Business Use of Spreadsheets

1
Business Use of Spreadsheets

• Steve Powell
• Professor of Business Administration
• Tuck School
• Dartmouth College
• sgp_at_dartmouth.edu
• Foundations of Spreadsheets Conference
• Rome, Italy
• September 30, 2004

2
Spreadsheet Usage

• ubiquitous
• used for data storage and tracking, routine
  decision support, one-off decision making, EIS
• interface routinely with database and ERP systems
  (e.g., Oracle, SAP)
• used in concert with other PC software Word,
  Access, .

3
Spreadsheet Problems

• bugs are everywhere
• errors in use are suspected but rarely documented
• lost opportunities due to lack of knowledge of
  Excel tools (e.g., Pivot Table, Goal Seek, Data
  Validation, )
• design processes are chaotic and inefficient
• testing is non-existent
• standards and training are minimal or
  non-existent
• generating insights is not well-understood

4
Spreadsheet Solutions

• organizational
• improve training
• establish standards and incentives
• raise awareness
• technical
• alternative software
• auditing tools (see Spreadsheet Auditing
  Software, Nixon and OHara, http//www.gre.ac.uk/
  7Ecd02/EUSPRIG/2001/Nixon_2001.htm)
• formulation tools
• analysis tools

5
Technical Solutions

• alternative software
• Quickbase http//www.quickbase.com/
• auditing tools
• Spreadsheet Detective http//www.uq.net.au/detect
  ive/
• OAK http//www.operis.com/oak.htm/
• Spreadsheet Professional http//www.spreadsheetinn
  ovations.com/
• SPACE http//www.hmce.gov.uk/business/services/s
  pace.htm/
• Xlsior http//www.xlsior.com/
• Formulation tools
• ID Builder http//www.macwayuhl.com/IDBuilder.PD
  F
• Analysis tools
• Sensitivity Toolkit http//mba.tuck.dartmouth.edu
  /toolkit/