Data for decisions.
Check the summary.
A useful summary answers a specific question, shows sources and reveals gaps. Define the data scope and verification process so AI helps assess the situation rather than producing a persuasive story without evidence.
At a glance
- Start with the decision, period and data definitions.
- Separate facts, calculations and proposed interpretations.
- Missing data should be visible in the summary.
Which question should the material answer?
Instead of requesting “a business report”, specify the decision: which projects need attention, where delivery is delayed or what changed in customer service. Define the audience, period and detail level. Each additional system should contribute information needed for that question.
Agree what terms such as active project or resolved request mean. Different systems may count the same events differently. A summary combining data without these definitions may compare values that are not comparable.
What is fact and what is interpretation?
Calculate figures with a verifiable tool using specified data. For important values, retain the source, period and calculation method. AI can describe differences and suggest questions, but confident wording does not validate calculations or explain why a change occurred.
Illustrative example: open requests increased, but a new intake channel was added that week. The summary should note the measurement change. The increase alone is not enough to conclude that service quality declined.
How do you show what remains unknown?
Identify missing sources, stale data and conflicting information in the material. Do not fill gaps with assumptions. If missing information affects a decision, show it beside the conclusion rather than only in a closing footnote.
- What does the data support and where can it be checked?
- Which explanations are hypotheses to investigate?
- What information is missing before a decision can be made?
How do you assess the whole workflow?
Compare several summaries with manual analysis of the same material. Check figures, important omissions and correction time. Agree who approves the material and who decides. Preparing a summary does not grant permission to change plans, budgets or customer data.
If the summary feeds another harness task, pass sources, definitions and open questions with the text. Shared context should reduce repeated data gathering while keeping findings verifiable. Value comes from the quality of this work and the cost of reviewing it, not report length.
Sources and next step
These sources describe mechanisms and good practices. They do not confirm your company’s configuration or compliance. The examples in this guide are illustrative.
To apply these questions to your business, explore the related service. A description of your situation is enough for an initial discussion; do not send passwords or confidential data through the form.
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