If you run a company, there’s a good chance that you store some, if not most, of your data in Excel and you may need a spreadsheet consultant assist with your spreadsheet chores. 90% of companies use Excel for payroll and other compensation tasks.
Most of those companies use it for other things as well, such as customer information and billing. It’s a widely available program that’s easy to use, affordable, and dependable.
The problem with Excel is that while it’s easy to use, it’s difficult to master, making it essential to bring in an Excel Spreadsheet Consultant. There are thousands of ways to input, calculate, and evaluate the data inside of the program.
If your business uses Excel, there’s a good chance that you aren’t getting the most out of the software. Do you need someone to help your business with Excel? Let’s look at three benefits of hiring a consultant.
An Excel Spreadsheet Consultant Saves You Time And Money
Almost everyone says that they have experience using Excel on their resume, but the truth is that most people only have a basic understanding of the program.
Excel is a complicated program that’s capable of advanced tasks. Each sheet can have up to 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns. Even small companies use dozens of these sheets for various projects. Companies store a vast amount of information in Excel without ever understanding its full potential.
An experienced consultant knows what Excel is capable of and will help your business make the most out of the program.
Consultants can ensure that the information you put into your spreadsheets goes into the right place. They also ensure that you get the most use out of that data by formatting it using calculations built into Excel.
Instead of spending time trying to figure out how to properly format an Excel sheet, employees can spend time finding and retaining customers. You’ll save money by allowing your employees to do their job, and you’ll make money because they can work with customers instead of data.
Another thing to consider is the amount of time that employees spend looking for information. Studies show that workers spend an average of 1.8 hours per day looking for information. For every seven workers you have at your business, you’re in essence paying one to do nothing but look for information.
A spreadsheet consultant will help employees find the information they need quickly, saving you a lot of time and labour costs.
Improved Data Accuracy
A small mistake on an Excel sheet can dramatically change the information your employees find. One error could lead to inaccurate reports, mistakes in financial documents, and even audits by the federal government.
When you hire a consultant, they can run an audit of your spreadsheets to ensure there aren’t any mistakes in formatting. Since the built-in calculations depend on humans typing in formulas, mistakes happen more often than you’d think.
Even if there aren’t any mistakes, the consultant will know the best way to store the data and get the needed information from it. They’ll know how to tie various spreadsheets together to bring your data into dynamic reports and can build charts, infographics, and more to make your presentations and reports tell a story without losing your audience.
They’ll also compress the data so that you get the same amount of information with fewer documents to look through. This will limit the possibility of mistakes and save you time.
Previous Experience
Two of the biggest problems companies face is tunnel vision, which leads to people around the office answering questions with “it’s the way we’ve always done things around here.”
The idea that something should remain the way it is because its the norm is a dangerous mentality. Stagnation is the first sign that a business is dying.
A good Excel advisor will have years of experience working with Excel and other spreadsheets for a variety of companies. They’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. They can direct your business towards data storage and retrieval solutions that they’ve seen work in other places.
An Impartial Set of Eyes
Getting a second set of eyes on anything is a good idea, but it’s a hard thing for businesses to do. If you ask your employees to look over something, they are likely to give the feedback that they believe you want to hear.
An outside consultant can look at things with a fresh perspective without having to worry about office politics. Their only job is to streamline your data solutions. They don’t have to worry about gaining favour or rocking the boat.
Given their experience with other companies, they’ll also have insight into what other people in your industry do with their data. While any ethical consultant won’t tell you specifics about a competitor’s data, they can use methods that work for them to help your business. Consultants can also evaluate the data you have on hand, helping you discover trends that you may have missed.
Get The Help You Need from a Spreadsheet Consultant
Now that you know the benefits of hiring a spreadsheet consultant, the only question remaining is what you should look for.
You need a company with experience, an eye for detail, and proven results.
At AM 18 Consultancy, we bring these qualities to your business. We can design or overhaul your spreadsheets, improve your efficiency, automate tasks, provide detailed insights by analysing your data, and more. Our business model is a simple one: we succeed by helping you succeed.
Are you ready to save your business time and money? Are you tired of spending valuable time looking for data? Do you want your employees to focus on customers instead of trying to figure out spreadsheets? Contact us today to improve your company’s workflow and efficiency.