Import your Metrics from Google Sheets

Eliminate the need to go back and forth between Cascade and one hundred spreadsheets. Keep your data up-to-date, accurate, and right where you need it. Save time spent on reporting and monitoring your strategy.

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A valid Cascade account and workspace.
A Google Drive account with a spreadsheet that contains the metrics you want to import. It must be in an optimized format for import. Make sure your dates are in the date format (e.g., mm/dd/yyyy) and the numbers do not have any formatting (formulas are valid)

It's important to note that you will need to first import your metrics into the Metrics Library and then connect it to an existing measure in your plan to automate tracking. For a full guide, see Connect your Metrics to Measures.

Step 1: Connect your Google Sheets with Cascade

First, you need to establish a connection between Cascade and Google Sheets. This connection can be reused for all future metric imports in your workspace.

You can establish the connection in either of these ways. Click Connect in Google Sheets

or, from the Metrics > Library > + Create new metric > Connect to a source option,
or, from the Metrics > Connect metrics tab.

Give the connection a name, and click Connect.
1. Follow Google's instructions to connect your Google account with Cascade. When you've finished, click Continue.
Select the folder or file from your Google drive that you want the connection to access, set it up as private or shared connection, and click Finish.
1. We recommend setting up connection as "private", unless you use shared drive accounts where everyone accesses the files or updates progress in which case you can set up the connection as "shared".

Step 2: Connect your metrics from Google Sheets to Cascade

Now that you've successfully established the connection between Google Sheets and Cascade, you can start importing the metrics by providing the spreadsheet details.

Select your Google Sheets connection from the list.
Choose the spreadsheet file and the specific sheet that contains your metrics. Click Continue.
1. If you had restricted access to a specific file or folder, then only those files in that folder or that particular file will be listed here.
Specify your spreadsheet layout: Is your data arranged horizontally or vertically? This helps the import function correctly read your data. Click Next.
Select the metrics you want to import. Do not select the row or column that contains the dates. Click Next.
Select your date format and choose the row or column with the dates. The cells must be in date format (Format > Number > Date). Without dates, the import will fail. Click Next.
Configure how your data will display. This is where you set the name, unit, and how the data will be tracked and presented in Cascade.
1. 1. Metric Name: Change the name of your metric if needed.
  2. Unit: Specify a unit (e.g., $, %, or enter custom units from the dropdown like "Leads").
  3. My data is: Select if your data is cumulative or non-cumulative.
    If you select Cumulative, then the Show total as will automatically default to Last value, and you'll not be able to edit it.
  4. Show total as: This determines how the value is displayed.
    - Sum of values: Adds up all the values for a given timeframe.
    - Average of values: Calculates the average for a given timeframe.
      
      If "sum of values" or "average of values" is chosen, then you can also select how the data can be aggregated - "All times" to include all the data in the sheet or "YTD" (year to date) to select the start month of your fiscal year. With YTD, the aggregation will reset to the value of the actual data on the selected month and start summing or averaging as of that date up to the next 12 months.
    - Last value: Shows the most recent value available in your spreadsheet.
  5. Time frame: Choose the frequency of your data (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly). The time frame you select here should match the frequency of your data in Google Sheets for accurate display.
    
    Note that, selecting a time frame that is smaller than what is in the spreadsheet will show the same value over and over (i.e., selecting "daily" when the data is set up "monthly", will display the same value every day until the month changes, and so on).
  6. Trend: Define if a higher value is better (e.g., sales revenue) or a lower value is better (e.g., customer complaints). This determines the color of the metric tile (green for good, red for bad).

7. Click Connect metrics to finish the import. Once imported, your metrics will appear in the Metrics Library and will automatically sync with your Google Sheet every hour.

Select from a list or tile view:

FAQs

What is a private and shared connection?
When a connection is set to private, only you can use this connection. When a connection is set to public", everyone in the workspace can use the same connection while connecting with the same app, i.e., while setting up tracking, public connections will be listed in the dropdown.

For example, if a connection to Google Sheet is set as public by the owner,

everyone in that workspace can use the same connection whenever they're trying to connect with Google Sheets to import metrics.
if the sheet is also publicly viewable or editable, then anyone using this connection can access that sheet to update progress. However, if you do not have access to that sheet, then irrespective of having a public connection, you'll not be able to update progress.

Once the connection to google is approved, you can select a specific file or folder or the entire drive to access. Now, even when a connection is set to public, you can either have access to the entire drive or restrict the access to the contents in the specific folder or file.

How do I edit or delete a metric?
You can manage a metric through the side bar - visit Manage Existing Metrics via Sidebar

Is there a sample file I can use for the import?
Yes, you can download the sample Operating & Financial Model template from our website, input your metrics and import them into your Cascade workspace.

Can I show values for a future date?
Remember that, any value entered against a future date will not be considered, and only that value which is available latest (as on the current date or before the current date) is displayed.

If I switch from a manually tracked measure and connect it to metric, will this mean I'll lose the data and progress that was made till date?
From the tracking section, choose tracking type as Metric library, and select the metric. See Connect your Imported Metrics to Measures for the steps. The spreadsheet is the source of truth, so if you've the historical data there, it'll translate to the measure once connected.

I have metrics in different files, will that mean I need to do separate import every time for all these files?
Yes, but the best way is to unify them in a single spreadsheet and import in one go.

What happens if I make a change in the value for a date in the past, i.e., historical data point?
You'll just notice that the value gets over written for that date.

Will I see expected progress graph and numbers if I connect to metrics?
Yes, when metrics are hooked up to measures, they'll provide the historical and current values to track the measures. The initial and target values that you set while connecting a metric to a measure will define its expected progress.

Can I change the name of a metric?
If you wish to change the name of the metric, you can do so from the "Metric display settings" page - click into the "Metrics" name text box, and enter the metric name.

Who can do this import workflow?
Anyone that has a Cascade account and workspace, and also a Microsoft account and a spreadsheet in their OneDrive or SharePoint with metrics in it.

Why can’t I update the values of a metric from Cascade?
We consider the data coming from the Google Sheets as the source of truth to avoid having misaligned information in the metric. This is a one-way connection: from Google Sheets to Cascade. Nothing you do in Cascade will change spreadsheet values.

I get an error in Step 4 saying "Option selected is already assigned to a metric".
This happens when you've selected the row or column in which you had the dates in the previous step. Select only those metrics that you wish to import in the Mapping metrics step.

Why aren’t my metrics being updated automatically?
Metrics bring in whatever is there in the spreadsheet. If you do not update or add anything there, then no new values will be added in the metric.

What happens when my spreadsheet is set up "monthly", but I chose "quarterly" timeframe during import?
If the spreadsheet is set up "monthly", and if the Time frame you choose while importing is "quarterly", then the values are grouped and the data points are shown quarter-wise. For example, you've values from January to July in your spreadsheet, the metric tile will display

Summed up values from January till July, if "sum of values" is chosen. The Table view tab in the imported metrics' sidebar will show grouped values - Q1: Sum of Jan to March; Q2: Sum of Jan to June; Q3: Sum of Jan to July.
Average of values from January till July, if "average of values" is chosen. The Table view tab in the imported metrics' sidebar will show grouped values - Q1: Average of Jan to March; Q2: Average of Jan to June; Q3: Average of Jan to July.
Value in July month if "Last value" is chosen. The Table view tab in the imported metrics' sidebar will show grouped values - Q1: Value of March; Q2: Value of June; Q3: Value of July.
If you wish to see the actual value that you entered against the exact date, then choose "Daily" in Time frame.

I've formula in my spreadsheet cells, how is this handled?
The import fetches only the values from the spreadsheet howsoever it is set-up. Be it a value from a pivot table, or obtained from formula does not make any difference as long as the date format and value is available and valid.

What happens if the data is set up "weekly", but I choose "monthly" in timeframe on import?
This'll not display any error, however, it'll show the same value over and over every week until the month changes.

I do not find my unit in the drop-down during import, what needs to be done?
You can add your own custom units. Just type the text, click + Add "custom unit" as a new option, and it'll get added to the list for this metric flow.

I updated the progress in my spreadsheet, but the metric shows data points for a different date.
It might be because you would have chosen a different Time frame. If you choose a monthly time frame, then the actual data points will be grouped and your progress will be displayed against the last date of every month, and if quarterly is chosen, the progress will be displayed on the last date of the month in every quarter. If you wish to see the actual value that you entered against the exact date, then choose "Daily" in the Time frame.

My data is not showing up.
The column or row that you mention during import can have only numbers and related characters, like percent and currency signs. Check them to make sure there are no letters or special characters.

Do a browser refresh to check for any intermittent issues. Please note:

Cells for the date column/row need to have a date format in the spreadsheet (Right-click > Number Format > Date).
Make sure commas or full stops are used correctly, especially in currency, according to the spreadsheet format. Some countries use “,” for decimals and others “.”. Depending on the spreadsheet set up, this might cause wrong data coming in as it will consider it as “text” and not “currency”. Cascade will detect the spreadsheet’s set-up and use that as a guide.
Columns/rows selected for metrics will only bring in data that is in number format.
Ensure there're no empty rows or columns.