11 reasons to stop using Excel to manage your telecommunications sites

At the start of the 2000s, telecommunications operators’ main goal was to deploy their network as quickly as possible, in the highest possible number of countries. Since Excel is installed on almost every PC, and we all know how to create a worksheet and fill in the lines, many operators started using it as a “database” to keep track of their sites.

But the tool soon reached its limits. We have selected eleven of them for you.

1. It is difficult to keep track of the state of progress of the project

You can always add endless columns every time an interaction takes place, but this will result in problems of clarity and coherence.

2. There is only one view of the data

The data is displayed in a table, from left to right. And that’s it.

3. It is impossible to manage or examine how the data is linked together

Excel cannot associate data or make data or categories of data interact properly with one another.

4. Several people cannot work on the same Excel worksheet at the same time

Unless the Excel file is on a Drive, then several people cannot work on the same Excel worksheet at the same time.

5. Risk of obsolete data

Is this the latest version? How can the risk of data loss be avoided? Where is the worksheet stored and who is responsible for it?

6. It is impossible to implement processes

Excel is not designed to manage projects. It cannot be used to implement processes that automate tasks, alerts, e-mails, etc.

7. It is not possible to backup documents

For site deployment and maintenance purposes, you regularly need to link files or photos to data. This is not possible with Excel.

8. Time wasted looking for data or files

Telecommunications operators manage up to tens of thousands of sites. Just imagine the size of the Excel worksheet, and the time you would spend looking for the data or a document linked to this data (which is inevitably stored in another file on your computer).

9. No data security

If data is only backed up locally, or if someone accidentally changes a formula, then the data can be lost.

10. Complicated reporting

Data analysis can be very time-consuming and complicated with Excel. And you cannot personalise the reports and statistics by user and by activity.

11. Different levels of access to the data cannot be defined

While management software can easily restrict the access rights to certain users or user groups, this is not possible with Excel. And, if external partners take part in your projects, you will not want them to have access to your Excel master file, so you will not share it with them. All the data controlled by the partner will be stored somewhere else and could be lost.

CONCLUSION

Managing projects as long and complex as the deployment and maintenance of sites, without deploying a database management and project management solution, can result in a significant drop in productivity and unnecessary costs.

Management software provides the solution to every one of these points. While such software might cost more than Excel, which is considered to be “free”, because it is pre-installed on the computer, the return on investment will quickly be produced by the productivity gains.

ClickOnSite is a tool designed to manage your site, your contacts, your partners, your assets or your documents, and to manage your projects more simply and more rapidly. All the information related to your activity is securely stored in one place that is accessible in a few clicks. We would be delighted to give you a free demonstration, so that you can see all the benefits for yourself.