Which part of this report are you rebuilding?

Use one recent completed engagement. Separate repeated production from the judgement your client pays for.

Download editable check Inspect the fictional reporting example

Trace one complete reporting cycle.

Name the paid output. What report, for whom, how often and how many versions? Which parts repeat?
Follow the inputs. Where do they arrive? Who maps, corrects and reconciles them? What happens when a source changes?
Identify the calculations. Which definitions, denominators and rules must remain consistent? Who owns them?
Count the whole effort. Include preparation, specialist review, corrections, administration and maintaining existing automations. Record actual effort separately from estimates.
Inspect the alternatives. Could a template, a simpler method or a reporting vendor solve the job? What does your existing software already support?
Define useful acceptance. What should happen with normal inputs, missing data and a changed source? Who approves the output? What would make the change worth its total cost?

A cost can already be included in your fee and still be worth reducing. The question is whether a reliable improvement is valuable after its setup, review, maintenance and adoption costs.

This worksheet is a decision aid. It does not diagnose your firm or establish savings.

See how we approach a reporting implementation.