Let’s be honest: reporting is supposed to make your team look smart, but usually it just eats up your time. If you’re buried in spreadsheets, chasing down data, or waiting for someone to “just pull the numbers,” this guide is for you. We’ll walk through how to set up automated reporting workflows with the Proof GTM platform—warts and all—so you spend less time copying and pasting, and more time actually using your data.
Why Automate Reporting? (And When Not To)
First, a gut check. Automation isn’t always the answer. If your reports change every week, your data sources are a mess, or you don’t trust your own numbers, automating will just make your problems faster. But if you’ve got the same metrics to wrangle over and over, and your sources are (mostly) reliable, automating can save hours and headaches.
Good candidates for automation: - Weekly/monthly sales or marketing performance reports - Executive dashboards with a fixed set of metrics - Customer health or churn tracking
Bad candidates: - Reports that change format or KPIs every cycle - Anything requiring lots of subjective analysis or commentary - “Can you just pull this one weird number for me?” requests
If you’re good to go, let’s dig in.
Step 1: Get Your Data Ducks in a Row
Proof can’t automate what you can’t define. Before you even log in, make sure you know: - Where your data lives: CRM? Marketing automation? Spreadsheets? - How often it updates: Real-time? Daily? Weekly? - Who needs to see what: Different audiences may need different views.
Pro tip: If you’re still manually exporting CSVs or cobbling together data from five places, pause. Get your sources cleaned up first. Proof can connect to a lot, but it’s not a miracle worker.
Step 2: Connect Your Data Sources to Proof
Once you’re ready, log into Proof and head to the integrations section. Here’s where things can get sticky, so don’t expect it all to be plug-and-play.
- Check for native integrations: Proof offers direct connections to popular CRMs (like Salesforce), marketing tools, and data warehouses. If yours is on the list, great—follow the prompts, authenticate, and map your fields.
- Use APIs or uploads if you must: Not everything has a native connector. For oddball tools, you’ll have to use file uploads (usually CSV) or API connections. This takes more setup, but it’s a one-time pain.
- Set update schedules: Decide how often Proof should pull new data: hourly, daily, or custom intervals.
What works: Native integrations are usually smooth, but plan for some fiddling with field mapping. What doesn’t: Expect hiccups with custom fields, legacy tools, or anything built in-house.
Step 3: Build Your Reporting Templates
Now for the fun part (relatively speaking). Proof lets you create reporting templates—think of these as blueprints for the reports you’ll send out on autopilot.
- Start with a template: Proof has out-of-the-box templates for common metrics and dashboards. Use these as a starting point.
- Customize to your needs: Add or remove metrics, rearrange layouts, drop in charts, or build your own from scratch. Don’t get lost in the weeds here—a clean, simple dashboard beats a cluttered one every time.
- Set filters and views: Tailor reports for different teams. Sales wants pipeline, marketing wants leads—set up filtered views so everyone gets what matters to them.
Pro tip: Do a dry run with real data before you automate. You’ll catch goofy numbers or broken charts before your boss does.
Step 4: Set Up Automation Rules
Here’s where the time savings kick in. Proof lets you schedule reports to run and send themselves—no more “just pinging you for the latest numbers” emails.
- Pick your frequency: Daily, weekly, monthly, or custom. Don’t overdo it—nobody reads a dashboard at 8am every day unless their job is on the line.
- Choose recipients: Email, Slack, or direct link. You can even set up different versions for different teams or execs.
- Set triggers: Advanced users can trigger reports off events (like when a campaign goes live or a sales goal is hit). Useful, but don’t get too clever—complex triggers are usually the first thing to break.
What works: Regular, predictable reports. What doesn’t: Overly complex triggers or sending too many reports. People tune out.
Step 5: Test, Test, Test
Automated doesn’t mean hands-off—at least not at first. Before you roll anything out:
- Review report previews: Send test versions to yourself and a teammate. Check for missing data, weird formatting, or security issues (no private customer info where it shouldn’t be).
- Check links and drilldowns: Make sure interactive charts or links work for all users, not just admins.
- Audit permissions: Proof lets you control who sees what. Double-check that sensitive info isn’t leaking to the wrong audience.
Pro tip: Schedule a review at least once a quarter. Data sources change, fields get renamed, and integrations break. Don’t assume it’ll just keep working forever.
Step 6: Gather Feedback and Iterate
The real world is messy. Once your automated reports are live, expect some pushback or confusion. That’s normal.
- Ask for feedback: Are the numbers useful? Anything missing? Too much detail? You want reports that actually get read, not just “delivered.”
- Trim the fat: If a section isn’t getting used, cut it. If people keep asking for one extra chart, add it. Don’t be precious about your templates.
- Keep it simple: The more complicated the workflow, the more likely it’ll break down the line.
What to Ignore (For Now)
Proof is a flexible platform, but you don’t need every bell and whistle on Day One. Here’s what most teams should skip at first:
- Complex custom scripting: Unless you love debugging, stick with what’s built-in until you outgrow it.
- Exotic visualizations: Fancy charts look cool, but nobody cares about a “sunburst radial” if the basic numbers aren’t right.
- “AI-powered insights” hype: Some of Proof’s AI features are useful, but don’t expect the machine to tell you what matters. Automation is about speed and consistency, not magic.
Summary: Keep It Simple, Review Often
Automating your reporting with Proof can be a lifesaver—but only if you keep things straightforward and review them regularly. Don’t try to automate every edge case right away. Start with your most painful, repetitive reports, get those working, and build from there.
If you’ve set it up right, you’ll spend less time herding spreadsheets and more time figuring out what to actually do with the numbers. And isn’t that the point?