Find out how a family-owned wholesale auto auction business adopted Cosmos to deliver accurate, easy-to-read reports across multiple locations—without IT support.
“There’s a learning curve, sure—but once you’re in Cosmos and understand how to build the reports, it’s incredibly intuitive. And the support team is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
With no internal IT resources to lean on, MAG Auctions needed a tool that their finance team could own from end to end, which Cosmos delivered. The CFO and controller built all initial reports using Cosmos’ training videos and documentation. When they hit roadblocks, the Cosmos support team stepped in with personalized help—often building reports alongside them and providing walkthrough videos to ensure long-term success.
In Cosmos, MAG Auctions gained full control over the layout and clarity of their financial reports. They could format reports to emphasize what mattered most: vehicle sales volume, branch-specific performance, and high-level trends. They even added logos and color-coded indicators, making the reports visually accessible to executive stakeholders who don’t live in the numbers daily.
Every time the CFO Lauren Pendergraft reached out with a question—big or small—she got more than an answer. She got a lesson. Cosmos’ support team didn’t just troubleshoot problems; they showed her how to build, modify, and own the solution. They worked to ensure she would not have to ask the same question again. And unlike other vendors, there were no hidden fees or invoice surprises.
“We don’t have internal IT. Cosmos taught us how to build reports ourselves, then sent us walkthroughs showing exactly how they did it so we could learn.”
When CFO Lauren Pendergraft joined MAG Auctions in 2021, the company was still using Microsoft Dynamics SL—a system nearing its end of life. With support for SL winding down, MAG began planning a migration to Dynamics 365 Business Central to ensure long-term stability. Lauren knew that replicating their existing Management Reporter-based financial reports would be a critical part of the transition. Those reports were familiar, relied on by leadership, and foundational to MAG’s business operations.
But once Business Central was in place, it became clear that its built-in reporting tools weren’t up to the task. They lacked the layout control and financial visibility MAG was used to. Multi-entity comparisons were hard to build. Custom periods and KPI tracking were cumbersome. And Management Reporter simply didn’t exist in the new world.
To fill the gap, their partner Velosio recommended evaluating third-party reporting solutions that could meet MAG’s financial and operational needs. Jet Reports was briefly considered but was ruled out early on due to concerns around performance, formatting limitations, and a steeper learning curve. Cosmos quickly emerged as the standout option—purpose-built for Business Central in the cloud, with native Excel integration and a modern approach to reporting.
“We were used to a certain level of control and clarity in our reports from Management Reporter. Cosmos gave us that—and then some.”
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“With Cosmos, I can finally present reports that look good and tell a clear story. No more deciphering clunky output or explaining why numbers don’t line up.”
Cosmos wasn’t part of MAG Auctions’ original ERP rollout, but once the focus turned to reporting, it quickly became essential. Lauren and her controller managed the implementation independently, using Cosmos-provided training materials and one-on-one support to rebuild and modernize their Management Reporter reports inside Excel.
“We don’t have internal IT support. It was just us. Cosmos taught us how to build what we needed from scratch and even helped us set up report logic and custom periods.”
In just a few weeks, they created a full suite of financial and operational reports tailored to their multi-entity structure—something that would have taken months had they worked with outside developers to build the reports from BC data alone. Today, Lauren estimates she spends at least 50% less time preparing reports, freeing her to focus on strategic initiatives rather than troubleshooting spreadsheets.
The control they’ve gained over formatting has also improved the quality of reporting across the business. Reports are now built to match executive expectations – with color coding, logos, and intuitive layouts – making them easier to read, share, and act on.
The Cosmos support team has also significantly contributed to building confidence and autonomy for MAG’s finance team. Instead of waiting days for a support ticket or paying hourly for help, Lauren receives detailed, same-day walkthroughs that show her exactly how to build or fix a report.
“The support is unreal. They didn’t just answer questions—they built reports for us and showed us how to do it ourselves. No other vendor has come close.”
Although MAG hasn’t yet rolled out report distribution or Power BI integration, they’re confident they have the foundation for long-term reporting success. Cosmos has given them speed, structure, and self-sufficiency without needing an internal IT team.
“Cosmos gives us the flexibility to make reporting what we want it to be—and the support to do it right.”
