When Excel is not enough
In my career as a software solutions provider I’ve encountered many businesses. In almost all of them Microsoft Excel is the de facto go-to tool.
Excel’s ubiquitous presence in the workplace can be ascribed to various factors. It is simple to use and offers powerful calculation functions that are valuable in both management and business contexts. Because Excel is programmable, it is a truly multi-functional tool that empowers users to do anything from performing business calculations to creating database tables. I’ve seen booking calendars, business plans, invoices, pivot tables and even workflow systems on Excel.
So why would Excel not be enough for your business? One main issue with Excel is collaboration. Traditionally Excel is a one- person tool. It works well when one person makes changes to a spreadsheet and then shares the spreadsheet with co-workers via e-mail. However, if more than one person has to make changes, the process becomes a complicated to-and-fro, involving many emails and manual insertion of all changes. These multiple manual insertions by different people are fraught with problems and potential pitfalls.
Granted, Excel has changed tracking tools and users can use One Drive to get past some integration problems, but Excel does suffer from scalability issues. The moment you have three, five or ten co-workers making changes to the same spreadsheet, the collaboration simply become too complicated. Ten people working on one spreadsheet is a recipe for mistakes and misunderstanding.
Excel also falls short when it is used in workflow systems. It is a good idea to use Excel when you’re starting a business because it is an effective way to get processes up and running. However, the moment your processes involve more than three actors, Excel simply won’t suffice. You need a system that facilitates greater complexity and collaboration.
So what is the alternative? Once your business collaborations have outgrown Excel, the power of database-driven systems becomes apparent. A well-designed database system that enables effective collaboration amongst multiple participants could improve the productivity of your business exponentially. Such systems improve effective communication, foster better work relationships and save time. Ultimately they generate higher profits.
If your business needs to reach beyond Excel, contact us on http://www.itinnovate.co.za/m.