Users may upload data via a flat-file for their portion of the model without administrator assistance

Description

For users working with their own portion of the model, allow them to upload relevant information used in their model. This could be drivers, actuals, or any data set that they’ll need to complete their task.

Example Use Case

Scenario: An organization uses a CPM software to manage KPIs. Department managers often model their demand forecast with drivers and data specific to their region, which is not available for import via the ERP or accounting system. This forces them to manually enter data into the CPM tool.

Solution: By enabling users to upload via CSV files, individual departments can now manage their own data inputs. Since the process takes seconds instead of hours, user adoptions goes up and financial models become more accurate and useful.

Considerations

This requirement comes into play with organizations who have a distributed data model. In other words, they have data everywhere and have no central way to consolidate it before uploading into a CPM. Sometimes these organizations are siloed, with department heads operating without much oversight. This is common in higher education where departments pay little respect to central administration and often buy their own platforms.

Questions to Ask a Vendor

• Ease of Use: How straightforward is the process of uploading CSV files? What kind of mapping is ivolved?
• Data Security: How does the system ensure data security when uploading files? How can we be sure users are not overwriting core data?
• Undo: What happens if the user makes a mistake? Can they delete the upload?