Automation Tools Reducing Admin Overhead

Automation Tools.
Saving time and reducing admin overhead.

Challenge: The project controls team was spending significant time on repetitive manual tasks — daily and monthly reporting, schedule updates, and bulk email communications to project managers (PMs). These processes involved multiple data extracts, manual formatting, and duplication of effort, which introduced a high risk of errors and slowed down decision-making. The administrative load was diverting effort away from higher-value tasks such as analysis, planning, and stakeholder engagement.

Solution: Within just a few weeks, a suite of automation tools was developed to streamline these workflows and leverage existing data sources:

• Morning Reporting Tool – Automated the daily data depositories and reporting process (previously ~1.5 hours per day), consolidating data extracts from multiple sources into a consistent format.
• Schedule Master – A drop-in replacement built with VBA and Power Query to merge data from P6, data extracts, and internal tables. This removed duplication, reduced file sizes, and eliminated manual entry errors.
• Schedule Review Bulk Email Generator – Automatically generates tailored emails for each Project Manager, attaching the right files, customising the message body, and even sending follow-up reminders where needed.

Together, these tools cut out large volumes of repetitive admin while ensuring accuracy and consistency across reports and communications.

Outcome: The automation suite is already saving the equivalent of a quarter of a full-time role (13+ weeks per year) — time that can now be redirected into value-adding activities and professional development. Reporting is faster, more reliable, and less prone to human error. Project Managers and Project Controllers receive consistent, customised outputs, and leadership benefits from clearer visibility with less administrative overhead.

By building sustainable tools that work off existing data sources, the team now has structured, repeatable processes that reduce complexity and create lasting efficiencies.