Spreadsheets are familiar to most of us. They are simple to use and present results in a nice, orderly row and column format. They feature advanced formulas, macros, graphs, and multiple inter-linkable sheets – and every time spreadsheet software offers updates, more and better features are added.

The ease-of-use and versatility of spreadsheets make us feel as though we can use them for anything. Yet, as a CNBC newscast entitled “Spreadsheet Blunders Costing Business Billions” recently showed, spreadsheets are not for everything and, when they’re being used for everything, they’re costing businesses billions of dollars. The problem has become so common – CNBC reported that 88% of spreadsheets have errors – that spreadsheet management is now a field of study in its own right.

So why are spreadsheets causing so much trouble?

One problem is that spreadsheets can get very complex very quickly. Spreadsheets are typically passed around amongst the of employees that need their information, and each employee may add new information and new equations. The complexity of the equations and the relocating and re-linking of information throughout the cells, sheets, and files can make the spreadsheet overly complicated and convoluted.

This leads to errors.

Perhaps Employee A works wonders with spreadsheets, and sets up a very nice one with the exact information everyone needs with the correct equations and formulas. Employee B, who gets it next, is not, however, so great with spreadsheets. He or she adds a column but fails to add the column to the equation or formula. By the time Employee C receives the spreadsheet, therefore, there are already mistakes. Being open programs, spreadsheets are changeable by anyone who uses them, and equations get changed, cells get shifted, etc. This is rarely done purposely or maliciously, but the end result is the same: mistakes.

The fact that spreadsheets require manual data insertion is also a cause for errors. Sometimes you have two spreadsheets, or three, and all the data needs to be combined into a single spreadsheet. Even if you have Employee A – who works wonders with spreadsheets, remember – do the manual data entry, everyday office environments are a source of many distractions and even a spreadsheet wizard isn’t immune to transposing a few numbers or mistaking a 3 for an 8.

Parts inventory management requires the organization of sometimes thousands of items. Entering data manually and manually manipulating spreadsheets in other ways, when dealing with thousands of items, is very nearly asking for trouble – and it’s worse if you manage inventory at different locations. If your spreadsheets are riddled with errors and your data is wrong, you are essentially flying blind; inventory management is definitely the wrong place to be flying blind.

So instead of using a spreadsheet system that is prone to errors, why not get software that is designed to manage your inventory? The software solutions available “nowadays” are far and away superior to spreadsheets – and easier to use.

Want to find out more? Contact Acumen today and let us help you find the right software to manage your inventory.