Settings Guide

Financial Data

Scale B.O.S.S. • Settings > Integrations & AI > Financial Data

What this page controls

The Financial Data page defines how long financial history is retained in Scale B.O.S.S., which time horizon and frequency financial reports open with by default, and which users currently have access to financial information.

This page is the administrative policy layer for finance in Scale B.O.S.S. It does not connect QuickBooks, Xero, or other external systems—that is handled in System Connections. Instead, it governs the rules applied to connected financial data so your dashboards, reporting views, and access controls remain consistent across the organization.

Data Retention

Defines how long historical financial data is stored in Scale B.O.S.S.

Report Defaults

Controls the date range and view frequency used when financial reports and dashboards open.

Financial Access

Shows which users currently have access to financial data in the organization.

Why this page matters

Financial settings are easy to overlook when correct—but when misconfigured, teams work from the wrong date range, trend analysis becomes inconsistent, and financial visibility can be too narrow or too broad. This page keeps finance reporting governed, comparable, and appropriately controlled.

Financial Data workspace overview

All controls on this page are grouped into three administration blocks: Data Retention, Report Defaults, and Financial Access.

Financial Data workspace with all three control areas visible.

How the three sections work together

Section	What you configure or review	Why it matters
Data Retention	Choose the retention period for historical financial data.	Determines how much history Scale B.O.S.S. keeps available for trend analysis, reporting, and longitudinal comparison.
Report Defaults	Set the default date range and view frequency for finance reports and dashboards.	Ensures leadership starts from a consistent reporting horizon and cadence.
Financial Access	Review who can currently access financial data in the organization.	Supports governance, least-privilege access, and finance oversight.

1. Data Retention

The Data Retention card controls how long historical financial data is stored. This setting determines how far back teams can compare performance, seasonality, growth, and long-term financial patterns in Scale B.O.S.S.

Data Retention card.

Retention Period dropdown options.

What this setting does:

Determines how much historical financial data Scale B.O.S.S. keeps available in the platform.
Affects long-range comparisons, multi-year trend analysis, and prior-period history available during performance reviews.
Does not modify or delete source data in your connected accounting platform—it governs only what is retained in Scale B.O.S.S.

Available retention options

1 Year — suited to teams that only need recent financial history.
3 Years — useful when broader context is needed without a long archive.
5 Years — a balanced baseline for most organizations.
7 Years — appropriate for businesses reviewing longer performance cycles or financing history.
10 Years — best when long-horizon historical context is a priority.

Before changing retention

Consider whether leadership routinely compares results across multiple years, whether tax, audit, or board reviews depend on long-run history, and whether your team uses multi-year trend lines during planning. If yes, choose a longer retention period proactively rather than reactively.

Recommended approach

Choose a retention period that reflects your operating reality. For most organizations, five years is a practical baseline—sufficient for year-over-year analysis, performance normalization, and strategic planning.

2. Report Defaults

The Report Defaults section controls the standard view financial reports and dashboards open with. When users start from different horizons or granularities, finance conversations become inconsistent. These defaults create a shared starting point.

Report Defaults section.

Default Date Range options.

Default View Frequency options.

Default Date Range

Sets the time window finance reports and dashboards use on first load.

Last 3 Months — suited to short-horizon operating reviews.
Last 6 Months — useful when leadership wants a broader recent-performance window.
Last 12 Months — often the most practical executive default, capturing seasonality and recent trend direction.
Year to Date — useful when the organization manages heavily against the current year.
All Time — appropriate when long-run historical context takes priority over recent operating rhythm.

Default View Frequency

Sets the reporting granularity used when financial views open.

Daily — best for high-volume or high-velocity finance review environments.
Monthly — the most common cadence for leadership reporting.
Quarterly — suited to organizations that make decisions on a quarterly cycle.
Yearly — best for macro trends, long-range comparison, and high-level strategic review.

A simple rule for choosing defaults

Match your defaults to the conversation leadership has most often. If most finance meetings are monthly and compare current results to the prior year, Last 12 Months + Monthly is usually the clearest starting point.

Why these defaults matter operationally

Reduce friction by eliminating manual filter changes at the start of every review.
Create a common starting point for executives, finance, and operations leaders.
Improve consistency when screenshots, exports, and live dashboard views are shared across the team.
Reinforce the reporting rhythm your organization actually uses.

3. Financial Access

The Financial Access section shows who currently has access to financial data in the organization. This is a visibility and governance panel—its purpose is to make access transparent so administrators can quickly confirm the right people can see finance data, and the wrong people cannot.

Financial Access roster.

What this section shows

Which users currently have financial access in the organization.
Whether the finance access footprint is appropriately narrow or wider than intended.
Whether a recent permission change has taken effect.

What this section does not do

This panel is for visibility only. Individual finance permissions are granted or revoked in Settings > Users via each user's access and permission controls. The Financial Data page lets you audit the result.

Best practice for finance access

Apply least-privilege access. Financial visibility should be limited to those who genuinely need it for leadership, finance, or governance responsibilities. Review this roster whenever roles change.

Recommended review questions

Does everyone listed still need financial visibility?
Is anyone missing who should have access for legitimate reporting responsibilities?
Did a recent promotion, role change, or termination create an access mismatch?
Does the roster align with how your organization handles sensitive financial information?

How this page fits with the rest of Integrations & AI

Financial Data works best as the policy companion to System Connections. The relationship follows three steps:

1. Connect the source

Connect your accounting platform in System Connections.

2. Set finance policy

Use Financial Data to define retention and default reporting behavior.

3. Review access

Confirm that only the appropriate users can see financial information.

Troubleshooting

If financial data is missing or stale, verify the accounting platform connection in System Connections. If reports open with the wrong horizon or granularity, review Report Defaults. If someone unexpectedly can or cannot see financial data, check the Financial Access roster and confirm the user's permission settings in User Management.

Administration checklist

Monthly

Confirm the default date range and frequency still reflect how leadership reviews the business.
Check the Financial Access roster for role changes that should affect visibility.

Quarterly

Review whether the retention period still supports the trend analysis leadership requires.
Confirm that finance discussions across the team are starting from the same default reporting view.

Annually

Perform a formal access review for all users with financial data visibility.
Reassess whether the retention horizon still meets governance, planning, and long-range reporting needs.

Final takeaway

The Financial Data page is intentionally compact, but its impact is significant. It makes finance reporting more consistent, keeps historical data intentional, and gives administrators a clear checkpoint for sensitive financial access. Used well, it transforms financial reporting from a collection of individual viewing habits into a governed operating standard.

Financial Data Settings Guide for Scale B.O.S.S.