We suspect our managers are pulling weekly Scorecard data from different, inconsistent software reports to make their numbers look better. How do we establish a data dictionary or single source of truth to ensure absolute consistency?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your managers are pulling data from different software platforms or using customized parameters to run their weekly reports, your Scorecard is useless. To run your business on clean data, you must establish absolute consistency by creating a single, documented definition for every single metric on your Scorecard. We call this building a data dictionary.

For every metric, you must document four specific things. First, define the exact formula used to calculate the number. Second, name the single software system or tool that serves as the official source of truth. Third, specify the exact parameters and date ranges for the report pull. Fourth, name the specific seat on the Accountability Chart responsible for extracting the data.

For example, if your sales seat tracks new opportunities, your data dictionary must clarify whether an opportunity is created when a form is filled out on your website or only after a discovery call is completed. It must also specify that Salesforce is the only tool used to pull this number, ignoring any spreadsheets or marketing platforms.

The Integrator must audit this data dictionary quarterly. By standardizing the extraction process, you eliminate the risk of managers manipulating the data to make their numbers look green. Consistency beats complexity every time.