Ditch the Spreadsheets
Streamlining your processes and digitally transforming your business
Unconnected data systems have been fundamental to businesses operations across all industries for decades. Their merits are many, they can be familiar and easy and improve efficiency. But many businesses are abandoning the likes of Excel and other stand alone technology systems which have been the cornerstone of their critical processes and here’s why:
- There is a high risk of errors
Spreadsheets rely on manual data entry and carries a risk of human error. They are open to interpretation which may differ between individuals and so lack consistency. There is a restriction to the amount of data a spreadsheet can handle and results can be unreliable when they rely on long or complex calculations or when dealing with large datasets.
2. Managing spreadsheets is time consuming.
Creating and managing spreadsheets is time consuming and error prone when using formulae and data values that can easily be broken or mis-entered. Cleaning up mistakes and synchronizing is a time heavy and often frustrating task and users tend to keep spreadsheets in small manageable blocks, which doesn't make good business sense in terms of the bigger picture.
3. Knowledge is limited to those who create and use the spreadsheet
The information contained within the spreadsheet is not accessible by other individuals in the company. As this information is not standardised, it is time consuming and tedious to train up new people to use and manage it and if the person leaves, the knowledge goes with them.
4. They create data silos
Non integrated data systems exist like unconnected islands, segregated from other information sets within a company. They stifle data sharing and cross referencing, hindering innovation and productivity. Individual data systems must be manually collated which is resource heavy and time consuming and crucial decision making may not be fully informed by all available data and information.
Digital Advantage - The Umbrella View
Streamlining and integrating data systems can improve their speed, efficiency and accuracy. Processes become less time consuming and require less resources. But there are many more benefits for the company:
- Less systems to manage:
Data from originally disparate data sets can be viewed, shared and managed within one easily accessible system.
- Time saving
Time and resources recovered from streamlining and improving systems can be reassigned to more lucrative undertakings.
- Full, ‘Umbrella’ View
Integrated data systems create a broad, whole visibility of business processes
- Using data in innovative ways
With the free flow of data, information from different sources can be shared and cross referenced more easily. Data can be leveraged in new, creative ways to extract additional revenue and improve scalability.
- No limits on volume
Unlike most static systems, digital processes of data management places no restriction on the amount of data it can handle.
Businesses often reach a point in their life cycle where they realise there is a problem with the limitations their processes place on their productivity and expansion. Digital solutions can transform and re-imagine your data, leveraging it in innovative and profitable ways and creating new revenue streams. Industry is evolving to become technology based across the board and all businesses will need to ride the wave to digital transformation and embrace this new and rapidly changing landscape.
