My group’s templates either get rejected for being robotic or praised when we pretend they’re bespoke. How do you strategically choose what to automate? Is there a decision matrix or is it pure politics? What sections consistently fly under the ‘customization radar’ at your shop?
anything after page 40 is skimmable. automate the back half and spend your effort on the exec summary. bonus: include one intentional typo in appendix C so MDs focus their red pens there instead of your actual work
Analysis of 450 client feedback forms shows 92% focus on first 15 pages. Highest customization ROI: synergy analysis (+22% approval), management Q&A (+18%), deal rationale (+15%). Automation-safe zones: index pages (7% recall), disclaimer blocks (2%), historical trading data (11%).
Every automated section is a chance to shine elsewhere! Your future self will thank you during the next fire drill!
We once automated the whole industry overview and the client loved the ‘consistent formatting’. Joke’s on them – that section hasn’t been updated since 2019. Just keep the charts looking fresh and nobody notices.