Escaping Excel Hell - Planning, Forecasting or Budgeting?

In marketing, there are a number of words that illicit a positive response. "Profit" "Free" and "New" are just three examples

So what reaction do you give to these three words:

• Planning?
• Forecasting?
• Budgeting?

Planning can be fun. Forecasting can be a bit tiresome. Budgeting is a real turnoff. That means setting constraints on spend, and setting demanding targets to achieve in revenues. Budgeting is also typically hard work, taking far too much time and energy away from actually doing the business.

But planning, forecasting and budgeting are all important. You may indeed use the same Excel model for all three. If you are you're likely to find:

• Issues with multiple users
• Difficulty in ensuring the models don't break
• Uncertainty whether the model calculates or adds up correctly, within a sheet or when sheets are added together
• Impossible to handle more than a few products or dimensions such as geographical areas
• Multiple versions that are soon out of control
• Needing to link P&L to balance sheet and cash flow, especially if funds need to be raised
• Far too much time spent overcoming these issues

There comes a time when Excel just has to be replaced. But with what? What's affordable, accessible and practical? Do give us a call.

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