The human race has always looked to new technology to simplify our processes and to solve our problems, from as early as the invention of the wheel. Today we have so much choice that we have become a culture where ‘there’s an app for that’ resonates with every one of us.
However, we also have a lot of technology that we never or rarely use. Just think about how many apps you have on your phone and how many you actually use daily. In the business realm a similar phenomenon has resulted; there are so many options for software that business leaders are unsure as to which technologies will suit the business better. Find out what tools my business depends on every day >>
The pros and cons of a technology obsessed world
The huge pro to all this tech is that we have access to tools that help us run our businesses more efficiently; we are spoilt for choice for CRM systems, accounting, recon, and presentation tools and much more. Often there isn’t any one tool that can meet all your business needs, so you create an ecosystem of complementary services that play niche roles in your business.
There are a number of cons as well, however. Managing and maintaining all these tools causes a lot of admin, wastes time, and mounts high bills. Much of new technology is subscription based or charged per user. This means you might be paying for software that is barely used or (as you grow your business) end up paying a hefty price tag for more and more users to access, simply because that is easier than sourcing new tech. Not to mention the amount of time and effort it takes to find, buy and implement a new system, especially when you are not exactly sure which one will best suit your business.
Excel might just be the solution you are looking for
Microsoft Excel is the most versatile tool to run your business, even if you don’t know it yet. If you’re thinking that Excel couldn’t possibly be up to the task, consider how many thousands of formulas are available and how few we actually use. Excel can help you do project management, budget planning, actual spend, decision trees, and so much more. See how Excel makes it easier and less risky to scale up your business >>
Features such as conditional highlighting can be useful for project management for example; if you have a date column, you can set that if the date is equal to or greater than today’s then to automatically highlight it red. Monitor your project budget by creating dependencies on a particular task and allocating resources to it over a period of time. A simple Sumif will show you how close a project is to reaching budget.
Excel might not be the right fit for your business forever, but if you build something in Excel then you will have a better idea of what product in the market could work best as you have a working example of the functionality you require.
If you need automation or to make your current Excel solution more robust, then contact us at e-magination Info Solutions to help you create the perfect tool for your individual business.