Stop rebuilding the same report every month.
I replace recurring exports, copy-paste steps, and spreadsheet handoffs with a reporting workflow that runs the same way every time. We start with the tools you already have and the report that eats the most hours.
From $5,000. We agree on exactly what gets automated before I start.
- 1. Export sales orders from the CRM1.5 hrs
- 2. Export stock levels from inventory1 hr
- 3. Paste both into Master.xlsx, tabs 2 and 32 hrs
- 4. Fix the formulas that broke3 hrs
- 5. Check totals against last week by hand2.5 hrs
- 6. Copy charts into the operations report2 hrs
- 7. Email it out and hope nothing changed0.5 hrs
- Sales orders pulled from the CRM1m 12s
- Stock levels pulled from inventory48s
- Totals checked against last week35s
- Report updated and sent for review1m 25s
same report, none of the copy-paste
Signs a report is ready to automate
If the numbers themselves don’t agree yet, start with a Reporting Reality Check.
- 01You rebuild it on a schedule: weekly, monthly, quarterly, or every grant cycle.
- 02Every cycle starts with downloading the same files by hand.
- 03The same copy-paste steps happen every time.
- 04Only one person knows how to put it together.
- 05Something breaks right before the deadline, and nobody notices until then.
Recurring reports I automate
Examples, not a full list. If it repeats on a schedule and the rules are settled, it’s probably a candidate. For nonprofit reporting, here’s how I help with nonprofit data and reporting.
Monthly board report
Donations, expenses against budget, and program counts pulled from your CRM and accounting system into one refreshed report.
Grant and funder reports
Participant counts and outputs by program and grant period, calculated the same way every cycle.
Program and service counts
Weekly or monthly numbers combined from intake forms, sign-in sheets, or program spreadsheets.
Fundraising summaries
Gifts, donors, and campaign totals from your donor CRM, ready to review instead of rebuilt.
Roll-ups across programs or sites
Spreadsheets from several programs or locations combined into one file, with a flag when one is missing.
Data checks before the report
Missing fields, likely duplicates, and big month-over-month changes flagged before anyone builds the report.
What you get
- A written map of the current steps, sources, owners, and deadlines
- Data prep that handles the fixes your team makes by hand today
- A repeatable refresh: on a schedule, with one click, or with any manual step spelled out
- A cleaner output: report, dashboard, export, or summary
- Validation checks, included in the Automation Build
- A runbook and a walkthrough at handoff
How the work goes
It starts with a free 30-minute call. Then you get a written scope with the workflow, hours, and price before any work begins. See the full process.
Map the workflow
Every source file, manual step, owner, and deadline, written down.
Prepare the data
Clean up what comes in so the refresh doesn’t fall over.
Build the automation
Repeatable refresh steps, transformations, or lightweight scripts.
Design the output
A cleaner report, dashboard, export, or summary for the people who use it.
Write the runbook
How to run it, fix it, and keep it going, in plain English.
Ready to automate, or not yet?
Automation works best on a process that’s already settled. If it isn’t, we fix that first.
| Ready to automate | Needs cleanup first | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | On a predictable schedule | A one-time report |
| The steps | The same every time | Different each cycle |
| The rules | Agreed and easy to write down | Definitions still unsettled |
| Data access | Stable, with a clear owner | Access or ownership unclear |
| Judgment | Repeatable steps, with a person reviewing the result | Interpretation is most of the work |
How often
- Ready to automate
- On a predictable schedule
- Needs cleanup first
- A one-time report
The steps
- Ready to automate
- The same every time
- Needs cleanup first
- Different each cycle
The rules
- Ready to automate
- Agreed and easy to write down
- Needs cleanup first
- Definitions still unsettled
Data access
- Ready to automate
- Stable, with a clear owner
- Needs cleanup first
- Access or ownership unclear
Judgment
- Ready to automate
- Repeatable steps, with a person reviewing the result
- Needs cleanup first
- Interpretation is most of the work
Two options, priced up front.
The exact workflow, sources, and outputs are written into the scope before anything starts.
Automation Starter
One recurring report or workflow
A review of your source files and manual steps, basic data prep, a repeatable refresh, a cleaner output, and a runbook with handoff notes.
Automation Build
A complex workflow or a small set
Multiple sources, transformations, or outputs, with validation checks, refresh documentation, and a dashboard, export, or summary handed off to your team.
Need more time? Extra hours are $175 each, and only with your approval. If the included hours run out, work pauses until we agree on next steps. New platform purchases, paid APIs, and enterprise tools are scoped separately. Software licenses aren’t included, and fees are billed in advance unless we agree otherwise.
Want someone keeping an eye on it? Fractional BI Support covers monitoring, fixes when a source changes, and the next report worth automating, with 15 hours a month.
Things people ask first
Will it really run on its own?
The scope spells it out: on a schedule, with one click, or with a step like a file download that has to stay manual. You’ll know exactly what to expect before we start.
Do we need to buy new software?
Usually not. I start with the tools you already have. If a new platform, paid API, or other cost would help, we agree on it separately first.
What tools do you build with?
Whatever fits your setup, from Excel and Google Sheets to SQL, Python, dbt, Airflow, and AWS. Simple and maintainable beats clever.
What counts as one workflow?
One repeatable reporting process we agree on up front. A small set is a group of related ones. It doesn’t cover every report in the organization.
Can you automate grant and funder reports?
Yes, when the report repeats each grant cycle and the rules behind it are settled. Those are often great candidates. If funder and board reporting is most of what you need, see how I work with nonprofits.
Do we need to clean up our data first?
No. Preparing the incoming data is part of the work, so the refresh holds up month after month.
How long does it take, and what do you need from us?
We set the timeline up front. You’ll share sample inputs and the output you expect, explain the rules and deadlines, set up access, and review a trial run.
What do we get at handoff?
The working workflow, its output, and a runbook for running and troubleshooting it, plus a walkthrough. Before handoff, we decide who on your team runs and watches it.
What if our process changes later?
Small changes are covered in the runbook. For bigger ones, or ongoing monitoring, monthly support is set up separately.
What if the included hours run out before the work is finished?
Work pauses and we talk before anything else happens. Then we agree on a revised scope together, whether that means trimming what’s left or adding hours at $175 each. You’re never billed for extra hours you didn’t approve.
Let’s get that report off your to-do list.
Tell me which report you rebuild every cycle. On a free 30-minute call, we’ll walk through how it’s made today and whether it’s ready to automate.
Free, 30 minutes. Or email hello@borrowedbi.com