The Pitfalls of Augmenting Transactional Data with Excel for Reporting

In the latest episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, Brick and Caleb discuss a common challenge businesses face when trying to extend their data for reporting purposes using Excel files to categorize or group data in ways not supported by the original system.While this approach may seem simple and straightforward, it can lead to several problems down the road, such as:Difficulty matching numbers between the transactional system and the reporting tool (e.g., Power BI)Inconsistencies in categorization when new data is addedMaintenance overhead and potential for errors as the Excel file growsThe golden rule, as emphasized in the podcast, is to handle as much data categorization and grouping as possible within your transactional systems. While it may seem like a pain to make updates there, it will save you time and headaches in the long run.Watch the full Youtube episode.Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by serving as their fractional data team. We advise on, build, and manage data platforms. Our strategy, proven with over 300 companies to-date, expands multiples through data transformation, as presented in our book, The Dashboard Effect.For a free, downloadable copy click https://bit.ly/3RmBGWQ, or buy a hardcopy or Kindle version on Amazon.Get more episodes of The Dashboard Effect podcast on your favorite podcast app. Visit Blue Margin's library of additional BI resources.#DataReporting #TransactionalData #Excel #PowerBI #BusinessIntelligence