Why It’s Time To Kill The Spreadsheet

By Trimble.

For many construction companies, maintaining accurate and up-to-date data is crucial to the success of the business.

Although it can seem like a simple task, project management can be quite the challenge; not to mention time consuming too.

Over the last decade, or maybe even longer, spreadsheets have been a staple for businesses to organize, calculate and present data. For many, it can serve as a full-time job just updating formulas, manually entering in data and manipulating spreadsheets. Through this process, it’s highly possible for there to be a formula error, or gap in accurate data which can significantly impact project management and forecasting. Sound familiar?

Well we have good news, it doesn’t have to be so manual. Now, we’re not here to say that spreadsheets aren’t great tools for managing smaller and more manageable data assets, but to run your entire business through a spreadsheet? No thank you. What happens when you start to hire more employees or take on larger projects? It becomes unmanageable… very quickly.

Starting to ring a bell? Let’s dive into why it’s time to kill the spreadsheet.

You’re wasting valuable time

Anyone who works in the construction industry can relate to the fact that time equals money. For small business owners, this really hits home when learning how to most efficiently utilize employees’ time. When it comes down to the dollars, the last you want is to do is pay an employee to spend their day manually configuring data when there are valuable construction apps and construction software tools on the market.

If you’re in the position where you or one of your employees is spending valuable time managing a spreadsheet, it’s time to put those days to rest. Consider adopting a construction project management software that will allow anyone to instantly access up-to-date information, anywhere, any time.

There’s a miscommunication

One of the major problems with using spreadsheets is that there is no universal formatting rule. By that, I mean that there are hundreds of different ways to format data and how it’s presented within one sheet. Imagine a situation in which two employees use different formulas to portray the same data… you’re going to have a problem. Due to the numerous way to utilize spreadsheets, there’s technically no “right” or “wrong” way, which leads to an issue with internal processes and communication. Again, this is where a construction app can come into play by setting a universal data entry process across your team, minimizing any room for miscommunication.

Room for Error

We’ve all heard it before and know it to be true, but unfortunately, humans aren’t perfect. This is especially true when managing multiple spreadsheets across several projects that are expected to blend together. There will be errors. In fact, according to multiple studies, nearly 90 percent of all spreadsheets have “significant” errors.

“Mistakes were made when data was manually entered into the spreadsheet,” Maurice Fuller, Executive Director of Operations for Excel, said in a Wasp Barcode Technologies case study.

When it comes to construction estimates, invoices, quotes and material handling, you can’t afford mistakes. Such small errors can create extreme impacts on your business decisions, and in a world of ever-advancing technology, you can avoid these errors.

So if I don’t use a spreadsheet, then what?

The simple answer is; adopt a construction management app. While there are many good reasons to “kill the spreadsheet,” the need to manage your business doesn’t go away. We know it can be extremely overwhelming to select a construction management tool when there are so many options out there, so where do you even start? Start small. Find a solution that solves your biggest pain point, and work up from there. Construction management apps were not built to replace your workflow. They were built as a tool to help build and increase efficiencies for your workflows that already exist.

Gone are the days of time-consuming spreadsheets! Today is the day to adopt a construction management software.

Ready to take the technology leap? Start here.

Source: Trimble