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Data & Accuracy

You may notice small discrepancies between Crux and Shopify for orders and revenue metrics. This is expected and occurs for several reasons:

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Timing & Attribution Differences

Order vs Payment Dates: Crux reports based on order dates, whilst Shopify admin views may display by payment processing dates—creating timing mismatches, particularly around month-end.Refund Handling: Crux calculates net revenue by subtracting refund amounts from gross revenue at the time of order. Shopify displays refunds at the time of the refund.Gross Revenue Definitions: Crux reports on gross revenue as; product sales + shipping charges, before tax, discounts & returns. While shopify defines it as product price * quantity (before taxes, shipping, discounts & returns).Cancelled & Test Orders: Crux excludes any orders that have a test discount code (provided by you) applied to them as well as any cancelled orders. Shopify will include cancelled orders and orders from all discount codes.

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Which Number Should You Trust?

For strategic decisions: Use Crux. Our data model is purpose-built for analytical consistency:
  • Orders are always attributed to order date (not payment date)
  • Revenue metrics clearly separate gross, net, and refunded amounts
  • Tax is consistently excluded from profitability calculations
  • Attribution logic is transparent and configurable
For operational reconciliation: Use Shopify. The Shopify admin remains authoritative for:
  • Payment processing reconciliation
  • Fulfilment status tracking
  • Customer service order lookups
Discrepancies are typically less than 1-2% and occur primarily at period boundaries or during refund-heavy periods.
Daily refresh schedule: All data sources update overnight (typically between 2-4am GMT).Yesterday’s data is available each morning when you start your day—enabling consistent morning triage without waiting for intraday updates.Real-time data: Not currently supported. Crux is optimised for strategic decision-making, not real-time operational monitoring. Although this could be offered in the future.
Yes, with full flexibility:
  • All Looker Studio dashboards support CSV/Excel export of visible data
  • Direct BigQuery access available for SQL users (included in your plan)
  • Custom data extracts can be scheduled as part of your monthly hours
Your data warehouse is your data—you own it to do as you wish with it and we never lock you in.

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Onboarding & Implementation

Typical timeline: 2-3 weeks from kickoff to production dashboards.What affects timing:
  • Faster (2 weeks): Clean data sources, simple COGS structure, standard channel definitions
  • Slower (3-4 weeks): Complex product catalogues, custom attribution requirements, historical data cleanup needed
We’ll provide a specific timeline post kickoff call based on your data complexity.
Required integrations:
  • Shopify (Admin API access)
  • Google Analytics 4 (View & Edit permissions)
  • Meta Ads Manager (Ads reporting access)
  • Google Ads (Read-only access)
  • TikTok Ads (Ads reporting access)
Optional integrations (if used):
  • Email platform (Klaviyo coming soon)
  • Subscription platform (Recharge)
  • Affiliate networks (Awin)
  • Influencer marketing tracking (via config sheet)
All data connections use secure OAuth or API keys with minimum required permissions. We never request payment processing access.
Core requirements:
  • Shopify (or Shopify Plus)
  • Google Analytics 4
Supported advertising platforms:
  • Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
  • Google Ads
  • TikTok Ads
  • Awin affiliate network
  • Custom influencer costs
  • Any marketing cost you add to the config sheet can be configured
Not sure? Contact us to discuss your specific setup.

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Platform Comparison

The key difference is strategic positioning: Crux is a growth partnership, not self-service software. Reporting is fully customisable and you own your data within BigQuery to activate and optimise as you wish.

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vs Triple Whale

Triple Whale strengths: Real-time dashboards, mobile app, quick setup.Crux advantages:
  • Statistical prioritisation: Automated health indicators vs manual dashboard monitoring.
  • Full profitability: CM1/CM2/CM3 with COGS integration vs primarily revenue-focused.
  • Monthly customisation: 7 included hours vs DIY configuration.
  • Strategic support: Growth partnership vs software subscription.
Best for: Brands prioritising real-time operational monitoring choose Triple Whale. Brands needing strategic profitability analysis choose Crux.

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vs Northbeam

Northbeam strengths: Attribution modelling (MMM + MTA), sophisticated incrementality testing.Crux advantages:
  • Implementation speed: 2-3 weeks vs 2-3 months
  • Transparent methodology: Statistical indicators vs proprietary black-box models.
  • Cost efficiency: From £999/month vs £3,000+ enterprise pricing.
  • Hands-on support: Included customisation vs purely software delivery.
Best for: Brands spending £600k+/month on ads with attribution complexity choose Northbeam. Early-stage brands needing clear profitability metrics choose Crux.

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vs Klar

Klar strengths: Blended COGS tracking, multi-currency support.Crux advantages:
  • Strategic partnership: Included monthly analysis vs self-service.
  • Advanced analytics: LTV v Payback analysis, statistical health indicators.
  • Customisation depth: Bespoke channel attribution vs standard definitions.
  • Technical sophistication: DBT + BigQuery stack vs managed database.
Best for: Brands wanting good-enough analytics quickly choose Klar. Brands needing sophisticated analysis tailored to their business choose Crux.

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The Crux Philosophy

We solve root cause problems, not surface-level tooling gaps.The issue isn’t that brands lack dashboards—it’s that fragmented data prevents organisational coherence. Growth, finance, and ecommerce teams can’t align when everyone works from different numbers.Crux delivers the capability to triage effectively, not just another dashboard to monitor.
Yes—we regularly onboard clients from other platforms.What makes switching straightforward:
  • We connect directly to source data (Shopify, GA4, ads platforms)—no dependency on previous vendor’s data models.
  • Historical data imports automatically (typically 24+ months).
  • Your team can run both platforms in parallel during transition if desired.
Migration timeline: Standard 2-3 weeks, same as new implementations.

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Pricing & Support

Your monthly fee includes:
  • 7 hours of customisation and analysis
  • Your own BigQuery datawarehouse, optimised & maintained
  • Unlimited dashboard access for your team
  • Daily data refreshes across all sources
  • Direct support via email/Slack
  • Configuration sheet updates (self-service)
  • Platform improvements and new features
Not included:
  • Additional analysis beyond 7 hours (£175/hour on-demand)
  • New data source integrations requiring custom engineering (additional charge)
  • Training for new team members beyond 7 hours usage (can be charged via on-demand service if required)
On-demand projects (£175/hour) are priced upfront after scoping.Common on-demand requests:
  • Comprehensive data audits identifying core value drivers through regression analysis
  • Geo-lift testing scope, setup & tracking
  • Custom metric thresholds
  • Custom Multi-touch attribution modelling
  • Predictive analytics (customer churn probability, next-purchase timing)
  • Custom cohort segmentation studies
  • Competitive analysis incorporating external data sources
  • Executive reporting automation
We scope projects before starting work. You’ll receive a clear estimate and approve before any additional charges.
30-day notice required, post completition of the initial period.No long-term contracts, if you have completed your initial period (typically first 3 months) and Crux isn’t delivering value, you’re free to leave.What happens upon cancellation:
  • Dashboard access continues through notice period
  • BigQuery data warehouse remains yours (export instructions provided)
  • Crux data models will cease running after contract period.
Still have questions? Get in touch with our team