The CFO’s Guide to Building an FP&A Dashboard in Google Sheets

Read time: 4-5 mins

A well-structured FP&A dashboard is one of the most effective ways to bring numbers, trends, and performance signals together. 

If you’re in a Google Workspace organisation, Google Sheets gives you a flexible and collaborative space to build dashboards that stay current with minimal effort. This guide walks you through how to create a setup that supports planning, forecasting, and confident decision making. 

Why Google Sheets works for you 

Google Sheets gives you real-time collaboration, straightforward sharing and smooth integration with your finance stack. Your team can work side by side without version issues. Connected Sheets links to BigQuery for large datasets, and a wide range of add Ons can pull data from Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite or other ERP platforms. 

With the right structure in place, your reporting will be quicker and easier to maintain. 

Step 1: Set the purpose 

Before you build anything, define what your dashboard should track and who it will serve. Most CFOs focus on revenue, margins, cash, operating costs, pipelines, and forecast accuracy. Since Sheets is cloud based, it suits both daily tracking and monthly cycles. 

Step 2: Connect the data 

Live data keeps your dashboard reliable and relevant. You can use: 

• Add Ons like Coupler.io, Supermetrics or Zapier 

• Connected Sheets for warehouse driven feeds 

• Apps Script for custom API calls 

You can choose refresh timings that match the pace of your business, so your numbers stay aligned with source systems. 

Step 3: Structure the model 

Separate raw data, calculations, and visuals into clear tabs. Named ranges, filter views and pivot tables help you build a stable layout that adapts as your data grows. This makes the dashboard easier to maintain and simpler for others to understand. 

Step 4: Create clear visuals 

You can turn complex tables into charts, indicators, and trend lines. Sheets provides straightforward tools to highlight movements and patterns. Group your visuals so users can understand the story quickly. 

Step 5: Automate the workflow 

Apps Script allows you to send scheduled PDF outputs, share updated links, or trigger alerts when certain thresholds are crossed. Combined with live data connections, this turns your dashboard into a reporting setup that runs with far less manual effort. 

Step 6: Compare your options 

Excel offers deeper modelling functions and suits complex forecasting structures. Google Sheets is better when you need collaboration, easy sharing, smooth integrations and rapid updates. Many finance teams blend both, using Sheets for agile dashboards and Excel for heavier modelling. 

Step 7: Keep evolving 

Review your dashboard often. Refine metrics, test new visuals and expand integrations as the business grows and your needs shift. 

A more modern FP&A approach 

Google Sheets gives you a connected and flexible platform for live reporting. With strong integrations, shared access, and a clear structure, you can move away from static spreadsheets and build a setup that supports sharper, faster decisions across the organisation. 

At Positive8, we help finance teams create FP&A dashboards that combine automation, cloud collaboration and clear data storytelling. If you want a setup that grows with your business, we can guide you through it.