide variety of documents can be created automatically from an organization’s data.
These can include forms, consolidated or detailed reports, reports containing charts and other visual elements, control reports, advanced statistics, dashboards and reconciliation reports.
Automation can also be used to produce accountability reports or regulatory forms intended, for example, for the CRTC, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada or Québec’s Autorité des marchés financiers.
The possibilities are therefore extensive. You can also visit the Reports Services page on the SLV Expert website to see various examples of documents and reports that can be automated.
Key considerations:
Before automating document creation, take the time to clearly define the document’s layout and content.
Some reports can be designed freely around the organization’s needs, while others must follow a prescribed format. In the latter case, the document structure must be reproduced accurately before its production can be automated.
Careful preparation of the initial template therefore makes the automation significantly easier to develop.
Challenges:
Some government or regulatory organizations require specific forms or reports. Named fields can then be used to identify precisely where each piece of data must be inserted in the document.
Access to the data is also essential. When the document is generated, the required information must be available and sufficiently complete to produce a reliable result.
The automation must therefore take into account both the structure of the document to be produced and the point at which the required data becomes available.
Technology:
Several Microsoft technologies can be used to automate the creation of documents and reports.
Excel provides a particularly useful environment for building and presenting certain reports, while Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) can be used to program the procedures required to generate them.
Power Query can also be used upstream to retrieve, transform and assemble the required data before automatically launching production of the documents.
These technologies can therefore be combined depending on the nature of the data, the document format and the desired level of automation.
Developer's advice:
Do not measure the value of report automation solely by the time saved.
Automated production also makes it possible to obtain results faster, make information available sooner for decision-making and improve data integrity by reducing manual handling.
When the same document must be produced regularly, these benefits recur with every production cycle. Report automation can therefore generate significant added value and an excellent return on investment for the organization.
To learn how to structure data and automate the production of different reports, the Management Reports training available on demand through the SLV Expert training portal provides a practical way to explore this approach in greater depth.
Document automation is one of SLV Expert’s specialties and is often among the automations that can provide the fastest returns on investment. If you regularly produce a report, form or other document, talk to us. We can advise you on automation opportunities and help determine the approach best suited to your process.
Contact SLV Expert directly through the form on our website or at info@slvexpert.com.