From boardroom to dashboard: Q&A with the Aumni KPI solutions team

With the release of KPI User Inputs, Aumni users can now directly add company performance data into the platform, unlocking faster insights and more flexibility in portfolio monitoring. We spoke with Kyle Barnett and Adam Simari about why this feature matters, how it fits into existing workflows, and best practices for getting the most out of it.

Q. How does KPI User Inputs fit into the existing Aumni KPI user workflow? 

Kyle: Our KPI customers are constantly receiving data; whether it’s via monthly investor updates, quarterly financial reports or bi-annual board decks. Historically, our customers’ KPI data could only change if they let us know what needs to be changed. Now, they have the power to update any metric across any time period for any company. They no longer need to wait for our quarterly collection cycle to roll around or for our ingestion team to process updated metrics. If a GP grabs lunch with a founder and receives updated values, they can login to the application to make the appropriate changes.

Adam: KPI User Inputs is an invaluable tool. Due to a multitude of factors, such as financial restatements or changes in methodology, historical data Aumni receives can change over time. When investors need to quickly access the latest performance data for a PortCo, they can utilize the tool to add their own notes from internal knowledge, update crucial ratios and calculations, and fix errors that founders have communicated to them. This eliminates the bottleneck of needing to communicate these changes with Aumni first and wait for the data update to be completed on our backend. The KPI User Inputs tool unlocks real-time changes and insights for customers while eliminating inefficiencies.

Q. What are some practical examples of when a user might manually input KPIs? 

Kyle: There are plenty of times founders input abbreviated values in the collection form for efficiency purposes. However, most of the time VC investors want to see the full value, not the abbreviated one. Our customers would be able to override what a founder submitted with the full value they want to see. Also, some founders like to stretch the truth when it comes to certain values. Our customers are able to verify a founder’s values within the documents that were attached to the collection form and input those preferred values. Finally, our customers are constantly getting information from various sources (e.g., phone calls, board meetings, email correspondence) so giving them the ability to enter data at any point is powerful. 

Adam: Restatements in financial statements and models, changes in accounting methodology, errors in collection entries, audit adjustments, can all be triggers for manual inputs. These inputs become necessary and timely during workflows such as LP reporting, portfolio reviews, valuations, and audit preparation. ‍

Q. How does this change the way Aumni extracts KPIs for companies?

Kyle: Our service model will not change - we’ll continue to perform collection and extraction as we always have. However, if there’s data that wasn’t entered via the collection form or if certain data points weren’t present in the documents that Aumni received for extraction, the customer could enter in data points if they have them on hand.

Adam: Investors can continue to trust and utilize Aumni’s collection and extraction service, but an additional layer of data coverage will provide needed context and overwrite any discrepancies in portfolio company data. Data becomes actionable and immediate, and investors can even input values before Aumni receives collection and extraction data if their deadlines don’t align with portfolio company reporting.

Q. What are the best practices for using KPI User Inputs effectively?

Adam: Standardize your definitions and calculations before entering data; agree on what metrics like ARR or Churn Rate mean for your firm so everyone inputs consistently. Document your source in the notes field, whether it came from a board deck, company email, or a call. Use it as a bridge - manual inputs are great for keeping your data current while waiting for sourced data to confirm. Leverage both data types in your reporting, combining input and sourced KPI gives you the most complete picture for LPs and internal teams.

Q. How does this feature improve collaboration between investment and operations teams? 

Kyle: I believe one good benefit of this feature is to keep teams accountable for the metrics they’re submitting. Investment teams again can submit KPIs as they happen in a meeting, on a phone call etc. Additionally, operations teams can record KPIs as they receive them, and investment teams can see those updates in real time. There's no more “inbox” problem, it's visible to your whole team instantly.

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