How to create effective Report Templates

Report Templates help you standardize and automate your research workflow within AMPLYFI. By creating well-structured templates, you can consistently generate high-quality research reports that match your organization's needs.

Template Variables

Template Variables make your reports dynamic and reusable. Instead of creating multiple templates for similar research tasks, you can use variables as placeholders that change for each report generation. This allows you to create versatile templates that can be used across different contexts.

How Variables Work

Variables are denoted by an @ symbol (e.g. @CompanyName) and can be used throughout your template sections. When generating a report, you'll be prompted to provide values for each variable.

Types of Variables

• Free Text: Allows any text input (e.g. topics, technologies, regions, private/small companies)
• Public Company: Allows selection of a monitored or public company when generating a report & for utilising the "Company Filings" content type in a section

For example:

• A competitor analysis template might use @CompetitorName with a Public Company variable
• A market analysis report could use @Region or @Industry with Free Text variables
• Technology assessments might use @Technology or @Product with Free Text variables

Best Practices for Variables

• Use descriptive variable names that clearly indicate their purpose
• Keep variable names concise but meaningful
• Consider how the variable will fit naturally into your section instructions
• Use variables consistently across sections for coherent analysis

Example Variable Usage

Write:

Instead of:

This allows the same template to be used for any company while maintaining consistent analysis structure.

What makes up a Template?

A Report Template is your research blueprint. Each template consists of sections that work together to create a comprehensive report. Each section has three key elements:

• Title: Names your research focus
• Content Focus: Defines which data sources to use
• Instruction/Prompt: Guides how the AI analyzes and presents information

How to write great section instructions

What do we mean by "instructions"?

Concise and specific questions, similar to how you would use Generative Research within AMPLYFI.

Or more descriptive prompts, clearly describing what you want the section to output, stating formatting, intent, goal and any aditional useful context within 1000 characters.

Instructions should:

Use clear and concise language: Ensure that your instructions are straightforward and avoid complex sentences or jargon that might make it hard for our AI to find relevant data. Always think of AI data retrieval as if you're talking to an experienced intern, what do they need to find the highest quality data?

Use relevant context: Mention specific industries, companies, or technologies to narrow down the search for relevant data. Increasing the liklihood of finding the highest quality sources to write your sections.

Be specific: Provide precise details such as locations, dates, or sectors. Specifics help our AI find more relevant data for you.

Locations:

Time and Dates:

Break down concepts: Use specific terms rather than broad categories to find more specific and relevant data.

Instructions should avoid:

Complex Multi-Step Processes: To ensure you get the highest quality facts, sections focussed on a single subject or organisation will yield the best results when looking for data to support your research.

Report-Wide Instructions

Report-Wide Instructions allow you to set overarching context, requirements, and guidelines that apply across all sections of your report. This powerful feature helps ensure consistency and quality throughout your research output.

Key Uses

• Define research personas (e.g. "Analyze as a senior management consultant specializing in aerospace manufacturing")
• Set organizational context (e.g. "Consider implications for a Tier 1 defense contractor operating in the EU")
• Establish output requirements (e.g. "Maintain formal business language and support all key findings with cited evidence")
• Specify compliance needs (e.g. "Ensure all analysis adheres to EU defense procurement regulations")

Best Practices

• Be explicit about required expertise or perspective
• Include any mandatory formatting or structural requirements
• Define scope limitations or focus areas
• State any organization-specific terminology preferences

Example Instructions

For a strategy consulting firm:

For a defense organisation:

Inspiration & Refinment of Sections

Research is often an iterative process, if your initial report generated an unsatifactory section try rephrasing it to improve the result. Alternatively look at AMPLYFI's preset templates for inspiration and formatting guides.