{"id":1787,"date":"2017-07-17T14:41:31","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T14:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=1787"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:48:46","slug":"multiple-spreadsheets-can-hamper-business-processes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/multiple-spreadsheets-can-hamper-business-processes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why an integrated HR and payroll system beats spreadsheets"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy an integrated HR and payroll system beats spreadsheets\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tBryan Collins<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Transitioning to an integrated HR and payroll system can resolve problems caused by multiple spreadsheets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the amount of data handled by businesses continues to grow, it can become increasingly difficult to manage this wealth of information and ensure it is used correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spreadsheets have traditionally served as a major solution to this problem, and Microsoft Excel has been adapted so that it can accommodate millions of rows of data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the existence of multiple spreadsheets across an organisation – or between employees belonging to different companies – can cause significant problems as complexity increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems created by multiple spreadsheets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility can become an issue when multiple spreadsheets are used – often, the fact that spreadsheets cannot be accessed by everyone means the relevant data is not always available when it is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For larger firms, this problem can become more acute – having various people who manage personnel data can lead them to become person-dependent if certain information is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the major problems this approach creates is that it increases the probability of errors creeping into an organisation’s data – mistakes that can harm the reputation of a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our infographic points out, global financial services firm JP Morgan made a mistake in copying and pasting over multiple spreadsheets when transitioning to a new value risk model. As a result, the company sustained losses of up to \u00a31.3 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when greater scrutiny is being placed on organisations’ reputations, they cannot afford to be making such mistakes. Once spreadsheets have multiplied, it becomes difficult to control them. As a result, accountability problems can arise, as it becomes harder to keep track of who has changed a spreadsheet, where it is stored and how many versions exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, with a loss of accountability, accuracy can also be a problem. If one error is made, this can become duplicated by another user, causing potentially serious errors further down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple spreadsheets can also cause problems for data analysis. If different spreadsheets hold different information about a particular subject, then linking this information can become problematic – and time-consuming for employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another difficulty often encountered by organisations is that having a large number of spreadsheets can cause problems when interpreting the data. As there is no standard template, one employee’s method of formatting a spreadsheet can be hard for other workers to interpret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitioning to an integrated system<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Identifying these issues can help you to develop a business case to support your transition to an automated HR and payroll system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the problems are not readily apparent, as spreadsheets are still considered to be the best way of managing large amounts of information by business leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once these issues are identified, however, it will become obvious how much unnecessary time is being invested in dealing with multiple spreadsheets – time that could be better spent on carrying out core business processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The threat to businesses’ reputations that can arise from this method of working can be significant – and in a culture that is increasingly sensitive to reputation, it is essential to avoid these risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persuading senior management of the need to transition to a new system can be a difficult task – but once its advantages, and the deficiencies of the current method, are presented in a robust business case, your task will become significantly easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The guide to people and payroll<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Want to motivate your employees, manage the run-up to payday and improve your payroll processes? Get you free guide and use it to get your people and payroll processes working effectively.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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