Executive reporting used to mean hours spent compiling spreadsheets, chasing status updates, and manually formatting slides. In Cascade, you can now shift from manual compilation to active analysis using our AI-powered reporting tools.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the mechanics of the Report Summary widget—a powerful tool that reads your report data and instantly generates narratives, risk assessments, and executive summaries.

Getting Started: The Report Summary Widget

To start generating AI insights, you need to bring the AI into your report. Whether you are using a pre-built template from our library or a custom report you’ve built from scratch, the process is the same.

1. Enter Edit Mode in your report.
2. Click Add Widget in the toolbar.
3. Select the Report Summary widget.

You can add multiple summary widgets to a single report. For example, you might want one widget at the top for an "Executive Overview" and another at the bottom specifically for "Risks and Roadblocks."

Configuring Your AI Analyst

Once the widget is added, you have control over how it behaves. In the widget's configuration menu, you will see options to choose different analysis styles.

• Standard Configurations: Choose from pre-set summary styles (e.g., Executive Summary, Risk Assessment, etc).
• Custom Analysis: This is the most powerful feature. It allows you to write your own prompt to tell the AI exactly what you want it to look for. (e.g., "Summarize the top three risks to our engineering objectives and suggest mitigation strategies.")

Note: Any prompt or configuration you save will be applied for anyone else who opens the report, ensuring consistent insights for all stakeholders.

Refining the Narrative

While the AI does the heavy lifting, you remain the editor-in-chief. AI-generated text isn't locked in stone.

If the AI produces a summary that isn't quite right, or if you want to add specific nuance that the data doesn't capture:

• Click the Edit Summary button on the widget.
• Modify the text, delete sections, or add your own commentary directly into the summary box.

Understanding Scope: What Does the AI "See"?

One of the most important concepts to master is Report Scope.

The AI does not scan your entire Cascade environment every time it runs. Instead, it only "sees" the data you have added to that specific report. This includes:

• Objectives and KPIs in your tables.
• Data inside your charts.
• Context from other text widgets.

Why Scope Matters

Think of scoping as a tool, not a limitation. It allows you to target the AI's analysis precisely.

• Example: If you are building a Project Status Report for a specific department, you only include that department’s tables and data in the report.
• The Result: The AI will ignore irrelevant data from other teams, ensuring the summary creates a focused, coherent narrative about that specific department without getting confused by outside noise.