The humble book has been around for centuries, traditionally used by accountants and bookkeepers. Nowadays, with computers and evolving technology, many of us have switched over to spreadsheets. Don’t get them confused though, they are not the same. Worksheet = paper; spreadsheet = digital. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of shifting things from hard copy to hard drive, or even still, the cloud?
No More Mental Mathematics
Thanks to software like Microsoft Excel, Apple’s Numbers, and Google Sheets, doing complicated math is a thing of the past. What used to take a lot of time and mental exertion can be automatically calculated with the right formula. Made a mistake? Correct and watch all your figures adjust. And forget about inputting that same formula every time you start a new sheet. Creating templates with your most used formulas is simple. Think of the time and energy you save, not to mention money by eliminating human error.
Have Access Anywhere — Unless You’re Without WIFI
By using the Cloud (don’t know what that is? Check out our in-depth explanation on our blog), having access to your vital information is a few clicks away, in the office or on the road. Inventory management becomes a breeze when you’re not worrying about forgetting your papers on the desk or losing them on your way to the warehouse.
However, if you’re relying solely on the Internet, this may come as a shock but not all areas have great connectivity. Rural and remote areas are known for lack of access so it’s important to plan ahead. Be sure to have a saved document on your hard drive as well as hard copies in your bag.
Which One’s Easier to Read? Depends What You’re Doing
Spreadsheets are great for taking lots of data and giving you something more visual — think pie charts and graphs. Not to mention anything typed is much easier to read than handwritten letters and numbers. Using spreadsheets for things like asset tracking eliminates the guesswork of someone else’s writing!
On the downside, scrolling through endless rows and columns of data can not only be tiresome, but difficult too. Trying to read, comprehend, or compare spreadsheets can be difficult and as a result, many prefer to print worksheets to edit instead.
It doesn’t have to be like this though!! Spreadsheets are now being visualised in completely different ways. Instead of boring rows and columns, innovative apps can take that information you’d normally enter into a spreadsheet and present it to you in dashboard form. No matter what kind of information you’re plugging in — someone’s name, a numerical figure, the date — the back-end of an app can show that information in new ways. In fact, Logitout is a perfect example of the digital age.
How Much Storage Space Do You Have?
Are you a small business or a start-up? Chances are you have little to no space. You don’t want to be filling up your office with unnecessary books, paper, etc. With cloud management, all your data is at your fingertips but not in your way.
Save The Environment
This doesn’t require much explanation. When you stop printing every single paper, you save trees. This is a small step your business can take to better care for the environment.
So whether you’re looking for a better asset tracking solution or just something for your accounts, perhaps spreadsheets are the better choice.
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