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What is non-financial data?

When you first import your company into Fathom, we will only bring in financial data from the Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet. You’re able to supplement this financial data with non-financial KPIs.

Non-financial KPIs (key performance indicators) can be customised to suit any business or industry. You can define your own metrics or select from a range of recommended non-financial KPIs available in the KPI Library.

Non-financial KPIs are typically used to measure common business functions, operational data, or leading indicators for a business. These include sales and marketing KPIs, CRM data, point of sale data, workforce management, inventory, customer service KPIs, production figures, operations, research and development, staff utilisation, or other staff metrics.

💡Pro Tip: Once a non-financial KPI has been added to Fathom, it can be used as a variable in a custom formula KPI.

Adding non-financial KPI results to Fathom

Unlike financial KPIs, data for non-financial KPIs is not sourced directly from your accounting system and must be imported to Fathom separately. Non-financial KPI results can be imported or added to Fathom from the following sources:

Google Sheets
Excel
Manual entry into Fathom

Functionality	Google Sheets	Excel	Manual Entry
Allows for automatic updates	✔️	❌	❌
Create several KPIs at once as part of the import process	✔️	❌	❌
Update several KPIs with one import or sync	✔️	✔️	❌
Import data that are the results of formulas calculated in the spreadsheet	✔️	❌	❌
Import quarterly or annual KPI results	❌	✔️	✔️
Add data directly to Fathom without import	❌	❌	✔️

💡Pro Tip: You are able to mix and match these sources. This means that you can have some non-financial KPI results for a company imported from Excel, others imported from Google Sheets, and some results entered manually, if desired.

Creating non-financial KPIs

If you’re importing non-financial data into Fathom from Excel or entering results manually in Fathom, then you’ll first need to create the non-financial KPIs in Fathom before you can import results.

For results sourced from Google Sheets, the non-financial KPIs do not need to be created before import. Instead, you have the option of creating the KPIs as part of the data import process or connecting the data from Google Sheets to previously created KPIs in Fathom.

To create a non-financial KPI in Fathom, go to 'Step 4 - KPIs' of the company’s Settings:

Select ‘Create a KPI’
Choose to create a ‘Non-financial KPI’

💡Pro Tip: Fathom already has some non-financial KPIs created that you can find in the KPI Library. To access these pre-created non-financial KPIs, select the ‘KPI Library’ option instead of the ‘Non-financial’ option. Only Admin level users will have access to the KPI Library.
Type in a name for the KPI
Write a description for the KPI. This description can be surfaced in custom Fathom reports.
Choose a ‘Unit of Measure’ for the KPI. You can create a custom unit of measure. The ‘Unit of Measure’ helps determine the type of symbol (e.g. $, %, etc.) used to report on a KPI.
Choose an aggregation type to determine how quarterly and yearly results will be calculated for the KPI.
Decide the amount of decimal places you wish to display for the KPI.
Determine if it is better for the KPI’s results to be above or below target. The target for the KPI can be set in ‘Step 5 - Targets’ for the company once the KPI has been created.
Determine a category for the KPI. You can create a new category, if desired.
Choose if you want to add the non-financial KPI to the KPI Library.

❗Note: Non financial KPIs (and other custom KPIs) can only be created within an individual company. To use a custom KPI in a consolidated or benchmark group, you must add it to the KPI Library for it to be accessible in the group. This is available for Admin level users only.
Select the ‘Create KPI’ option.

Importing non-financial data from Excel

You can also choose to import your non-financial results using an Excel spreadsheet. Before importing the results via Excel, you’ll first need to create the non-financial KPIs in Fathom.

After creating the non-financial KPIs in Fathom, you can import non-financial KPIs results into Fathom via Excel:

Go to ‘Step 4 - KPIs’ in the company’s Settings
Select the green ‘Non-financial KPI results’ option at the top of the KPI list. This will take you to the non-financials page.
In the top right corner, select ‘Import results’
Select ‘Excel upload’ from the drop down
If you’re importing results for the first time, select the option to download an ‘import template.’ This will download a template, including any existing non-financial KPI results. If you already have an Excel file in the import format, then select 'Import an existing file.'

💡Pro Tip: You can view the Excel import guidelines to ensure your import goes smoothly.
Open the downloaded Excel file. You may need to select the option to ‘enable editing’ to be able to edit the file.
Type in the results for the company’s non-financial KPIs and save the Excel file with the updated results.
Return to Fathom and select the option to ‘Choose a file to upload.’
Select the Excel file containing the non-financial KPI results.

The non-financial KPI results you entered will be imported into Fathom.

❗Note: Formulas made in Excel cannot be imported as non-financial KPIs. Only values can be imported into Fathom from Excel.

What happens if I leave a cell blank?

If you upload an excel file and some of the results are left blank, this is recognised in Fathom as 'No Result' for the period in question. We do not automatically substitute the value zero in this case because 'No Result' is a valid value for many KPIs. It will often appear as blank or a dash in Fathom.

If this non-financial KPI is used as part of a Formula KPI then the Formula KPI will not be calculated for the period with ‘No Result’.

Manually entering non-financial data

You can choose to manually key in your non-financial results directly to Fathom after the non-financial KPIs have been created. This is useful if you only have a few non-financial KPIs to import or update.

After creating the non-financial KPIs in Fathom, you can manually add non-financial KPI results directly in Fathom:

Go to ‘Step 4 - KPIs’ in the company’s Settings
Select the green ‘Non-financial KPI results’ option at the top of the KPI list. This will take you to the non-financials page.
From here, you can double click into the cells of a KPI to type in data.

💡Pro Tip: Using the ‘tab’ key on your keyboard will allow you to jump from cell to cell quickly.

All results will be automatically saved as they are added.

Importing non-financial data from Google Sheets

Importing non-financial data into Fathom from Google Sheets enables you to set up automatic updates so Fathom can automatically update your non-financial data once every 24 hours. You’re also able to import the results of formulas calculated within Google Sheets.

For common questions regarding the Google Sheet connection with Fathom, please see our ‘Google Sheets FAQs’ article.

To import non-financial data into Fathom from Google Sheets:

Go to ‘Step 4 - KPIs’ in the company’s Settings
Select the green ‘Non-financial KPI results’ option at the top of the KPI list. This will take you to the non-financials page.
In the top right corner, select ‘Import results’
Select ‘Google Sheet’ from the drop down
Choose to use a Fathom template (this will create a Google Sheet in your chosen Google account that contains all of the KPIs for the company) or connect your own Google Sheet.
Select the green ‘Next’ button
Choose and sign into the appropriate Google account. If you’re connecting to the Google account from Fathom for the first time, you’ll need to allow Fathom Development to access your account.
Follow the instructions for:
1. Using a Fathom created template or
2. Using your own Google Sheet

💡Pro Tip: You can connect multiple Google Sheets from multiple Google accounts to the same company in Fathom.

Using a Fathom created template

You can use a Fathom created template to transfer any Excel imported or manually entered KPIs to Google Sheets or if you don't have any pre-existing Google Sheets you want to connect.

If you chose to connect to a Fathom template,

Select ‘Save and close’
In the top right corner of the non-financials page, select the ‘Plug’ icon
From the drop down, select the Fathom created Google Sheet. The name will be similar to ‘Company Name Custom KPIs Import’
In the menu that opens, scroll down to the ‘Other’ section
Select ‘Open in Google Sheets’. This will take you to the Google Sheet where you can enter in the data for the KPIs.
Once you’ve entered the data, return to Fathom and select the ‘Plug’ icon again
Select the Google Sheet
Click the grey ‘Sync’ icon in the top right corner of the menu that opens on the right. This will trigger an instant update of the data.

⚠️ Error Alert: Having trouble importing data from Google Sheets or the data are not matching? Please see our ‘Troubleshooting Google Sheets Connection’ article.

💡Pro Tip: While you will see all of the KPIs for the company in the created Google Sheet, the edits you make to the data in the sheet will only impact those KPIs connected to that sheet. You can use this option to create a Master Google Sheet from which all non-financial results for the company are sourced.

Using your own Google Sheet

When selecting to use your own sheet, you can select to view the ‘Google Sheet upload guidelines’ to ensure your connection goes through successfully.

❗Note: Only monthly KPI results can be imported from Google Sheets. Quarterly and annual results currently cannot be imported via Google Sheets, but can be imported from Excel or entered manually into Fathom.

After signing into the Google account, select the Google Sheet you wish to connect.

💡Pro Tip: To establish a connection between Fathom and a Google Sheet, you must be able to access that sheet. This means you should have viewing, commenting, or editing permissions for that sheet in Google.
If there are multiple tabs in the Google Sheet, then you’ll need to choose which of the tabs to connect.

💡Pro Tip: You can connect multiple tabs from the same Google Sheet to a company in Fathom. This will simply require going through the connection process for each tab you want to connect.
If a connection has been successful, you’ll be able to review the KPIs that can be connected from the sheet:
1. Matching/Connected KPIs - Those KPIs in the Google Sheet with the exact same name as a non-financial KPI that already exists in the company. This will connect the imported results with that KPI.
2. Pending KPIs - Those KPIs in the Google Sheet that do not match with any KPIs already existing in the company. You’ll be asked to set the attributes for these KPIs so they can be created as part of the import process.
3. Ignored Rows - You may have heading rows in your Google Sheet or results you do not want to import, you can select to ignore these rows during the import. You can unignore these rows later on, if needed.
Choose ‘Review’. If you save and close at the point, the connection will have been made, but no KPI results will be imported.
For any KPIs you wish to add to the company, select the appropriate attributes (e.g. unit of measure, aggregation type, decimal places, target type, etc.) and select the green ‘Add’ button.
1. If you want to review a KPI later, choose ‘Review later’. This will keep the KPI ‘pending’ and results will not be imported but you can easily revisit any pending KPIs at any time.
2. If you want a row in the Google Sheet to be ignored, select the ‘Ignore row’ option. You can undo this once the KPIs have been imported.
Once you’ve finished sorting through the Pending KPIs, choose ‘Save and close’
Select ‘Review results’

You’ll see the KPIs imported from the Google Sheet listed on the non-financials page.

⚠️ Error Alert: Having trouble importing data from Google Sheets or the data are not matching? Please see our ‘Troubleshooting Google Sheets Connection’ article.

Accessing ‘Pending’ or ‘Ignored’ KPIs after import

If you need to review any pending KPIs or bring back any ignored KPIs:

Select the ‘Plug’ icon in the top right corner
Choose the appropriate Google Sheet from the drop down
Select ‘Pending’ or ‘Ignored’ to edit those KPIs and bring in those results

Using Non-financial KPIs in Fathom

Once you have created and entered or imported results for non-financial KPIs, Fathom enables you to access your non-financial KPI results in the Analysis Tools and Reports.

Non-financial KPIs become accessible as options in the variable selector in any analysis tool or component within Fathom that uses custom KPIs. This includes the ‘Trend’, ‘KPIs’ and ‘KPI Explorer’ Analysis tools, and in charts and KPI tables in custom reports.
Non-financial KPIs can be used as variables in Formula KPIs to calculate custom ratios. For example, to calculate ‘Average Revenue per Employee’, you would create a Non-financial KPI called ‘Number of Employees’ or ‘Headcount’, and then create a Formula KPI dividing Total Revenue by the Non-financial you created.