✔ Step 1: Identify Business Goals

Before connecting a single dataset, define the KPIs that matter most:

• Revenue, margin, profitability
• Inventory accuracy
• Sales performance (daily/weekly/monthly)
• Marketing spend efficiency
• Customer retention / churn
• Operational efficiency

Clear KPIs ensure dashboards actually drive decisions.

✔ Step 2: Identify Stakeholders

Create an implementation structure:

• Executive Sponsor – ensures strategic alignment
• Project Manager – owns timelines and communication
• Data Engineers – handle ETL, connectors, warehousing
• Analysts – design dashboards & business logic
• Business Owners – validate data and KPIs
• Domo Champion – evangelizes adoption

✔ Step 3: Audit Existing Data Sources

List all data systems you need to connect:

• ERP (SAP, Oracle, Netsuite)
• CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Marketing data (Google Ads, Meta, GA4)
• Sales channels (Shopify, Amazon, POS)
• Finance tools
• Warehousing / logistics systems
• Excel files / internal databases

This gives you visibility into what to prioritize first.

✔ Step 4: Define the Implementation Scope

Break the project into deliverables:

• Phase 1 dashboards
• Key datasets
• Foundational ETL flows
• Governance & security setup
• Training plan

✔ Step 1: Connect All High-Priority Data Sources

Use Domo’s native connectors wherever possible-they are more stable, faster to implement, and cheaper to maintain.

Best practices:

• Use incremental loads, not full refreshes
• Avoid pulling unnecessary columns
• Define data owners for each source

✔ Step 2: Build Initial Magic ETL Pipelines

ETL flows must be clean, documented, and optimized.

Checklist:

• Remove duplicates
• Standardize date formats
• Normalize product/customer IDs
• Join siloed datasets
• Create reusable ETL blocks

✔ Step 3: Validate Data Accuracy

Work with business users to confirm:

• Totals match source of truth
• KPIs match existing reports
• No missing or duplicated data
• Business logic aligns with expectations

Validation is essential for building trust.

✔ Step 4: Set Up Refresh Schedules

Schedule refreshes based on business needs:

• Executive dashboard → daily
• Sales dashboard → hourly/daily
• Inventory → hourly (if needed)
• Marketing → daily
• Finance → daily/weekly

Avoid unnecessary refreshes to save consumption credits.

✔ Step 1: Prioritize High-Impact Dashboards

Start with dashboards that deliver the biggest value quickly:

• Executive KPI dashboard
• Sales performance dashboard
• Inventory & supply chain dashboard
• Marketing ROI dashboard
• Customer insights dashboard

These create immediate wins and prove ROI early.

✔ Step 2: Apply Domo’s Dashboard Best Practices

A great Domo dashboard should be:

• Simple (not more than 7–10 charts)
• Visual (minimal text-heavy tables)
• Consistent (color, fonts, KPI definitions)
• Role-based (executive vs operational)

✔ Step 3: Use Beast Mode for Real-Time Calculations

Examples:

• Margin %
• Week-over-week growth
• Inventory coverage
• Conversion rates
• Customer lifetime value

Beast Mode shortens development time and reduces ETL complexity.

✔ Step 4: Set Up Alerts & Notifications

Set automated alerts for:

• Low stock
• Sales dips
• Marketing over-spend
• Delivery delays
• Target achievement

Alerts create proactive decision-making.

✔ Step 1: Define User Roles

Example roles:

• Admin
• Editor
• Viewer
• Department-specific access

Limit editor access to avoid report duplication and data clutter.

✔ Step 2: Implement Data Governance Standards

Governance guidelines include:

• Naming conventions
• Dataset ownership rules
• Dashboard versioning
• Documentation standards
• Access policies
• Data validation workflows

✔ Step 3: Set Up Audits & Monitoring

Track:

• Dataset refresh failures
• Dashboard performance
• User adoption metrics
• Credit consumption

Governance ensures your Domo deployment stays clean and trusted.

✔ Step 1: Conduct Role-Based Training

Examples:

• Executives → KPI interpretation
• Store/department managers → daily dashboards
• Analysts → ETL, Beast Modes, connectors

Training accelerates adoption dramatically.

✔ Step 2: Create Documentation & SOPs

Include:

• How to navigate dashboards
• KPI glossary
• Best practices
• Troubleshooting guide
• Ownership model

✔ Step 3: Launch to the Organization

Rollout strategy:

• Internal announcement
• Executive endorsement
• Dashboard walkthrough
• Feedback loop

✔ Step 4: Gather Feedback & Optimize

Ask stakeholders:

• Are dashboards intuitive?
• Are KPIs correct and useful?
• What new metrics do you need?

Iterate based on real usage.