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Benchmarking

Assessing how well your organization is performing is next to impossible without a benchmark. Our benchmarking extension enables you to compare key metrics of your organization with those of comparable organizations. Understanding where you're a front-runner and where you could improve is key to better strategic management. 

What you get:

  • A dataset of metrics for comparable organizations, such as: rate of return on financial assets, taxes receivable, discretionary and reserve funds, tax levy per household, to name a few, create as many as you like.
  • Pre-built tables and queries to store and load benchmarking data directly into your Workiva spreadsheets. 
  • Configurable, pre-authored analytics, visualizations, and dashboards to focus on the metrics that matter most to your organization. 
  • Annual data updates to keep comparisons current.

What you do:

  • Select three or more peer comparators, choose the metrics and time periods you want to benchmark against.  

The Result:

  • Clear, defensible insights into how your organization stacks up against peers.
  • Powerful analytics to support arguments for positive change with management, council, and other stakeholders. 

Schedule a Call to Discuss Benchmarking

Benchmarking Extension Version 2025. Q4 Now Available 

Upgrade for faster, smarter, more efficient tools.

What's New

  • Multi-Year Adjustments
    • Apply adjustments to multiple years efficiently.

  • Rounding Automation
    • New and improved rounding functionality.

  • Connections - Automatically refresh all connections on demand or on a schedule.
    • Automated Updates: Refreshes spreadsheet connections via the master runner script. 
    • Flexible Execution: Run on a schedule or on demand. 
    • Time-Saving: Eliminates manual refresh steps. 
    • Toggle Control: Easily enabled or disabled as needed. 
    • Scalable: Supports broader use of data connections. 
    • Data Accuracy: Helps to ensure the most up-to-date data is used.

  • Publish Links - Automatically publish all links on demand or on a schedule.
    • Efficiency: Saves time by eliminating manual publishing steps. 
    • Scheduled or On-Demand: Can run automatically or be triggered as needed. 
    • Scalable: Supports increased volume and frequency of link publishing. 
    • Control & Flexibility: Can be turned on or off based on workflow needs. 
    • Data Freshness: Helps ensure users access the most current published data. 
     
  • Grouping Rollup
    • Quick Mapping: Easily see where each FHBID fits in financial statement groups. 
    • Detailed Breakdown: View unadjusted trial balance, adjustments, and adjusted amounts by FHBID. 
    • Improved Transparency: Clear audit trail from raw data to final financials. 
    • Efficient Review: Simplifies analysis and decision-making with organized financial data. 

  • Automatic Validation
    • Proactive Issue Detection: Flags variances early based on predefined rules. 
    • Automated Notifications: Assigns reconciliation tasks to users when issues are found. 
    • Improved Accuracy: Helps ensure reconciliation issues aren’t missed. 
    • Flexible Execution: Can run on a schedule or on demand. 
    • Toggle Control: Easily enabled or disabled as needed. 
    • Exception Handling: Includes an exception list to exclude known variances from alerts. 

  • API Upgrade
    • To ensure uninterrupted service, continued support, and access to enhanced capabilities, we are proactively upgrading our system to use the newer API versions in alignment with Workiva. For full details, see our Knowledge Base Article.

  • Updated Scripts (Built with Python 3.13)
    • Faster, Smoother Processing: Existing scripts will run faster. 
    • Improved Error Handling: Clearer error messages and improved error handling make it easier to spot and fix issues. 
    • More Reliable and Secure Performance: Automations will run more consistently, reducing interruptions and improving overall efficiency. 
    • Scripts will continue to run beyond Workiva's end-of-life deadline for Python 3.9 on October 31, 2026. For more on this, see our Knowledge Base article.

Schedule a Call to Discuss Upgrading your Benchmarking Extension