How many software solutions have promised to replace the spreadsheet? I’ve sold solutions designed to replace spreadsheets. There are so many companies who have promised to replace spreadsheets. Nevertheless, spreadsheets endure like the mythical Hydra, cut one head off and another head pops up in its place. I’ve written spreadsheets to automate quotes for complicated software pricing because it was too onerous to calculate by hand. It was never economical to automate that.
Here is the reason to fight on despite the odds:
1. Spreadsheets lack version control – “Temporary” spreadsheets are written by functional people such as sales, operations, or even financial people. They get passed around to help out. Everyone down the line would like to make just one little change.
2. Spreadsheets are hard to audit — Making something to smooth out a task is immensely satisfying; auditing is boring. Not only can there be mistakes in the original, but those little changes can also lead to errors that may be hard to detect.
3. Spreadsheets can become outdated and used through habit – Maybe the software pricing went from seat-based to usage-based. Or cloud services have a new discount based on a new pricing model that the spreadsheet doesn’t account for. People using their own individual spreadsheet may make some last-minute hacks to produce numbers. That can lead to errors.
Changing ERP or other systemic software can be very expensive and time-consuming. Even though spreadsheets have their issues, they are powerful tactical tools that can’t be ignored. Talk to EkaLore about alternative approaches to get you what you need.
Read the next post in the series to hear a few approaches to dealing with spreadsheets that won’t die.
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If you’d like to read more pieces about Agility, Resilience, and Sustainability (ARS), you find them at https://www.ekalore.com/ars
Eliot Axelrod - EkaLore
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