To better understand the obstacles On Top Media faced before adopting Trackingplan, we spoke with Álvaro Salmerón, Digital Analytics Consultant leading the digital analytics division at the agency.
Álvaro’s responsibilities extend to ensuring that analytics and tracking systems run smoothly, troubleshooting any issues, and overseeing the implementation of tagging and data schemas across all platforms.
As he explains, On Top Media operates with a highly specialized team. While the agency also works on lead generation projects, e-commerce remains its core focus, making up 70% of its client base, both national and international. Each consultant typically manages three to four projects, though there is a clear division of labor. Some team members focus on maintaining client relationships and presenting results, insights, and deliverables, while others concentrate on specific tasks like tracking, ensuring data quality, and data exploitation. The team manages the "data collection" and "data exploitation" processes separately but with close integration.
Álvaro himself is involved with Google Tag Manager, Looker Studio, and Power BI for reporting, analysis, and BI projects. He describes their service as a "consultant-as-a-service" approach, functioning as if the client had an in-house analyst.
Before adopting Trackingplan, Álvaro and his team faced significant challenges in managing digital analytics for their clients. One of the major pain points was detecting when tracking issues occurred—often only realizing something was wrong months later when clients noticed discrepancies. This was compounded by the difficulty of staying aligned with clients' internal updates, as Álvaro's team was often unaware of changes that could affect analytics. To manage these challenges, the team relied on manual quality checks, which were time-consuming, inefficient, and prone to human error.
When asked about the biggest pain points and inefficiencies in digital analytics workflows before adopting Trackingplan, Álvaro put it bluntly:
“Basically, not being able to detect when something had broken—sometimes even weeks later, or even months later in worse case scenarios—and then having to face the client thinking, ‘Wow, I really should have caught that.’
Agencies rely on consistent and accurate tracking to deliver data-driven strategies. However, as Álvaro describes, digital agencies are particularly vulnerable to tracking failures caused by external changes—whether it’s a client’s IT team modifying the website, a new tag management update, or changes in the data layer, these disruptions can cause serious discrepancies in reporting, making it difficult to maintain trust and provide reliable insights. Explaining what happened—and why—isn’t always easy, especially when tracking failures are caused by external changes beyond the agency’s control.
"If you don’t have the tools to catch it—especially when you're managing multiple clients—it gets really difficult, as some issues are almost impossible to detect without automation or a dedicated data quality tool."
In line with the previous point, it was often difficult for Álvaro and his team to stay informed about internal changes at client organizations, like website updates, new campaign launches, or internal IT modifications that could impact analytics tracking. Being an external partner, if the marketing team launched a new campaign, there was no easy way to know if that would impact the analytics setup. This lack of visibility often led to confusion, as they couldn’t determine whether spikes in traffic or shifts in data flows were due to these changes or something else entirely.
“If something changes internally within the company, it’s very difficult to be aware of everything. We often only realize something changed when we see discrepancies in the data, and by then, the damage is done.”
Every project at On Top Media includes a dedicated segment for ensuring data quality. These quality checks were performed once or twice a month to ensure everything was functioning as expected at every project. However, this validation workflow was far from being perfect.
“The only way to do it was by opening the browser console and manually validating and debugging everything. And even then, there were numerous errors I couldn’t emulate on my own device.”
Ensuring data accuracy required considerable manual effort and consumed a significant amount of time for Álvaro and his team. This motivated him to seek ways to streamline and automate data quality checks, aiming not only to save time but also to eliminate the risk of human error that could compromise overall accuracy.
To maintain high-quality analytics and prevent tracking errors from going unnoticed, On Top Media integrated Trackingplan into their workflow to automate data quality monitoring and detect issues in real-time, eliminating the team’s need for manual checks or waiting for clients to report discrepancies. This proactive approach ensured every metric was accurately tracked, helping them prevent reporting errors, maintain reliable insights, and optimize decision-making with complete confidence in their data.
For Álvaro, the true impact of Trackingplan lies in its ability to detect errors, changes, or missing metrics in real-time.
“Now, if a metric is lost, we’re able to detect it on time, not two weeks later, but the very next day after it fails."
Although Álvaro recognizes that tools like Google Analytics offer anomaly detection, he notes that they often fall short when providing timely and accurate alerts
"The problem with Google Analytics' anomaly detection system is that it doesn’t work well. You only get notifications when it’s already too late, or it directly fails to function properly."
In this regard, Trackingplan helps the agency prevent reporting errors by catching issues before they reach dashboards or reports, avoiding inaccurate tracking insights or misleading performance data.
With Trackingplan, Álvaro now has real-time visibility into client updates, allowing him to quickly assess whether a particular traffic surge or event is related to a new campaign launch or other recent changes.
"Now we know when a change has been made in development that affects analytics, without having to rely on being notified.”
With Trackingplan, Álvaro has shifted towards a more continuous monitoring approach, where data quality is assessed in real-time. Instead of waiting for a scheduled review, he can now detect issues as they happen, making immediate adjustments without disrupting the flow of daily operations.
"Now, the first thing I do every morning is check the digests for all the clients I manage.”
Previously, every morning involved reviewing metrics in Looker Studio for each client, a repetitive and often tedious task. But now, thanks to Trackingplan, Álvaro’s workflow has evolved. The first thing he does each morning is to check Trackingplan’s Digests for any anomalies—not just tracking issues but also spikes in event registrations or unexpected changes in the data flow.
This quick check has become an essential part of his daily workflow, enabling him to stay ahead of any potential tracking issues. By leveraging Trackingplan’s automated alerts and real-time monitoring, Álvaro and his team can now gain a clearer, more immediate understanding of what’s happening in each client's analytics setup.
"This has allowed us to save a significant amount of time that we used to spend reviewing metrics in Looker Studio every morning."
This shift in how On Top Media monitors and verifies data quality has allowed the team to devote more time to the actual reporting process. With more time freed up, they can focus on delivering stable, reliable data insights to clients, empowering Álvaro and his team to maintain higher standards of accuracy, and ensuring they can consistently deliver insightful, trustworthy analytics to their clients.
"At the end of the day, if you can’t trust your data, the insights you provide will be meaningless."
For Álvaro and his team, one of the most significant benefits of Trackingplan has been the increase in client confidence. Being able to stay ahead of potential issues by proactively monitoring tracking and quickly identifying any discrepancies has given them a sense of assurance that they can always rely on the data they're presenting.
“It increases confidence because Trackingplan allows you to go one step further, knowing what's happening at all times.”
Moreover, Álvaro also comments on how Trackingplan has provided a sense of control across multiple projects.
"For me, the key words are confidence and control because it allows me to be involved in different projects while always knowing what’s happening in each one.”
This transparency has allowed him to approach client presentations with a sense of certainty, knowing that the insights and reports they provide are built on trustworthy data when it comes to presenting results or conducting follow-up sessions with clients, making it easier to build stronger, more trusting relationships.
Since integrating Trackingplan, On Top Media has experienced significant time savings and increased efficiency:
Álvaro estimates that the team now saves approximately 25-30 hours per month in manual data quality tasks. Previously, they dedicated around five to six hours per project for conducting manual data quality checks and debugging. With Trackingplan automating much of the debugging process, the team has been able to redirect those hours toward more strategic activities, improving their overall workflow and client deliverables.
“Before Trackingplan, we spent around five to six hours per project just debugging and ensuring the accuracy of the data. Now, those tasks are automated, freeing up time for more strategic activities.”
When asked whether Trackingplan provides a competitive edge over agencies that don’t use the tool, Álvaro responded:
"Yes, definitely. That's part of why we’ve decided to invest in the tool. One of our core values is educating our clients that it’s not just about having data, but ensuring that the data we have is accurate.”
He emphasizes how Trackingplan helps On Top Media stand out by providing an added layer of assurance for clients. By proactively monitoring and validating data, the agency is able to support clients with confidence, making sure that decisions are based on reliable information.
"One of the competitive advantages we aim to position is that we are here to help with that—ensuring that we make the right decisions with the right data."
For Álvaro, using Trackingplan isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about aligning their service with a commitment to data integrity:
"If we want to offer this kind of service, not investing in or advocating for data accuracy would be misleading and go against what we stand for."
In this way, Trackingplan not only helps On Top Media maintain operational efficiency but also reinforces its position as a trusted partner in data-driven decision-making.
By integrating Trackingplan into their workflow, On Top Media has transformed the way they manage digital analytics, ensuring seamless tracking, real-time error detection, and proactive monitoring. What was once a reactive process riddled with manual checks and tracking blind spots has now become a streamlined, automated approach that empowers Álvaro and his team to maintain full control over data accuracy.
With the ability to catch issues before they impact reports, On Top Media not only saves valuable time but also strengthens client trust—offering a service built on reliability and precision. Trackingplan has become an essential part of their strategy, reinforcing their commitment to delivering high-quality, data-driven insights that clients can truly rely on.
On Top Media, a proud member of the t2ó group, is a leading digital analytics and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) agency specializing in e-commerce brands. With a deep commitment to excellence, what sets On Top Media apart is its dedication, expertise, and transparency at every step of the process. From PPC campaigns to comprehensive Digital Analytics and CRO strategies, they excel in all facets of digital advertising.
For agencies managing complex analytics setups, Trackingplan offers a powerful solution to simplify workflows, reduce manual effort, and enhance data quality.
