Editorial
Writing
Research-backed stories and practical guidance on AI adoption, tools, costs, and the work of putting them into production.
Fix Missing Email Attachments in a Power Automate Intake Flow
Trace attachment metadata and file content separately, retrieve the intended files and reconcile each request before marking intake complete.
Gary Stanton · October 31, 2026
Fix a Looker Studio Date Filter That Uses the Wrong Business Date
Trace a date control to each chart’s date-range dimension, then reconcile five sample orders before changing a bookings or delivery dashboard.
Gary Stanton · October 31, 2026
Keep the Latest Record in Power Query Without Trusting Sort Order
Choose the latest record with an explicit per-ID rule, hold ambiguous ties and reconcile every ID before replacing a current-status report.
Gary Stanton · October 31, 2026
Start a Slack Agent Conversation from an Intake Workflow
Gather a clear request, start an agent conversation as the workflow’s final step and give a person ownership of the resulting draft brief.
Gary Stanton · October 31, 2026
Review Gemini Edits Across a Google Slides Deck Before Sharing
Use a bounded change brief and a 12-slide acceptance check to review Gemini edits before sharing an updated client presentation.
Gary Stanton · October 31, 2026
Fix Power Query Missing-Column Errors Without Hiding Bad Data
Find the first broken step, distinguish required from optional columns and test a repair before accepting a changed source export.
Gary Stanton · October 30, 2026
Fix Wrong Percentage Totals in Looker Studio
Rebuild a dashboard percentage from its numerator and denominator, then test totals and filters with a small reconciled example.
Gary Stanton · October 30, 2026
Stop Duplicate Power Automate Actions Without Losing Real Requests
Trace duplicate flow effects, define a stable operation key and reconcile uncertain outcomes before retrying a Power Automate request.
Gary Stanton · October 30, 2026
Find Missing Slack Later Items and Rebuild Your Follow-Up List
Find items after Slack’s Later-to-To-dos change, reconcile reminders and rebuild a small follow-up list without losing unfinished commitments.
Gary Stanton · October 30, 2026
Check a Gemini-Generated Renewal Tracker Before Moving It to Sheets
Test a Gemini-generated renewal tracker with known dates, missing inputs and repeat records before relying on it in Google Sheets.
Gary Stanton · October 30, 2026
Fix Power Query Rounding Differences Before Changing the Total
Trace rounding differences to the calculation stage, midpoint rule and data type, with small test cases before changing a reconciliation query.
Gary Stanton · October 29, 2026
Import Mailchimp Contacts Without Losing Opt-Outs or Good Data
Reconcile subscription status, duplicates and field updates before a Mailchimp import, then verify the results before sending a newsletter.
Gary Stanton · October 29, 2026
Verify a Slackbot Skill with a Test Pack, Not Just a Badge
Give a verified Slackbot skill a named owner, bounded job, test cases and change record before making it the default for a team.
Gary Stanton · October 29, 2026
Move Compact Pivot Tables Between Excel and Sheets Without Losing Meaning
Test compact pivot layouts with a reconciled cost example, clear hierarchy and an Excel return check before using them for recurring reporting.
Gary Stanton · October 29, 2026
Check Gemini’s Cell Citations Before Trusting a Supplier Comparison
Use Sheets cell citations to review supplier facts, record unknowns and measure verification work before expanding an AI-filled comparison.
Gary Stanton · October 29, 2026
Give Temporary Google Workspace Admin Access an Expiry and a Handoff
Plan short-term administrator cover with a narrow role, explicit expiration, acceptance checks and a handoff for work that outlasts the assignment.
Gary Stanton · October 28, 2026
Pilot Label-Based Google Support Approvals Without a Coverage Gap
Map file ownership, labels and existing policies before piloting Google Workspace support-access rules, with coverage tests and an approval rota.
Gary Stanton · October 28, 2026
Fix Airtable Emails Showing the Wrong Date or Time
Keep the original appointment timestamp, format a separate local-time message field and test midnight and daylight-saving cases before sending.
Gary Stanton · October 28, 2026
Fix HubSpot Renewal Workflows That Do Not Re-enroll
Diagnose date-based re-enrollment, check schedule eligibility and build a renewal task process that catches missed cycles without duplicate outreach.
Gary Stanton · October 28, 2026
Stop XLOOKUP Returning the Wrong Price from Duplicate Records
Find ambiguous lookup keys, build an approved price table and test missing, duplicate and revised rates before releasing an order or budget.
Gary Stanton · October 28, 2026
Fix a Looker Studio Filter That Changes Only Some Charts
Trace filter scope and field IDs across data sources, repair compatible fields and test actual-versus-target totals before sharing the report.
Gary Stanton · October 27, 2026
Fix a Notion Handoff That Stops After the First Automation
Replace an unsupported Notion automation chain with a clear handoff, then verify owner assignment and duplicate handling on real-shaped test records.
Gary Stanton · October 27, 2026
Fix Power Query Pivot Errors Without Choosing the Wrong Value
Find duplicate pivot intersections, choose a business rule for competing values and reconcile a supplier comparison before refreshing it.
Gary Stanton · October 27, 2026
Check Recurring Meetings Across Three Google Calendar Time Zones
Use Google Calendar’s three-zone view to check recurring meetings around daylight-saving changes and agree whose working hours take priority.
Gary Stanton · October 27, 2026