Is It Time to Ditch Spreadsheets?

 It may seem like something that would never happen to you, but it has happened even to the best and most organized businesses.  It only takes one tiny mistake from one person in a group to send an office into what is best described as “spreadsheet hell”.

 The problem usually begins small.  The accounting department uses a group-owned spreadsheet, which they share using groupware software.  When one person finishes entering or editing data, that person passes it on to the next via email.  Normally, this works just fine, but eventually the spreadsheet grows, and it is still up to one or two people to make sense of it, consolidate the data, and eventually compile a report.  This can take weeks to sort out and increases the risk of human error along the way.

 The alternative is to have a reliable ERP system in place, one that is customized to work well for multiple departments within a company.  They can input data simultaneously and still export a spreadsheet of the data, when necessary.  Furthermore, using collaborative tools within SharePoint and Office 365, employees can collaborate, share information, and keep track of revisions (using SharePoint’s revision control). 

For smaller businesses with only a few employees, using a spreadsheet might be all they need.  With Office 365, the employees can share data easily.  For those businesses that have started to feel constrained by the limitations of spreadsheets, a Microsoft Dynamics ERP system can help them  by streamlining their business accounting and reporting processes.

 By ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner

It may seem like something that would never happen to you, but it has happened even to the best and most organized businesses.  It only takes one tiny mistake from one person in a group to send an office into what is best described as “spreadsheet hell”.

The problem usually begins small.  The accounting department uses a group-owned spreadsheet, which they share using groupware software.  When one person finishes entering or editing data, that person passes it on to the next via email.  Normally, this works just fine, but eventually the spreadsheet grows, and it is still up to one or two people to make sense of it, consolidate the data, and eventually compile a report.  This can take weeks to sort out and increases the risk of human error along the way.

The alternative is to have a reliable ERP system in place, one that is customized to work well for multiple departments within a company.  They can input data simultaneously and still export a spreadsheet of the data, when necessary.  Furthermore, using collaborative tools within SharePoint and Office 365, employees can collaborate, share information, and keep track of revisions (using SharePoint’s revision control).

For smaller businesses with only a few employees, using a spreadsheet might be all they need.  With Office 365, the employees can share data easily.  For those businesses that have started to feel constrained by the limitations of spreadsheets, a Microsoft Dynamics ERP system can help them  by streamlining their business accounting and reporting processes.

By ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner

It may seem like something that would never happen to you, but it has happened even to the best and most organized businesses.  It only takes one tiny mistake from one person in a group to send an office into what is best described as “spreadsheet hell”.

The problem usually begins small.  The accounting department uses a group-owned spreadsheet, which they share using groupware software.  When one person finishes entering or editing data, that person passes it on to the next via email.  Normally, this works just fine, but eventually the spreadsheet grows, and it is still up to one or two people to make sense of it, consolidate the data, and eventually compile a report.  This can take weeks to sort out and increases the risk of human error along the way.

The alternative is to have a reliable ERP system in place, one that is customized to work well for multiple departments within a company.  They can input data simultaneously and still export a spreadsheet of the data, when necessary.  Furthermore, using collaborative tools within SharePoint and Office 365, employees can collaborate, share information, and keep track of revisions (using SharePoint’s revision control).

For smaller businesses with only a few employees, using a spreadsheet might be all they need.  With Office 365, the employees can share data easily.  For those businesses that have started to feel constrained by the limitations of spreadsheets, a Microsoft Dynamics ERP system can help them  by streamlining their business accounting and reporting processes.

By ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner