When we first connected with this company, they had data on their storage facilities but no way to act on it. The software they used did an okay job of tracking basic information—who was renting which unit, who had paid—but it left them blind when it came to visualizing their storage space and summarizing key metrics like occupancy rates and payment status. They had the raw numbers, but no clear way to interpret them fast enough to make day-to-day decisions.

Rows of Data, No Clear Insights

The company was essentially looking at a spreadsheet full of rows. It didn’t show them where those units were in the building, or what was available at a glance. This made it tough when they needed to quickly figure out where to place incoming storage from moving jobs, or to instantly see which units were behind on payments.

Every day, their team would spend time manually sifting through this data and cross-checking records to figure out who owed what or where there was space.

The client wanted to see this data, not just read it. They wanted a way to map out their storage units and keep track of everything visually. But their assumption was that this would likely be a manual process.

Visual Maps That Show Exactly What’s Going On

Instead of letting them settle for a manual, time-consuming solution, we realized we could automate this process and make it work in real-time.

We developed a system in Google Sheets—a tool they were already comfortable with. Using the data exported daily from their software, we were able to automatically pull in updated reports. These reports gave us everything we needed: storage account details, payment statuses, and occupancy info.

We then needed to get this data into a usable format. This involved cleaning up inconsistencies, merging multiple data sources, and calculating key statuses like payment status and occupancy trends. Once the data was reliable, we transformed it into an easy-to-use visual map of their storage facility. Each storage unit became a box on the map, color-coded for instant interpretation:

• Green: Paid and occupied
• Blue: Occupied but unpaid
• Red: Available for new customers

Not only could the client now see their storage status instantly, but we also created summary metrics that sat next to the map—percent occupancy, total unpaid balances, and even projections for the next month based on account trends.

Faster Decisions, Better Space Utilization

This new system gave them a whole new level of control over their operations:

• Speed: Their team no longer had to waste time looking through rows of data. They could now spot available units and unpaid accounts with just a glance at the map.
• Efficiency: When storage came in from moving jobs, they could quickly decide where to place it, optimizing the use of their space.
• Better Decision-Making: With real-time data and forward-looking projections, the client could now make faster, more informed decisions about space utilization, pricing, and future capacity.

The company went from managing their storage reactively to getting ahead of the game. Not only did this solve their day-to-day problems, but it also laid the groundwork for smoother scaling as they continue to grow.

From Our Client

“Some time ago, I met brothers Justin and Jarod Guerra and enlisted them to build me an automated system for my storage facilities and clients. They did an amazing job creating spreadsheets, auto-importing and organizing data for my company. The building maps they built have worked out so well for us that I’ve stopped searching for any other software systems.”

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