Why is Supply Chain so using Excel?

Many statistics report majority of SCM users keep on working in Excel several times a day if not constantly. I read sometimes up to 90%. Why is this so frequent whereas company spend millions implementing ERP and APS like SAP, Oracle etc.., to integrate processes, data and operations?

Someone said a long ago, out of all ERP successful implementation projects, the success definition was only related to project being on time in budget, way not related to User Experience as after 3-6 month users would be back in Excel?

Have we missed something? Of course not!

This is all Human being rule, which states to go from A to B the fastest is the straight line. far from being the case with User Experience labyrinths proposed with ERPs. There the word “straight” just does not exist. Everyone looks its own way out, IT folks included, searching a more natural and simpler way to achieve basic task in ERP. Unfortunately recent evolution like FIORI for SAP does not necessarily go with simpler transactions. They look prettier, however still many screens and clicks to do basic jobs.

I much prefer trying to understand underlying factors, facilitate things toward Excel, in order for all of us to perform better what we are supposed to deliver, according to our changing world.

This is why we created XSBS solution https://xlsapbyside.com/. It proposes a smart approach to combine both, SAP software and Excel strengths.

Things are going much faster, they are far more complex. WEB generation made us more demanding and impatient, looking for agility and flexibility. None of us accepts anymore cumbersome screens, complex navigation and repetitive tasks, like it is still the case in most of the ERP. We all want to be efficient and focus our time on value adding.

There was a time IT organizations used to see Excel as a jeopardy. It is nowadays changing, but not over yet. Take the example of SAP which proposes Excel as the unique interactive data entry for its new SAP-IBP suite. The same applies to other software editors.

So what could we do as IS/IT organizations?

What can we do as professional to facilitate the natural inclination to Excel in any business area and SCM the same. Here below are a few ideas you may consider to review internal policy around Excel utilization. Things like:

1-    Consider there are no way out without spreadsheet, therefore organize instead of spotting and fighting.

2-    Lower hidden cost of shadow IT (Excel design) by training people, proposing even competence centres around Excel.

3-    Officialise a data repository, to avoid local cut&paste of wrong data

4-    Work with business people to better define when Excel and when central IT. Hire a UE (User Experience) coordinator

5-    Don’t leave business with unattended requirements too long

6-    Propose smart ERP and APS with compatibility toward spreadsheet

7-    Propose integration tool between SAP and Excel, like XSBS

And don’t forget business people want to make their job better and faster, not swing around rules!

So if you see your business colleagues doing one of the following activities like:

•  Calculate safety stock in Excel, because your ERP is not capable. This is normal.
•  Maintenance of master data from simplified worksheet, versus 13 different screens in ERP transaction. This is normal as well.
•  Purchase requisition being created in Excel instead of ME51N for instance in SAP. This is normal again. On the other hand, this is Good idea you don’t need to train them with MM just to order paper and pencils
• Mass change product master to fit new SCM policy. Normal again. Good indeed, this means business target being class A.
• Create S&OP review to better capture top management in S&OP meeting. More than normal. Smart guys really!
• And so many more

All this is normal, for the best of each of our company profit!