Ensure data security and privacy
Data Security: Why Replace Excel Files in Your Data Collection Processes?
What We Offer
While Excel remains popular for its flexibility and ease of use, it was not designed to ensure a high level of security. Using it in data collection projects weakens the security of the information system and ultimately exposes organizations to significant risks (data theft, reputational damage, loss of trust, regulatory penalties).
Switching to a dedicated data collection tool simplifies and secures your processes.
Excel is convenient…
...until it becomes risky!
your need
We realized too late that a bad copy-paste had exposed sensitive data.
expert view
Implement strengthened access control for user rights to input documents and applications.
Gathering Tools has the answer
More access control for greater security
- Multi-factor authentication
- Management of permissions and roles by access levels
- Workflow system with validation steps
When I enter important data…
... I want to be sure it’s protected and meaningful.
your need
Even with a password on the file and protected sheets, I don’t feel secure when it’s sent by email.
expert view
Prioritize data security that is natively integrated into the proposed solutions.
Gathering Tools has the answer
Strengthen data protection
- Data encryption
- Secure data transmission and storage
- User authentication via secure credentials
When facing an auditor...
...a spreadsheet is no longer enough to prove your compliance.
your need
I have 12 different versions of the same file, I no longer know which one is correct or who modified it.
expert view
An integrated data collection software provides a complete and tamper-proof history of modifications.
Gathering Tools has the answer
Guarantee data exchange traceability
- Access log auditing
- Centralization of data in a database
- Modification history and versioning
Projects Delivery
Tailor-made support to secure every stage of your projects.
Trainings
Develop your skills with sessions tailored to your needs.
Technical Assistance
Working alongside you to develop your applications, with complete responsiveness.
Our clients
Clients from every industry – their words speak louder than ours.
In addition to facilitating data collection from 90 sites and consolidating it, Gathering Tools also has the advantage of not requiring contributors to change their working methods. Since the software is identical to Excel in every way, they simply fill in the prepared form as usual. For me, on the other hand, it changes everything. I can lock all the cells that do not need to be modified, perform consistency checks, automatically follow up with people who have not responded… It saves a huge amount of time.
Social Management Control, Addictions France
Let’s be clear: digitisation begins with obtaining data. Gathering Tools’ contribution in this regard has been decisive. What’s more, we have undeniably saved time: subsidiaries save up to 15 working days per month across all 17 users, and for group functions, there is no longer any need to chase up correspondents by email, as this is configured in the application. In addition, the application has enabled us to set up blocking controls and alerts. For the Business Intelligence teams, using Gathering Tools enables us to produce consolidated group statistics on D+3, which is virtually real time for sales, development and the Executive Committee. Previously, we provided group statistics on a half-yearly basis. In short, Gathering Tools has brought simplicity, reliability and performance to all our processes.
Finance Department, Safic Alcan
Gathering Tools was deployed within the sales department to collect sales forecasts. The idea was to gain better visibility on upcoming projects so that production managers could anticipate and avoid running out of very specific products. Before deployment, forecasts were sent by email in Excel files, which made traceability very difficult. With Gathering Tools, we built a workflow based on processes that are identical to Excel so that users can easily find their way around. Now, sales representatives fill out a form each month to send their forecasts to their sales manager, and in return, they receive data on turnover achieved based on their annually defined targets and forecasts from previous months.
Commercial Management Control, Edilians.
For us, Gathering Tools really meets our needs: campaigns are automated, there is genuine data quality management, and the tool automatically generates the summary document we need as feedback comes in. The automatic pre-filling of forms using previously collected data is also a major strength. The flexibility with which the tool allows us to manage assignments, combined with the fact that the economic model does not take into account the number of respondents, fits perfectly with the way we operate.
Finance, UNHAJ.
Within our treasury department, we have saved up to one working day per week for the person responsible for collecting and consolidating reports on the group’s cash position. The solution has freed us from time-consuming processes that add no value, allowing us to devote more time to analysing the figures.
Group Treasury, BIC
We no longer do manual consolidation. Data is automatically uploaded, and above all, it is accurate.
This provides real peace of mind.
People Analytics & HRIS, Bouygues Construction.
The real advantage for us is the centralisation of the various files, the ability to send bulk mailings and to have a consolidated database containing all the social reports. Consistency checks are a considerable help: correspondents cannot return the file until the error has been resolved on their side (cell not filled in, inconsistent format, etc.). We save a lot of time on back-and-forth communication, and the files are immediately usable. Processes are more fluid. We save a considerable amount of time, and the social report process has been reduced by a month and a half.
Social Management Department & HRIS, Groupe BPCE.
By automating our salary review campaigns, we have reduced the time spent on administrative tasks by 70%. As a result, our teams now have more time to analyse employees performance.
C&B Manager, Retail Sector.
By integrating precise commercial indicators into our dashboard, we have doubled the frequency of analyses and improved the responsiveness of our teams from supermarkets. Sales performance is now managed in a more agile manner.
Sales Department, Retail company.
Gathering Tools has enabled us to synchronise user data with our BI. The way it works allows the IT department and business units to collaborate on issues that they would not have encountered without the tool. Users who come to us with the Excel files they use are generally highly skilled, and Gathering Tools allows us to preserve that expertise while transferring it to a solution that is technically compatible with our requirements.
IT Finance & Digital Solutions Factory, Geodis.
Agility in data collection! Most companies, even the most structured ones, collect data using Excel spreadsheets. This unstructured information is then very difficult to use with decision-making tools. The ease with which Gathering Tools projects are set up gives us this agility and allows us to take any Excel process we want to make more reliable. We have more than a dozen applications: CSR reporting, budgeting, sales forecasting, operational excellence, purchasing reporting, and more.
Cross-functional IT roles, Mersen.
The tool has eliminated all VBA macros, and without any lines of code, our project is much easier to maintain. So when we need to change the budget structure during the process, we simply update the reference data and relaunch the campaigns: all documents are then automatically synchronised. This is where we save the most time, especially when it comes to generate our dashboards: we have saved 18 man-days. Gathering Tools therefore allows us to control the entire lifecycle of our budget data, from the collaborative dialogue phase to the reintegration of data into our ERP system.
Group Management Control, Kiloutou.
Our first Gathering Tools project concerned an environmental provisioning process. This process involves collecting data from all sites worldwide and includes a half-yearly collection phase and an adjustment phase. The aim is to obtain a consolidated view of all the environmental actions undertaken by the group and the associated financing. Gathering Tools enabled us to set up a genuine workflow with two levels of validation: the first at geographical level and the second at corporate level, with all the traceability and version and rights management we needed. In addition, the data is now structured and interoperable with our other tools, meaning that provisions are supplemented by the expenses recorded in the ERP system.
HSE Reporting, Chemical industry.
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Our blog posts
Explore our blog posts to learn about best practices. We share what we learn, what we observe, and what we experience.
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