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This is a problem that we deal with regularly at 10h11. Indeed, many businesses operate with processes that are entered and monitored via Excel. Often these processes are functional but their industrialization or the crossing of the various information between them seems delicate.
Also, retrieving a history of this process in a consolidated manner, i.e. data in the same format and without errors, is difficult.
In short, what are the weaknesses of an Excel work process?
Information location
With an Excel file, information is often shared via an internal server or a cloud allowing everyone to download the Excel file to then make their entries and host it again. Several problems appear in particular: access to the internet when you are teleworking or on a workstation other than your office computer.
Also, The latest version of the Excel file is often missing or a doubt arises as to whether we are on the latest version of the file or not. Finally, several versions of the file co-exist with some files that have entries, others do not see certain calculation methods that differ between cells depending on the files.
To summarize, there is no structured repository and cannot be modified by the user to be sure to rely on.
Sharing information
When you want share certain information related to the Excel file, it's impossible. Or else, we give his interlocutor all the sources of the file with all the rules. The concept of intellectual property or even asset protection (calculation, matrix, statistical models) is then impossible. This quickly becomes annoying because The interlocutor may have the impression that you are hiding something from him or when you hand over the Excel, you are offering all your knowledge to the interlocutor. It's really not ideal in either case.
Information analysis
If you want to make statistics on a set of Excel files linked to a work process (example: credit application form), it is often difficult to complete your studies with quality. Why?
Because data is often standardized differently by each user of the Excel file (example for the name of a country: “France”, “France”, “France”, “fr”...). In addition, as the version evolves over time, it is impossible to cross data and calculations between each file over the years...
These two examples are not exhaustive but are indicative of the difficulty of carrying out a quality statistical analysis with a data entry process by Excel.
How to remedy these weaknesses and trigger the principle of digitizing your business?
Excel is a good tool to lay the groundwork for your work process. Once it has been validated, we recommend that you manage your data via a back-office work process (connection to a URL in SAAS mode) with a management interface for users and why not a visualization interface for management or the customer.
By this phenomenon, you were dealing with the various problems:
Information location
All of the information is stored on a central database, standardized and accessible to all via a web URL (with username - password and access level by profession). No more workstation problems or versioning, the tool is updated in real time and for everyone.
Sharing information
You no longer share your sources, your data and your calculation rules, you only share a management interface (dashboard, map, summary sheet) allowing your customers or your management to visualize the information concerned. In addition, you can measure the appetite for this information according to the number of times the user returns to this interface.
Information analysis
The database is centralized, standardized and without input errors since the input management interface is designed to avoid any typing error by invalidating the entry if necessary. Thus, you can cross-reference, analyze and conduct forecasts or projections on your stored data over time. The more you use this new process, the more your database gains in history and therefore in knowledge. Your data gains value and so does your business.
Link to the mapping portal: https://www.carto-na-international.fr/
