Discover how a lightweight data mart can replace manual ERP downloads, hidden spreadsheet logic, and version-control nightmares.
You know the drill: it’s the first workday of the month and the spreadsheet chaos begins. It starts with a manual data download from your ERP system to pull monthly invoice totals by customer. You send it along to Sherri who adds information from her customer grouping spreadsheet and territory/rep assignments. Once buttoned up from her side, it’s Adam’s turn. He keeps another spreadsheet tab listing monthly exceptions that need to be adjusted in the ERP extract. This time he needs to remove test data that made it through one of the accounts as well as move revenue from one customer to another due to a parent/child rollup. Then he re-saves the file, re-checks pivots, and forwards it along. In a couple days (or a few hours if you’re lucky) the 20260201_v3_final_reallyfinal.xlsx is attached to the group email thread and then shared with leadership. Whew. It’s over for the month.
If this scenario sounds familiar, you are not alone. It can get the job done in a pinch, and if the resources touching the data work meticulously, this method can be a great stopgap for a season. But only for a season.
How much time is wasted on these manual interventions? How often is the data incorrect in the “final” spreadsheet? Imagine in the spreadsheet example above if Sales and Finance compare numbers and they don’t tie out. How easy would it be for one version to have missed one of the manual adjustments or not include the latest territory mapping? Manual processing is a recipe for disaster due to human error. Further, organizations shouldn’t rely on hidden logic buried in formulas, filters, and personal files where no one can easily audit what changed (or why). Yes, spreadsheets can be great for analysis and ad hoc exploration but they’re risky as a system of record for recurring reporting.
How to Solve It
Let’s look at a simple way to solve the spreadsheet chaos cycle with a data mart. A data mart is a curated, purpose-built slice of data that supports a specific business area. It is built as a trusted middle layer between the source system and the reports, and provides consistent definitions, repeatable refresh, and traceable data. Sources feed the data mart, and the mart feeds the reports. No more custom spreadsheet logic and manual touches.
Walking through the scenario above we have the following sources:
- ERP: invoice, customer
- Customer grouping spreadsheet
- Territory/rep assignment spreadsheet
- Monthly adjustments/exceptions tab
A simple data mart could be built to house this data. It would load ERP monthly sales on a scheduled basis. At a minimum, it would include a customer table and a monthly sales (invoice) table. The customer groupings, territory assignments, and adjustments could be built as controlled reference tables with effective dates, owners, and reason codes.
Reports can then connect to the data mart, not the raw sources. Now, everyone has consistent data that is automatically refreshed and ready for consumption. With faster refresh cycles and fewer chaos moments, you will build trust. And when the territory assignment changes or a new adjustment is needed, it’s applied once and every report updates the same way. This typically reduces month-end prep from days to hours, cuts rework and makes reporting consistent and explainable month over month.
Let Keller Schroeder Help
If you’re ready to get out of the spreadsheet chaos loop, Keller Schroeder can help you design and build a lightweight data mart that fits your reporting needs. The goal isn’t “more tech” it’s fewer fire drills, faster month-end, and numbers you can explain without opening 20260201_v3_final_reallyfinal.xlsx.
