A complex spreadsheet is comparable to a work of art, and the spreadsheet has become somewhat of an emblem in the corporate world.
And this is undoubtedly true in the area of estimating, where many organizations do their estimating on significant multi-million- and billion-dollar projects utilizing sophisticated workbooks.
And while spreadsheets may have a valuable function, using them for significant projects where internal and external collaboration is essential has some hazards. These dangers can cause estimation errors that result in budget overruns of millions of dollars.
Here, we examine some typical errors that can occur while using spreadsheets and how using an advanced estimating software can help you avoid them:
1. It Isn't Real-Time:
No matter how elegant a set of workbooks may be, once they have undergone updates or have been in use for a while, they are typically not back tracked and updated. The workbook has weak to non-existent checks and balances that will cause all pertinent cells to be automatically updated over the course of the Estimate.
2. No Auditing Features:
Most workbooks do not keep note of who modified them. No one would be aware of the deletion, modification, or non-update of cells or formulas. Before someone notices your mistakes, you can be making them for years.
3. Participation:
Users may find it challenging to work in the same section of the Workbook concurrently without interfering with or disrupting one another's work when using the same file on the same server.
4. Constrained Output:
Workflow possibilities for sign-off on modifications to the estimate are often limited in workbooks.
5. Processing Data Twice:
Data must typically be handled twice while being imported into estimating software or between Workbooks, and mistakes can occasionally occur when importing data. The estimate data might not be understood by the data team importing/converting it, and it might end up in the wrong place, where it would then need to be redone, taking time.
6. Security Issue:
No permission settings or licenses can establish whether the appropriate individual is working in the appropriate part of an estimate. The complete estimate is often accessible to everyone working in the Workbook, which may not be secure.
7. Contacting Contractors:
It is highly challenging to verify quantities and prices without producing a fresh workbook to distribute to contractors if there is no security within an estimate. There could be more problems in this new workbook, which often has no links to the original.
8. Reporting:
A spreadsheet only has a few reporting options. Each "Report" is typically a fresh workbook or spreadsheet generated from the original and might not be a real-time snapshot if the estimate's structure has changed.
9. Editing And Updating Worksheets And Spreadsheets:
Sometimes the estimator is not the same individual who originally designed the company's standard worksheet. Without adequate development and quality assurance teams, future updates become very difficult because someone completely new can start making changes without fully comprehending the Workbook, which could result in mistakes.
Furthermore, a bespoke workbook typically doesn't come with any documentation.
10. Upkeep of The Project Registration:
Spreadsheets lack a proper method for keeping track of a project registration in a single spot where project status can be checked.
Conclusion: Hence, Sq-feet (Software) could be a best option to overcome all these challenges as future perspective by making Quantity Surveying an easy task for Engineers.