Each month, APS’ finance team generate profit and loss statements for approximately 90 member groups, distributing them to around 230 contacts. The reports detail each group’s starting budget, income, expenses, and current position, along with a transaction summary for the financial year – vital information that informs each group’s overall financial and operational health.

But the reporting process was labour-intensive and time-consuming. Reliant on a legacy system which plugged into APS’s finance system to produce Excel reports, this process, while functional, required significant manual inputs, including curating email distribution lists with reports sent to each recipient individually.

With a senior internal accountant spending upwards of two days every month on the task, APS needed a modern, automated solution to streamline their processes, reduce staff workload, and enhance security.

Brennan designed and implemented a modern reporting system using Power BI paginated reports with dynamic receipt subscriptions. This solution addressed APS’s key challenges: automating the reporting processes; simplifying email distribution; and eliminating reliance on the aging server.

The solution included:

1. Automated Report Generation: Power BI paginated reports were configured to generate detailed monthly profit and loss statements and transaction summaries for all member groups. These reports grow cumulatively, providing a comprehensive financial overview.
2. Dynamic Email Distribution: A single, easily updated spreadsheet was created to manage contact details for report recipients. The dynamic receipt subscription system automated the distribution process, ensuring reports were emailed to the correct recipients by the end of each month.
3. Server Decommissioning: Migrating to Power BI allowed APS to decommission their on-premise server, aligning with their cloud-first transformation strategy.

The implementation of Power BI transformed APS’s financial reporting process, delivering significant efficiency gains and security improvements:

1. Time Savings: The reporting process, which previously took 1.5 days, now takes just 2.5 hours each month. This freed up valuable time for the finance team, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
2. Automation: Reports are generated and distributed automatically, removing the manual effort required to send emails to 230 contacts across 90 member groups.
3. Improved Accuracy: The automated system ensures consistent, error-free reporting, building trust in the data among APS staff and member groups.
4. Modern Data Management : The decommissioning of the legacy server aligned APS with modern cloud-based infrastructure standards.
5. Positive Feedback: Member groups praised the new system, noting its efficiency and reliability. The transition was seamless, with no complaints or issues reported post-implementation.

Conclusion

By modernising APS’s financial reporting system, Brennan delivered a scalable, secure, and efficient solution that has transformed how APS supports its member groups.

The automation of report generation and distribution not only saved significant time but also enhanced the accuracy and security of financial data. This project highlights Brennan’s ability to empower organisations with innovative solutions, unlocking new efficiencies and enabling APS to focus on their core mission of advancing psychology in Australia.