Streamlining Portfolio Data Tracking

Client Background

Toba Capital LLC is a venture capital firm managing investments across multiple portfolio companies and funds. Before engaging Ace Workflow, Toba Capital faced challenges in tracking investment data, including revenue forecasts and exposure across their funds. Their manual processes were time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies in reporting and accountability.

Problem

Toba Capital's investment tracking relied heavily on manual data entry and Excel sheets. They struggled to maintain a system of record for important metrics like revenue multiples and portfolio company forecasts. This lack of a structured approach resulted in inconsistent tracking, especially when reconciling forecasts and actuals over time.

Challenges

• Lack of accurate tracking for revenue multiples and forecasts.
• Reliance on error-prone Excel files with no version history.
• Inefficiencies in consolidating data from 160 venture funds.

Solution

Ace Workflow applied their 'Minimize Manual' process to automate the tracking of key financial metrics for Toba Capital. By building a customized Airtable tool, Ace Workflow created a system of record that not only tracked revenue forecasts and investment multiples but also maintained version histories, improving transparency and accountability. The tool allowed Toba Capital to easily reference forecast revisions and actual performance, eliminating the need for manual Excel updates.

Automated tools included

• Airtable integration: Tracking investment data and version control.
• Forecast accountability: Monitoring company forecasts against actual performance.
• Data consolidation: Streamlining the process of tracking exposure across multiple funds.

The Transformation

• From: Manually tracking revenue multiples and forecasts in Excel, with no version control and data inconsistencies across multiple portfolios.
• To: A streamlined, automated Airtable tool that tracks all key financial metrics, maintains revision histories, and ensures forecast accountability with minimal manual input.

Direct Impact

The implementation of the 'Minimize Manual' process led to significant improvements in Toba Capital’s operations:

• Time saved: No more searching for old Excel models—estimated several hours saved annually.
• Increased accountability: The Airtable system allowed Toba Capital to understand projections over time, giving a more balanced view over original forecasts, enhancing financial transparency.
• Improved reporting: The new tool provided clear and accurate data consolidation across funds, enabling better decision-making and faster response times for ad hoc requests.