How to automate the processes of maintaining engineering documentation?

Question

Automation

When handing over installation work, I, as a PTO engineer, compile a typical set of as-built documentation, which is all based on typical formulas. Briefly, the routine is as follows:

1. The input control log stores a list of materials received at the facility
   
2. The work production log stores information about the sequence of issues of work
   
3. on the basis of the information of the previous paragraphs, intermediate / final acts of the work performed, as well as reporting sheets, for example, Acts for hidden work, an act in the form of M-29, M-35, etc., are drawn up. etc.
   
4. signing at the responsible representatives of the contractor and the customer, and then protection at technical supervision
   

So, as the task is seen:
On the basis of a self-written program or add-on or project, organize template filling of exel forms or imported forms based on MS Word / MS Excel files. At the same time, the data from the journals will be formalized and determined to simplify reporting as much as possible, because some of them are included in the fields of acts. Of course, some of the fields will still be filled in manually, but reporting documents will be printed on writing paper, which means that subsequent export to tables is desirable, but not required.
those part.
1. There are repeating fields in the acts - like: customer, contractor, signatories, object.
2. There are derived fields in the acts - the number of the act, the types of acts. In the acts there are fields that are pulled up from magazines: type and lists of works, materials, certificates for the materials used.
3. There are fields in the acts that are filled in manually: the sequence of actions performed for the work included in the list of works (example: in the log entry - installation of new supports so much, in the act for the installation of supports it is written that the installation of technical actions for the installation of the support consists of the following operations - drilling a well to the required depth, installation of a support, installation of traverses on a support, installation of insulators, etc.), project sheet numbers,
Ideally, I would like item 1 to be automated as much as possible, item 2 to be filled in using drop-down lists and statistics on the balances would be kept, item 3 to minimize the number of such occurrences in the document, through as close as possible to item 2 and assumptions.
What would be the easiest way to implement this? Why you don’t like the classic office (more precisely, you need a product with more features) - a lot of files and documents accumulate on large objects, it happens that something is not picked up right away, there are a lot of papers of the same type, in which it is easy to get confused in the end, summary tables in As a result, it becomes innumerable and there is scope, in my opinion, in order to automate the process.
upd:
The salvation of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves. What is of interest is the question on what it is easier to implement, in your opinion, provided that one way or another you have to study the product =)

Answer 1

Yes, automate everything. At least in VBA, at least in C ++
The good thing is that you know it well. If you don’t know anything, it’s better to hire a specialist, although if you have a solid organization, then you should have a programmer or even a whole department on staff

Answer 2

Before doing something, it is best to turn to professionals)) Call them, get advice, of course I have not had such situations, but I can say for sure that it’s better not to do anything yourself until you listen to an experienced "beast", their you can find, get an online consultation, the most normal one according to reviews from comrades is xn----htbbac3aodgbf6bbjl9c0dk.xn--p1ai received advice from them on automating documentation, etc.