How to tell if a report is worth it
Before automating a report, answer one question: what would you do differently after reading it? If the answer is "nothing", automating it just gives you one more email. A useful report has four things: someone who reads it, a fixed date, few numbers and an action behind it.
The five most useful reports
| Report | What it shows | Decision it changes | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales by channel and shop | Physical shop, website and marketplaces against last week | Where to put stock and effort | Daily or weekly |
| Items running out | What will sell out before the next restock | What to order today | Daily |
| Dead stock | Products that have not moved for weeks | What to discount or return | Weekly |
| Returns by reason | Sizes, defects, misleading photos | Which listing or supplier to fix | Weekly |
| Recovered carts | How many abandoned carts end in a purchase | Whether the reminder works or changes | Monthly |
Where the data comes from
It comes from what you already have: the till, the online shop and the marketplaces. The system reads it, joins it and sends the summary. You do not need new software. The delicate part is that each source names things differently:
- The same SKU. If it does not match between till and website, sales do not add up. This is the real work of the first week.
- Returns. Each channel counts them at a different moment, so you must decide how to subtract them.
- VAT. Always compare with or without VAT, never mixed.
- Stock. If it does not match across channels, neither will the report. First sync your stock.
Spreadsheet, dashboard or alert
There are three ways to receive the same thing, and this is the usual order:
- An alert by WhatsApp or email. Three lines with what matters today. It is what actually gets read.
- A spreadsheet that fills itself. For anyone who wants to touch the numbers.
- A dashboard. Useful with several shops or several people looking, but only opened if someone has the habit.
What an automatic report does not do
- It does not tell you why sales fell: it shows the figure, and the explanation is still yours.
- It does not fix bad data: if your till has generic products, the report will be just as generic.
- It does not decide for you: it proposes, records and alerts.
Where to start
Start with one: items running out, because every mistake there is a lost sale. Check for two weeks that it matches the till, then add the next. Everything else that gets automated in a shop is in automation for retail.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to buy reporting software?
Usually not. Data from the till, the online shop and the marketplaces can be joined and sent with no new licences, as long as those tools let you get it out.
What if my till has no API?
We look for another route, such as a daily export of the sales file. If there is no way to get the data out, we say so before charging.
How often should a sales report arrive?
It depends on the decision it changes. Items running out, daily. Sales and dead stock, weekly. Recovered carts, monthly.
Can it arrive on WhatsApp?
Yes. The usual setup is a short summary on WhatsApp or email, with the detail in a spreadsheet for anyone who wants to look.
Does it work with just one shop?
Yes. With one shop and a website, the items-running-out and dead-stock reports already save time. The per-shop report only helps if you have several.
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