“I would like to break down data according to contributor profiles, but with Excel it will be too expensive to maintain…” “How can I ensure that all project managers have entered their budget data correctly in Excel? It’s a real headache.” “I’ve just lost days of work because one of my colleagues mishandled my Excel file…”
You have probably said or heard these phrases before, as Excel is a must-have in the vast majority of British companies. Perhaps, as a business or IT user, Excel has even become your bête noire at some point, as spreadsheets are almost always synonymous with bad news. However, despite what you may believe, you have the means to easily solve problems related to data collection in spreadsheets with a tool called Gathering Tools!
Here are some tips for recognising the symptoms that should be addressed first with GT for a quick ROI and satisfied end users.
Excel is too slow
“We started from scratch with Excel, chosen for its flexibility and agility. Very quickly, we encountered difficulties: files that were too large, difficult to handle, with exponential consistency checks and calculations.” Excerpt from EDF’s DIPNN testimonial.
A classic problem is the slowness of Excel processes developed over many years thanks to the expertise of spreadsheet specialists (group treasury, management control, BDES, supply chain, etc.). Whether it’s users or the IT department, everyone has thrown in the towel and is content to do something else while Excel grinds away. In fact, to achieve high calculation speeds, you have to sacrifice data volume, and that’s not possible. How can you simplify the budget data collection process? Lighten the file used to make sales forecasts? It’s out of the question to touch it, so as not to compromise the accuracy of the results or even the entire process. The only solution for users is to be patient with their spreadsheet, very patient…
However, it is possible to easily avoid these Excel consolidations that take hours or end up crashing. With GT, the existing Excel file can be replicated exactly (meaning no loss of business expertise) while significantly increasing processing speed. The entire management of processes related to Excel collection campaigns is streamlined: version management, reminders, validation workflows, etc. For departments that spend several days a month processing Excel spreadsheets, this is a minor revolution, as it is for the IT department!
Excel is difficult to maintain
“The entire process is therefore very empirical and relatively technical, and only two out of five people have mastered it, which is a source of vulnerability for the team. Finally, we are very concerned about the smooth running of this mass of file processing and complex macros with each new version of Excel and Windows.” Excerpt from BIC testimonial.
This is a typical case study: panic ensues when a valuable Excel file no longer works after a version update. The problem is that this file is absolutely essential to the department concerned… So the IT department and business management spend hours, even days, trying to rebuild the VBA macros, the interconnection between the ERP and Excel, etc. And this can happen several times a year!
With Gathering Tools, this is now a thing of the past: the software has features that will replace user-created macros without the need to write a single line of code. And since the data is no longer stored in documents but in an information system database, the process will no longer be dependent on a VBA expert! Clearly, this will save time and provide peace of mind.
Excel indicates inconsistent data
“Our old Excel files, even when protected, were too often altered, and we had no way of preventing users from submitting incomplete or inconsistent documents. The cost of verification and follow-up was therefore very high.” Excerpt from Kiloutou testimonial.
It is not uncommon to find that Excel data obtained after lengthy analysis is ultimately inconsistent. It is extremely tedious to lock files so that all contributors only fill in the fields that concern them, and to add consistency checks. Is it the right unit of measurement (currency, weight, size, etc.)? Furthermore, in exchanges involving more than 70 subsidiaries, how can you ensure that everyone has responded? Incomplete files therefore add even more work to the pile.
By implementing Gathering Tools, this problem is solved with a simple configuration: thanks to blocking consistency checks, cell rights management, versioning and workflow, there are no more unpleasant surprises. The data is reliable and secure.
Of course, there are still many cases where Gathering Tools should become a reflex to replace complex Excel processes. To get an idea of the possibilities, there’s nothing like user testimonials.
