Why spreadsheets are here to stay

Kevin Prone’s letter about ditching the “dreaded” spreadsheet made business intelligence (BI) systems sound like a valid alternative (Letters, 13 February 2006). However, it is neither easy nor viable for businesses to get rid of spreadsheets. 

Despite the potential for serious and frequent errors, spreadsheets are here to stay. Their use is entrenched and mission-critical, especially in finance and accounting departments.  

I am not suggesting that BI has no value in the enterprise. But BI tools are dependent on data from multiple sources, including spreadsheets. Tools are available to help organisations manage and control spreadsheet data, helping to avoid the risk of significant errors and also helping to feed BI tools accurate information.

Forcing people to change the way they work can be difficult. Managing the current environment is a more practical approach. 

Karry Kleeman, Mobius