Datarails Reviews & Product Details

Previously, I worked at a company that had not invested in an FP&A tool, so I had to develop a complex mapping system in Excel to analyze month-end results and support better business decisions. Datarails has proven to be incredibly helpful in building that kind of mapping system, and with the right integrations, I am able to organize and examine my data exactly the way I need. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The only consideration is getting buy-in from your non-finance users and having them properly understand what datarails is. What pieces of info are real time and what needs an asterisk next to it until the month is finalized. What is the difference between an FP&A tool and a data warehouse, etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

We are currently in training mode in our data rails journey. The ease of use and implementation are big stand outs for me. Along with the seamless integration into and with Excel. With a working understanding of Access, Pivot Tables and other more advanced Excel data calculations, the potential of Data Rails to assist us in delivering accurate and end user focused solutions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There is an element of coding (and understanding the coding logic & infrastructure) with which I need to familiarize me with. This is to be expected and it's not really a "dislike" per se but it is - initially - a challenge. I also would prefer to NOT be the person controlling the mouse during training as I find myself clicking to keep the sessions going rather than taking notes, minor but noteworthy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One of the standout features of Datarails is its ability to consolidate multiple reports from a variety of sources. Whether you are working with dashboards or financial statements—customized or standard—everything can be updated quickly and efficiently, as long as the data mapping is set up correctly and the data flows automatically. My favorite feature is the Workflows function, which lets me assign tasks to several stakeholders. They can make their updates, submit their work, and then I can review everything before finalizing the report. This process is especially helpful for conducting monthly forecasts, particularly when a SIOP process is integrated. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

If the data sources structure change, the mapping needs to be redone. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It is manipulatable and allows for quick data consolidation once you are in place with correct accounting and querying that all business's likely have to perform before consolidating multiple business enterprise systems into a common ground in Datarails. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One thing that we've found to be a bit of a pain is creating custom columns with more than one function and or condition in the same column. Found that Datarails does not like IF statements with multiple conditions on them, for example saying if blank return value then if not value return "Other" we had to parse this out between two custom columns which makes things a bit convoluted. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The data mapping functionality is a really great way to get your data into a structured table setup that you can access anywhere in Datarails or Excel. We were able to update our GL posting processes to include more detailed descriptions and map those descriptions split by delimiter to the fields we wanted in datarails. We now can instantaneously report on all of our expenses by vendor when that could not easily be done before because of the data being segregated and in different formats. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There should be a simpler way to ensure that signage remains consistent across different data sources. Datarails ought to provide a clear standard for signage conventions when importing data, and it should notify users if the inputs do not follow this standard during the setup of a new data source. Additionally, Datarails should make it straightforward to adjust signage in outputs, such as reports and dashboards, as needed. For example, we wanted all our reports to display Revenues as positive numbers and Expenses as negative. Although we standardized our data mappings, we still encountered issues because working with multiple data sources with inconsistent signage required extra effort to correct and align the signs. Furthermore, when building dashboards, there was no simple way to toggle graphs so that expenses would increase from left to right above the axis. The current workaround is to create an additional amount field that converts expenses to positive values, but this approach is not ideal. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really appreciate the structure and logic built into the platform. In my opinion, this solution is excellent, especially considering that Netsuite is not the most user-friendly ERP when it comes to reporting. This tool has truly opened up new possibilities for visibility in reporting. What I like most is how easy it is to generate a Flash Report of the financials and how quickly we can dive into specific details. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There are a few technical issues I've encountered. For instance, with some reports, certain rules only apply if we download the files and refresh them in Excel, or sometimes they need to be recalculated directly on the platform. This can make the process more time-consuming, as it requires additional validations. I also find it frustrating when more than two people are working on the same Excel file—it becomes nearly impossible to manage, especially when refreshing or submitting files. Another thing I don't like is having to constantly download files from Datarails, which results in multiple copies of the same file. I realize this might partly be my own fault, but it's something that bothers me because it makes it hard to keep track of different versions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The ability to consolidate and report on the nine separate instances in QB's online that I have. This platform was a way for me to keep the accounting systems in place without having to do a very costly implementation to a more robust platform. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I'm only getting done with the implementation as I write this and don't have negatives to speak of but I can say that on report editing and dynamic ranges, etc. it appears to require far more education on formula creation, etc for even a day to day excel user. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about Datarails is its drillable capability, which makes analyzing data much easier and more efficient. I also appreciate how simple it is to create widgets once the data is datamapped. Lastly, the support chat is excellent—whenever I encounter an issue, the team is always helpful in providing solutions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Creating dashboards or widgets using data outside of QBO can be challenging. The platform isn’t flexible enough to build tables with multiple columns pulling from different data sources. In addition, when comparing actuals and budgets (e.g., monthly from Jan to Sep), there’s no option to show separate grand totals. Currently, the grand total column combines both actuals and budgets, but it would make more sense to have one total for actuals and another total for budgets. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One of Datarails' most significant strengths is its capacity to translate complex information into a clear and concise format. The dynamic dashboard and storyboard capabilities are game-changing, providing a new level of financial understanding across the team. Our data accuracy and reporting efficiency are greatly enhanced by the platform's ability to integrate directly with our online accounting software for real-time data use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Since I'm a new user, I haven't encountered any significant dislikes yet, though the initial learning curve has been noticeable as I get familiar with the platform Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really like Datarails' integration with QuickBooks Online (QBO), which allows me to customize reports and drill down into more detailed analyses. I also enjoy the month-over-month variance analysis capabilities and the ability to integrate with Gusto, our labor platform, to develop comprehensive labor hours graphs, including direct, PTO, and overtime hours. Furthermore, the initial setup of Datarails was very easy, thanks to the excellent support provided by Ayelet, who was instrumental in getting me up to speed quickly and efficiently. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I am frustrated that many features aren't available in our current plan, which limits our ability to fully utilize Datarails. Additionally, we are restricted to only having 5 licenses, which can be a limitation for our team. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.