About MTM
MTM is an award winning insight and strategy agency known for its deep sector expertise across technology, media, telecoms and finance. MTM works in close partnership with global brands to help them execute confident, insight based decisions. Their approach combines robust survey design with strategic storytelling that senior stakeholders can act on. For MTM, research is not just about collecting data, it is about equipping clients with clarity at moments that matter. Read on to learn from Liam Bowden, Research Director at MTM about their journey to transforming their reporting workflow and the lessons learned along the way.
Google Slides Reporting at Global Scale
Liam explained that, one of their most significant programmes involved delivering a multi-market brand tracker for a global technology client, operating entirely in Google Slides. The tracker covered nine markets and evaluated multiple brands across detailed performance metrics, including brand funnel measures, developer experience, category drivers and audience segmentation by firm size and type.
Each wave required five comprehensive brand reports, each exceeding one hundred slides, alongside a high level executive summary designed for senior leadership. The scope was extensive and the expectations were high. This was not simply presentation work. It was a high volume Google Slides reporting workflow operating across markets and brands.
“This wasn’t just a deck. It was a reporting engine running across markets and brands .“
Liam Bowden
Director, MTM
The Hidden Friction of Manual Google Slides Reporting
Initially, this multi market reporting project was manageable for the team at MTM. However, as the brand tracker scaled, the operational strain of manual Google Slides reporting began to surface.
Data integration between Excel and Google Sheets required workarounds. Imported charts became static images. Data visualisation required a two window workflow, Google Sheets for data and Google Slides for presentation. This separation created additional manual steps and reduced efficiency compared to PowerPoint’s integrated model.
Slide duplication meant rebuilding underlying sheets rather than simply swapping datasets. Formatting inconsistencies appeared during transfers. Working across dual windows became standard practice. Together, these inefficiencies created friction that accumulated with every reporting wave.
Liam emphasised, “It wasn’t one dramatic failure. It was the constant rebuild that slowed us down.”
The Cost of Manual Reporting Workflows
The greatest pressure came from repetition. Five brands meant five near identical Google Slides reports. Hundreds of charts required manual construction, validation and formatting. While the analytical thinking remained engaging, the production phase became increasingly time intensive.
By the third year, the survey framework had stabilised and year on year comparability was firmly established. That consistency revealed an operational gap. While the research design was standardised, the reporting workflow was not. The team was rebuilding the same reporting architecture every cycle instead of leveraging automated reporting.
“We’d standardised the thinking. But not the production.“
Liam Bowden
Director, MTM
The Shift to Google Slides Automation
MTM began to rethink their approach; “We began exploring how another system could support high volume chart production without placing additional strain on the team, while also ensuring template consistency across brands and markets.” They needed to reduce manual formatting, accelerate turnaround times without compromising quality and minimise the risk of human error associated with repetitive slide production.
From there MTM turned to E-Tabs automation for Google Slides reporting and have not looked back.
Solving the Reporting Bottleneck with Automation
One of the most important shifts automation made possible was proactive reporting preparation. Rather than waiting for final data before beginning report production, MTM agreed templates in advance, set up structured data maps early and began working with interim datasets.
This allowed them to review report structures, test automated outputs and verify chart accuracy before entering the most time sensitive reporting phase. By the time final reporting began, they were not troubleshooting formatting issues. They were operating from a position of readiness and control.
“We were really happy that we got everything as set up as it could be before we’d even completed fieldwork. So we were in a really strong position before we came to that reporting period. “
Liam Bowden
Director, MTM
Escaping the Google Slides Reporting Time Trap
Liam added that, “Before we had the support of E-Tabs, reporting timelines were really quite intense.” Producing five brand reports required substantial manual charting and repeated slide building across multiple decks.
Once E-Tabs automation was implemented and the first deck was configured, the reporting dynamic changed significantly. Liam explained, subsequent Google Slide decks could be produced in a fraction of the time. As the automated reporting system matured, efficiency increased further.
The reduction in reporting time was measurable and substantial. Importantly, MTM could deliver time savings to their client without increasing internal pressure or compressing delivery schedules.
“Once we got the deck set up, the running of the consequential decks were done in less than half the time. “
Liam Bowden
Director, MTM
A Reporting Automation Partnership That Powers Performance
The success of the project was not solely about Google Slides automation. It was also about how the E-Tabs Bureau reporting service operated as an extension of the MTM team.
This was not a transactional engagement. The Bureau team collaborated closely with MTM to test slide designs, refine chart structures and optimise the automated reporting framework.
Templates were agreed in advance, structured data maps were implemented and interim data was used to validate outputs before final delivery. This proactive reporting automation approach ensured continuous dialogue and refinement.
Once a reporting solution was built for one brand or market, it could be automatically applied across others. This delivered scalable reporting consistency without increasing manual workload.
Speed, Accuracy and Scalable Automated Reporting
Across five Google Slides decks per wave, the reporting automation delivered measurable efficiency gains. Over one hundred charting hours were saved per wave alone.
Integrated data mapping reduced proofing time and made errors immediately visible within the reporting structure. In practice, reporting errors were rare and outputs were consistently reliable, strengthening confidence in the automated reporting process.
“Across the five decks each wave, we’d saved over a hundred charting hours. What previously would have consumed weeks of analyst time was now delivered within days.“
Liam Bowden
Director, MTM
The Human Impact of Report Automation
Beyond operational efficiency, the greatest impact was felt within the team. High volume manual charting across five similar brand reports created repetitive and time intensive work. As Liam put it plainly, “That volume of charting just isn’t fun.”
By implementing Google Slides report automation, analysts redirected their time towards insight interpretation, storytelling and strategic client collaboration.
Automation did not simply create efficiency gains; it reshaped how MTM spent their time and where they focused their expertise. It reduced pressure and ultimately strengthened project delivery as a whole. As Liam reflected, “We made a huge difference to our project delivery and the project team, and they were fun to work with as well.”
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