The department budget assembles itself — no more consolidating spreadsheets by hand each quarter
Every quarter the leads send in their budget requests — one in a spreadsheet, another as a list in an email. Then someone sits down to merge them into one picture, recalculate subscriptions and start a new file version for every change.
≈6 h
of budget consolidation every quarter
Estimate: 6 leads × ~1 hour collecting and reconciling their spreadsheets by hand
1 database
for every budget item instead of scattered spreadsheets
2 years
planned at once — this year and next
Before
≈6 hours a quarter
- Person
Collect the leads’ requests — each in its own format
- Person~1 h per lead
Merge them into one spreadsheet and reconcile
- Person
Recalculate subscriptions: monthly, quarterly, yearly
- Person
Item moves to another quarter — a new spreadsheet version
- Person
Show each lead their part separately
Items that move to the next quarter or year get lost between spreadsheet versions.
After
No manual consolidation
- Person
A lead adds an item: what, why and how it is paid
- System
Category and group fill in on their own
- System
Formulas work out the full subscription cost
- Person1 click
Move the item to another quarter or year
- System
Dashboards show each lead their requests and the department the whole picture
How it works
- 1
One database instead of a pile of spreadsheets
Every request lives in one Notion database. Each row is an expense with a justification, dates and a payment format. Leads write straight into it, so there is nothing left to merge.
- 2
Categories and checks fill themselves
The item’s category and group are set automatically, and formulas check that everything is filled in properly. Mistakes show up right away, not during consolidation.
- 3
The real price of subscriptions
Some software is paid monthly, some yearly. A formula turns that into the full cost, so the budget shows what a subscription really costs.
- 4
Moves by button
If an item does not fit the quarter, one button moves it to the next quarter or next year. It stays the same row — no copies, no new file versions.
- 5
A dashboard for everyone
Each lead sees their requests and charts for this year and next. The department has a shared panel that shows who the money goes to and what for.
What it is made of
NotionWhere the whole budget lives. Nothing besides Notion to install or pay for.
Items database
Every expense is one row with a justification and payment format. Formulas count and check on their own.
Buttons
Move an item between quarters and years — without copying.
Dashboards
One for each lead and a shared one for the department: requests and charts by year.
A good fit if
- Your budget is built from requests by several leads.
- It is consolidated by hand, and every change spawns a new spreadsheet version.
- You pay for subscriptions on different cycles and want to see what they really cost.
Common questions
Are automations outside Notion needed?
No, it is all built on Notion’s own formulas, buttons and automations.