Automate Monthly Management Report Summaries from Xero Data

The problem I’m an accountant and each month I write a management summary based on financial data extracted from Xero. I have historical extracts and the corresponding written reports, which can be used as examples of the analysis, structure and tone I need. I’d like to automate this process to reduce the time spent drafting reports, while keeping the commentary accurate, relevant and easy to review. My preference is to start with a programmatic, rules-based approach: calculate the relevant movements and financial indicators, then generate commentary using defined logic and templates. I’m also open to including AI where it adds clear value, provided the financial calculations remain reliable and the written output can be checked against the underlying data. Scope of work Phase 1: Assessment and recommendation Review a representative sample of historical Xero extracts and their accompanying management summaries, then deliver a written recommendation covering: • Which parts of the commentary can be automated reliably, and which require additional context or accountant judgment • The calculations, comparisons and materiality thresholds needed to identify movements worth commenting on • How to reproduce the structure, tone and level of detail of the existing reports • The approach you recommend: rules and templates, AI-assisted generation, or a combination, with the trade-offs explained • How missing data, inconsistent account mappings and unusual transactions should be handled • A practical implementation plan, including costs, ongoing maintenance and any recurring service fees The initial solution can work from exported Xero files. Direct integration with the Xero API can be considered if it offers a clear benefit. Phase 2: Implementation Build the agreed solution. Depending on the approach, this will include: • Importing and validating the monthly Xero extracts • Calculating the financial metrics and comparisons required by the reports • Applying agreed rules to identify material changes, trends and exceptions • Generating an editable management summary in the agreed format • Making it straightforward to trace figures and statements back to the source data • Flagging points that need review or additional explanation • Testing the output against historical reports and refining it based on my feedback • Providing documentation and a handover so I can run the process each month and adjust the reporting rules over time If AI is included, it should use verified calculations and supplied context, avoid inventing explanations for financial movements, and handle confidential financial information appropriately. Success looks like: I can provide a new monthly Xero extract and generate a consistent, accurate first draft that substantially reduces writing time. The figures reconcile to the source data, the commentary highlights the important movements, and anything requiring my judgment is clearly flagged. Required skills • Strong Python or comparable programming skills for data processing and reporting automation • Experience working with accounting data and a sound understanding of profit and loss, balance sheets and management reporting • Ability to turn reporting examples into clear calculations, rules and reusable commentary templates • Experience validating financial outputs and handling incomplete or inconsistent source data • Judgment about maintenance burden; I’d rather have a straightforward system I can use each month than a complex one that needs constant developer support • Clear written English and the ability to explain technical choices to an accountant Nice to have • Experience with Xero exports and the Xero API • Previous work automating management accounts or financial commentary • Experience combining deterministic financial calculations with AI-generated narrative • Experience generating formatted Word or similar editable reports To apply, please tell me • How you would decide which parts of this process should use rules and templates, and where AI might help • A comparable reporting automation you’ve built, including the inputs, outputs and how you checked accuracy • What sample extracts and historical reports you would need to assess the project • How you would prevent the system from producing plausible but unsupported explanations for financial movements • Your availability, rate and indicative cost for the initial assessment