Marketing Agency Operations Automation Tool Development Example

This project began when a small consulting firm found that creating monthly client reports had become a major burden for its staff. At the turn of each month, the person in charge logged in to multiple advertising platforms and analytics tools, manually downloaded CSV data, used Excel macros to build charts, converted the results into client-specific PDF reports, and attached them to individual emails.

Once the firm had more than 20 clients, this manual reporting work required over three full days and began to interfere with core consulting work. Copy-and-paste errors and the risk of sending reports to the wrong recipients had also become clear operational concerns.

Rather than building a large CRM or custom dashboard from scratch, we proposed a single-purpose tool that enables one staff member to complete the monthly reporting process with a small number of actions.

To make a three-week delivery feasible, the initial scope fixed the SaaS platforms to be connected, the metrics to be retrieved, and the report layout before development began. Client-facing logins, complex permissions, a database, in-system storage of report history, and additional SaaS integrations were excluded. The solution fetches data through external APIs, aggregates it and creates reports on demand, then automates PDF generation and email delivery without introducing a new persistent database.

On the assumption that the existing Excel report, metric definitions, API test accounts, and test delivery addresses are supplied at the start, and that reviews can be completed in short cycles, we defined a scope that could be delivered for $2,200 in approximately three weeks. Replacing a pixel-perfect reproduction of the Excel design with a fixed HTML/CSS layout that prints reliably from a browser also helped to keep both cost and delivery time down.

Technical Configuration

An Option for AI-Assisted Handling of Sensitive Data

The standard configuration in this example does not include generative-AI analysis or automated narrative writing. If a team later wants to create report summaries or draft commentary without sending advertising or analytics data to external AI services, we can separately consider a private AI configuration using a locally run LLM on PCs or servers managed by the client. Learn more about our Private AI & Local LLMs service.

This option requires an assessment of the source data, the response speed needed, available CPU, GPU, memory, and network controls. Because hardware upgrades, network configuration, and additional validation may be required, it is not included in the standard $2,200 / three-week scope and is quoted separately according to the requirements.

The deliverables consist of three items: the internal web application, a basic configuration manual describing client and integration setup, and an API integration test-results list.

The initial release was limited to the minimum administration screen for internal reporting staff, external API integrations, and email delivery. The system was not designed to store report history internally; sent reports remain in the staff member’s email outbox through BCC operation.

Workflow and Screen Overview

Main Data Managed by the System

This project was completed in approximately three weeks on the assumption that the existing report, metric definitions, API test accounts, and test delivery addresses were provided at the start. By finalizing the target scope and representative report in Week 1, we reduced late-stage rework and completed API integration, PDF generation, email delivery, and production verification in a short cycle.

Payment Terms

As a general rule, we do not require an upfront payment. There was no advance payment at the time of contract; the full amount was invoiced only after all development work and the client’s acceptance were complete.

The following costs cover initial-scope requirements alignment, fixed-layout report generation, external SaaS API integration, PDF generation, email delivery, testing, and production release. They do not include database construction, client-facing logins, complex permission management, additional SaaS integrations, or a private AI / local LLM environment.

Currency and Invoicing

All amounts on this page are approximate U.S. dollar (USD) figures, converted from the original Japanese yen (JPY) estimate at an assumed exchange rate of around JPY 150 per USD and rounded for readability. Quotations and invoices can be issued in USD, JPY, or other currencies upon request; the applicable exchange rate, conversion basis, and any bank or payment-provider fees will be confirmed in advance for each project. For clients outside Japan, payments are generally handled as transactions exempt from Japanese consumption tax.

Supplement: Estimated Third-Party Service and Maintenance Costs After Launch

Because this system uses a serverless environment and does not introduce a database, ongoing operating costs can remain low. The following are estimated monthly costs required after production launch, separate from the initial development fee.

The three-week delivery was possible because we defined at the outset what needed to be automated and what would remain outside the initial scope. The central problem was the burden of manually creating and sending a different monthly report for every client. Rather than building an elaborate dashboard or client portal, we focused on a reliable flow that collects data from fixed sources, turns it into PDFs, and delivers it by email.

With the existing report format, metric definitions, and API test environment available from the start, we could complete reviews in short cycles and reduce the staff member’s month-end workload to a few minutes of button operations. This case kept the initial cost to $2,200 while reducing both misaddressed emails and copy-and-paste mistakes.

If the client later wants AI to draft commentary or next-action suggestions based on the report figures, Private AI & Local LLMs is also an option alongside cloud-AI integration. It can be designed to keep business data within client-managed infrastructure, although it requires a separate design based on the data type, available hardware, and network requirements.

Typical Scope for Common Add-Ons

Once the operation is established, a common next step is a client dashboard (My Page) that allows clients to view their latest data at any time. Because this requires a client database and secure login functionality, such an addition typically costs $4,000–$6,000 and approximately 1.5–2 months of development.

Starting with small, reliable business automation frees time for core consulting work. Expanding the system only when the need arises remains a highly cost-effective approach for a small business.