Excel is one of the world’s most popular spreadsheet programs, with an estimated 750 million people using it to manage things such as contacts, sales leads, sales opportunities, inventory and doing invoicing. However, Excel has it’s fair share of shortcomings, and there are alternatives that might work better for your business.
5 Excel Shortcomings
- Lack of control and security – vulnerable to fraud and cyber security
- Excel is vulnerable to data corruption – data inaccuracies or complete failure
- Excel is susceptible to human error – approximately 1 error for every 20 cells that have data
- Loss of historical information – hard or impossible to spot trends over time
- Excel is not ideal for sharing and collaborating – accidental data deletion, data update is not live (real time)
Excel’s advantages are offset by many disadvantages. While Excel spreadsheets are great calculators, they are not good databases. Excel has a limited user interface capability and is cumbersome with a few hundred items and much more difficult to manage with thousands of items.
CRM With Excel
When using Excel for managing contacts, have you tried to put together something as basic as a holiday card and gift list with ten sales reps, each with their own Excel file of key customers? Worse yet, attempt to have a timely and realistic sales forecast discussion?
By contrast, with our CRM system it provides “data truth” across marketing, sales, and customer service: When CRM is used, there is no place to hide for sales reps and no excuses for service reps not keeping the account manager or CEO informed. Everyone is on the same page with how the company is managing relationships with customers, prospects, and even vendors.
Inventory Management With Excel
When using Excel for managing inventory, have you tried to analyze different reports to study the sales trend, best performing item or inventory adjustments? Not to mention re-order reminders or stock adjustments?
By contrast, with our powerful inventory control and order management features, you can increase sales and fulfill orders efficiently. And produce reports delivered to you automatically as often and you like.
Integrated CRM and Accounting Software
If you have reached the inevitable conclusion that Excel is no longer meeting your needs, its time to look at a software solution that will help your business sell more, sell smarter and manage your entire business with one simple easy to use fully integrated software solution that will manage your customers, suppliers, sales, marketing, accounting, inventory, online ecommerce and much more.
Sounds expensive? Its not at all. Its painless to implement and you can start right away.
Get rid of your Excel headaches and start managing your business with a system that will help your business grow.
Contact us for your free do More with Less information package.