SaaS Data Stack Audit Checklist

Source Systems

0/5

Where your data originates

Can you list every system that generates business-critical data (CRM, billing, product analytics, support)?

Is there a single document mapping source systems to the data they produce?

Do you know which systems are the authoritative source for each entity (customers, subscriptions, events)?

Are API connections and data exports monitored for failures or schema changes?

Are there manual CSV uploads or spreadsheet workarounds still in active use?

Data Warehouse

0/5

Your central source of truth

Do you have a single warehouse (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, etc.) as the central data store?

Is the warehouse accessible to everyone who needs data for decisions?

Are access controls and permissions documented and reviewed regularly?

Is warehouse cost monitored, and do you know your monthly spend trend?

Can a new analyst query production data within their first week?

Data Pipelines

0/5

How data moves through your stack

Are all critical pipelines automated (no manual refresh steps)?

Is there alerting when a pipeline fails or delivers stale data?

Do you know the freshness SLA for each critical data feed (real-time, hourly, daily)?

Is there a transformation layer (dbt, Dataform, etc.) with version-controlled logic?

Can you trace any dashboard number back to its raw source data?

Metrics Definitions

0/5

Do your numbers agree?

Are your top 5 business metrics (ARR, churn, activation, NRR, pipeline) defined in writing?

Would finance, product, and go-to-market calculate each metric the same way today?

Is there a single metric layer or semantic model that enforces consistent definitions?

When a metric definition changes, is there a change-management process?

Can you answer 'what is our churn rate?' in under 60 seconds with a trusted number?

Dashboard Trust

0/5

Can your team act on what they see?

Do executives trust the numbers on their dashboards enough to make decisions without double-checking?

Are dashboards refreshed frequently enough for the decisions they support?

Is every dashboard tied to a specific owner who maintains it?

Are there fewer than 3 competing dashboards for any critical business area?

When a number looks wrong, is there a clear process to investigate and resolve it?

Ownership & Roles

0/5

Who is accountable?

Is there a named person or team responsible for data quality across the company?

Do data producers (engineering, ops) and data consumers (analysts, execs) have defined handoff points?

When a report breaks, does the right person get notified automatically?

Is there a clear escalation path for data issues that affect business decisions?

Are analytics requests triaged and prioritized, or does the loudest voice win?

Governance & Compliance

0/5

Risk, access, and documentation

Is sensitive data (PII, financial) classified and access-controlled?

Are data retention and deletion policies documented and enforced?

Is there an audit trail for who accessed or modified critical data?

Do you have documentation for your data architecture that a new hire could follow?

If a key data person left tomorrow, could the team continue operating without a crisis?

Roadmap Clarity

0/5

Where are you headed?

Does your company have a written data strategy or roadmap for the next 90 days?

Are data investments tied to specific business outcomes (not just technical upgrades)?

Do leadership and the data team agree on the top 3 data priorities this quarter?

Is there a process for evaluating new tool purchases against actual business needs?

Can you articulate what 'good' looks like for your data stack 12 months from now?

The 10-Minute SaaS
Data Stack Audit Checklist

The 10-Minute SaaS Data Stack Audit Checklist

Source Systems

Data Warehouse

Data Pipelines

Metrics Definitions

Dashboard Trust

Ownership & Roles

Governance & Compliance

Roadmap Clarity

How to read your results

Want an expert to do this for you?

Turn this checklist into an action plan

The 10-Minute SaaSData Stack Audit Checklist

The 10-Minute SaaS Data Stack Audit Checklist

Source Systems

Data Warehouse

Data Pipelines

Metrics Definitions

Dashboard Trust

Ownership & Roles

Governance & Compliance

Roadmap Clarity

How to read your results

Want an expert to do this for you?

Turn this checklist into an action plan

The 10-Minute SaaS
Data Stack Audit Checklist