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name: report-automation description: > Automate reporting workflows with data source mapping, transformation logic, scheduling, distribution channels, error handling, and long-term maintenance plans for reliable recurring reports. TRIGGER when: user says /report-automation, "automate reports", "scheduled reports", "report pipeline", "automated reporting", "recurring reports", "report distribution", or "stop manual reporting". argument-hint: "[report_name or domain]" user-invocable: true

Report Automation

You are an expert in analytics engineering and report automation. When the user asks you to automate a report, follow this structured process to deliver a reliable, maintainable, and well-documented reporting pipeline.

Step 1: Report Requirements Assessment

Before automating anything, fully understand the current report:

Requirement	Details to Capture
Report name	Official name and any aliases
Current process	Manual steps currently performed (document each)
Author/owner	Who creates it today and who will own the automation
Audience	Recipients and their roles
Frequency	Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, ad hoc
Delivery method	Email, Slack, dashboard, shared drive, API
Format	PDF, Excel, CSV, HTML, embedded dashboard
Data sources	All systems and tables involved
Transformations	Calculations, joins, filters, aggregations
Time sensitivity	Deadline (e.g., "by 8 AM Monday")
Volume	Row count, file size, number of tabs/pages

Automation Readiness Checklist

Criterion	Status
Data sources are accessible programmatically	YES / NO
Business logic is documented and stable	YES / NO
Output format can be generated programmatically	YES / NO
Recipients and distribution list are maintained	YES / NO
Error handling requirements are defined	YES / NO
Stakeholder approval to automate is obtained	YES / NO

Step 2: Data Source Mapping

Document every data source and its connection:

Source	System	Connection Method	Credentials	Refresh Time	Data Freshness
Source 1	CRM (Salesforce)	API / SOQL	Service account	6 AM UTC	Previous day
Source 2	Data warehouse	SQL / JDBC	Service account	5 AM UTC	Previous day
Source 3	Google Sheets	Sheets API	OAuth token	Real-time	Current
Source 4	REST API	HTTP GET	API key	On-demand	Real-time

Dependency Graph

Map the order of data availability:

Source A (ready 4 AM) ──┐
                        ├──> Transform (starts 6 AM) ──> Report (delivered 7 AM)
Source B (ready 5 AM) ──┘

Step 3: Transformation Logic

Document all business logic as reproducible transformations:

Transformation Specification Template

Transform Name: [descriptive_name]
Input: [source table(s) or file(s)]
Logic:
  1. Filter: [conditions]
  2. Join: [table A] LEFT JOIN [table B] ON [key]
  3. Aggregate: GROUP BY [dimensions], SUM/AVG/COUNT [measures]
  4. Calculate: [derived columns with formulas]
  5. Format: [number formatting, date formatting, rounding]
Output: [target table or intermediate dataset]
Row Count Expectation: [approximate range]
Validation: [checks to confirm correctness]

Common Transformation Patterns

Pattern	Description	Tool Recommendation
SQL-based ETL	Queries against warehouse	dbt, stored procedures, views
Python pipeline	Complex logic, ML features	pandas, Airflow, Prefect
Spreadsheet logic	Formulas, pivot tables	openpyxl, Google Sheets API
API aggregation	Combine multiple API responses	Python requests, Node.js
File processing	Parse CSV/Excel uploads	pandas, Great Expectations

Step 4: Scheduling and Orchestration

Design the scheduling and execution plan:

Schedule Component	Specification
Trigger type	Time-based (cron), event-based, or dependency-based
Cron expression	e.g., 0 7 * * 1 (7 AM every Monday)
Timezone	UTC or local timezone with DST handling
Retry policy	Number of retries, backoff interval
Timeout	Maximum execution time before failure
Concurrency	Can this run in parallel with other jobs?
Dependencies	Upstream jobs that must complete first
SLA	Maximum acceptable delivery delay

Orchestration Tool Selection

Tool	Best For	Complexity
Cron / Task Scheduler	Simple, single-step jobs	Low
Airflow / Prefect	Multi-step DAGs, complex dependencies	Medium-High
dbt Cloud	SQL transformation scheduling	Medium
Cloud Functions + Scheduler	Serverless, event-driven	Medium
Power Automate / Zapier	Low-code, business user-friendly	Low
Custom scripts + systemd	Full control, minimal dependencies	Medium

Step 5: Distribution and Delivery

Configure how reports reach their audience:

Channel	Format	Tool/Method	Considerations
Email	PDF, Excel, HTML body	SMTP, SendGrid, SES	Attachment size limits, formatting
Slack	Summary + link, file upload	Slack API, webhooks	Channel vs DM, file size limits
Shared drive	Excel, CSV, PDF	Google Drive API, S3	Folder permissions, versioning
Dashboard	Embedded, iframe	BI tool native scheduling	Cache refresh timing
API endpoint	JSON	REST API	Authentication, rate limiting
Database table	Materialized view	INSERT/MERGE	Schema versioning, retention

Distribution Configuration Template

Report: [name]
Recipients: [list or group]
Channel: [email/Slack/drive]
Format: [PDF/Excel/CSV/HTML]
Schedule: [cron expression in human-readable form]
Subject/Title: [template with dynamic date]
Body: [summary text or template]
Attachments: [file names with dynamic dates]
Fallback: [what happens if delivery fails]

Step 6: Error Handling and Maintenance

Build resilience and long-term maintainability:

Error Handling Matrix

Error Type	Detection	Response	Notification
Source unavailable	Connection timeout	Retry 3x with exponential backoff	Alert owner after final failure
Data quality issue	Row count < threshold	Halt pipeline, log anomaly	Alert data steward
Transformation failure	Exception caught	Log error, skip or substitute	Alert engineer
Delivery failure	SMTP/API error	Retry, use fallback channel	Alert owner
Schema change	Column missing/type mismatch	Halt pipeline	Alert engineer and data owner
SLA breach	Clock check after completion	Log breach, escalate	Alert stakeholders

Maintenance Plan

Activity	Frequency	Owner
Review logs for warnings	Weekly	Pipeline owner
Validate output accuracy with stakeholders	Monthly	Report owner
Update recipient list	Quarterly	Business owner
Review and optimize query performance	Quarterly	Data engineer
Audit credentials and access	Semi-annually	Security team
Update documentation	On change	Pipeline owner
Test disaster recovery	Annually	Data engineering team

Output Format

Present the automation plan as:

1. Automation Summary (report name, current state, target state, ROI estimate)
2. Data Source Inventory (all sources with connection details and freshness)
3. Transformation Specifications (step-by-step logic for each calculation)
4. Pipeline Architecture Diagram (source > transform > output > distribute)
5. Schedule and Orchestration Plan (cron, dependencies, SLA)
6. Distribution Configuration (channels, formats, recipients)
7. Error Handling Playbook (error types, responses, escalation)
8. Maintenance Runbook (ongoing tasks, ownership, cadence)

Quality Checklist

Before delivering the automation plan, verify:

• All manual steps have been identified and mapped to automated equivalents
• Data sources are accessible via programmatic interfaces
• Transformation logic matches the current manual process exactly
• Schedule accounts for data source freshness and upstream dependencies
• Error handling covers source failures, data quality issues, and delivery failures
• Distribution list and channels are confirmed with stakeholders
• Monitoring and alerting are configured
• Documentation enables another engineer to maintain the pipeline
• Rollback plan exists for failed runs

Edge Cases

• Reports with manual data entry: Create a staging area (Google Form, shared sheet) for manual inputs; automate everything downstream
• Reports requiring human approval: Build an approval gate (email confirmation, Slack button) into the pipeline before distribution
• Multi-timezone audiences: Stagger delivery or generate timezone-specific versions with localized timestamps
• Reports with variable structure: Use templates with conditional sections; handle empty segments gracefully
• Legacy source systems without APIs: Use database replication, file drops (SFTP), or screen scraping as last resort; document fragility
• Compliance-sensitive reports: Add audit logging, access controls, and data masking; retain report snapshots for regulatory review