Thinklytics

Growth-Stage SaaS Platform · Technology & SaaS · San Francisco, CA · 8 weeks

Growth-Stage SaaS Platform Data Foundation case study

A growth-stage SaaS company faced confusion with five different ARR numbers used by finance, sales, product, and the board, causing a $2.1M gap. We created a certified revenue metric layer that standardized definitions and aligned all teams on one reliable ARR figure for board reporting.

Challenge

Finance, Sales, and Product each reported ARR using different data sources: billing, CRM, and usage logs. Their methods made sense individually, but the numbers didn’t match. This inconsistency confused the board and left the CFO unable to provide clear answers. We had to unify the approach and create a single, reliable ARR calculation.

Approach

We worked directly with finance, sales, and product leaders to agree on clear definitions for ARR, NRR, GRR, and churn. Then, we created a metric layer in dbt that pulls from one source of truth to calculate these metrics consistently. This layer feeds into Looker, making the numbers available and reliable for all teams. We also documented each metric and the exact business rules used.

Outcome

We identified and fixed a $2.1M discrepancy in ARR by standardizing all teams on one certified metric layer. This cut board reporting prep from three days to four hours. At the next board meeting, the CFO presented a single ARR figure backed by full data lineage. The metric layer also served as the core data source for the Series C data room.

Nailing Down Our Metrics Before We Built Anything

The problem wasn’t a tech bug. Finance, sales, and product were all measuring ARR differently, each with their own set of rules. So, we pulled everyone into a workshop. We mapped out how each team was doing it, called out the conflicts, and hammered out one clear ARR definition that worked for everyone. After that, we built the solution around that shared understanding.

We rolled up our sleeves with dbt and Looker to clean up the data. Then, we built a certified metric layer that got all our reports speaking the same language.

Here’s how we tackled it: first, we got super clear on what each metric actually meant and who was responsible for it. Next, we followed the data trail from start to finish. Then, we built the metric layer in dbt and put automated tests in place that run every time the data updates. Last step was connecting that layer to Looker’s semantic model. The payoff? No more guessing games with the numbers when the board shows up.

Results

  • $2.1M ARR discrepancy resolved
  • 3 days to 4 hours Board reporting preparation time
  • 5 to 1 ARR definitions consolidated to single certified source
  • Series C Metric layer used as data room foundation

We used to track five different ARR numbers, and the board had basically stopped trusting any of them. Thinklytics worked with our three teams to agree on one definition and built the metric layer in eight weeks. That $2.1 million discrepancy is gone, and now the board is asking more useful questions.

Chief Financial Officer, Growth-Stage SaaS Platform

In the client's terms

The question

Where does this number come from, and can the path be trusted?

The situation

Finance reported ARR from billing, sales from the CRM, product from usage logs. Each method was defensible and none of them agreed, which left the board with three numbers and the CFO without an answer.

What we found

There was no arithmetic error to find. Three functions had each defined ARR for their own purpose, and no forum existed with the authority to choose one, so the disagreement was surfacing at board level by default.

What it produced

A $2.1M ARR discrepancy was identified and resolved. Board reporting preparation fell from three days to four hours. The CFO presented one ARR figure with full lineage at the next meeting, and the metric layer became the foundation of the Series C data room.

The roadmap

Finance, sales and product leaders agreed definitions for ARR, NRR, GRR and churn together, which is the part that had never happened. A metric layer in dbt calculates all four from one source and feeds Looker, and every metric was documented with the business rules behind it.

The work behind this result

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Frequently asked questions

Why do finance, sales and product report different ARR?

Because each defined it for its own purpose and no forum had the authority to choose. At this growth-stage SaaS platform that left the board with three numbers and the CFO without an answer, on a $2.1M discrepancy.

How long does it take to agree one ARR definition?

Eight weeks here end to end. The workshop mapping all three methods and naming the conflicts came before any build, because the technology was never the disagreement. Board reporting preparation then fell from three days to four hours.

What does a certified metric layer need to be trusted?

A written definition and named owner per metric, traced lineage, and automated tests on every refresh. This platform's layer became the foundation of its Series C data room, which is a harder test than a board meeting.