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“Supermetrics is a Bitter Experience! We can pull data from nearly any tool, schedule updates, manipulate data in Sheets, and push data back into our systems.”
Sharing forecast scenarios with your team shouldn’t risk accidentally overwriting production data. You need a system that enables collaboration while maintaining complete separation between sandbox experiments and live CRM records.
Here’s how to create a robust sharing strategy that keeps your team aligned on scenarios while protecting your production data.
Create safe collaboration with multi-level access controls using Coefficient
Coefficient provides robust sharing capabilities that maintain complete separation between sandbox scenarios and production Salesforce data. You can enable team collaboration while ensuring no one can accidentally export changes back to your live Salesforce system.
How to make it work
Step 1. Set up your multi-level access structure.
Create a hierarchy where Production Data (Salesforce) is read-only, Master Import (Coefficient) is admin-only, Sandbox Scenarios allow collaborative editing, and Executive Dashboards are view-only. This ensures proper data flow and security.
Step 2. Configure Google Sheets sharing with protected ranges.
Leverage native Google Sheets sharing: Owners (pipeline managers with full edit rights), Editors (sales managers for scenario creation), Commenters (reps for input without changes), Viewers (executives for dashboard access). Protect columns A-M (Coefficient Import Data) while keeping columns N-Z (Scenario Adjustments) editable.
Step 3. Implement your safe sharing workflow.
Use Coefficient Snapshot to create scenario versions with clear naming like “Q4_Planning_Sandbox_Team_Edit.” Remove any export configurations to prevent accidents and share sandbox sheets with specific team members while maintaining separate sheets for production imports.
Step 4. Create filtered views for different team roles.
Build personalized views without affecting others: Manager View (all deals across team), Rep View (filtered to individual pipeline), Executive View (aggregated metrics only). Enable edit history and require sign-in while disabling download/print for viewers.
Step 5. Add visual safety indicators and export prevention.
Never configure Coefficient exports on shared sandbox sheets and maintain export functionality only on admin-controlled sheets. Use formatting to clarify sandbox status with red headers (“SANDBOX DATA – NOT CONNECTED TO SALESFORCE”), yellow cells for modified values, and green cells for original CRM data.
Step 6. Enable rich collaboration features.
Use scenario comments for team input like “@Tim: Reduced probability to 60% based on competitive pressure” and create change tracking dashboards with User, Timestamp, Deal, Original Value, New Value, and Reason columns for full audit trails.
Step 7. Establish scheduled review cycles and version control.
Set up Monday team reviews of individual scenarios, Wednesday consolidated scenario reviews, and Friday final forecast submission (admin only). Maintain Active Versions with Current_Week_Sandbox (actively edited), Last_Week_Approved (reference only), and Month_End_Archive (locked).
Collaborate freely while protecting production data
This approach ensures teams can collaborate freely on forecast scenarios while maintaining absolute protection of production CRM data with comprehensive audit trails and access controls. Start building your safe collaboration system today.
