Switch from Excel to Monitor ERP – save time and get full control

Using spreadsheets to track, manage and maintain company data can be risky. Studies suggest that over 80% of all spreadsheets contain errors. Human error is a risk when using any computer program, but Excel is particularly vulnerable. Once a set of spreadsheets is shared within a company, it is almost impossible to regain control.

Without a single source that secures your company's data, you can't be sure what changes have been made to your data once a spreadsheet has been shared, nor whether everyone is relying on correct information.

So, what's the solution? We look at six challenges manufacturers face when working with and managing data, transactions, operations and users in their day-to-day work, and compare Excel spreadsheets with our ERP system – Monitor ERP.

Brief summary

• Excel works well for small data sets and simple data processing.
• Excel becomes ineffective for manufacturing companies dealing with larger data sets where operations are more complex.
• Monitor ERP is designed to manage the entire business – from manufacturing, purchasing and sales to stock and accounting. It automates routine tasks and reduces the amount of manual data entry.
• Using Monitor ERP instead of Excel means better internal collaboration, more efficient processes, lower costs and increased profitability.

1. Gather all data in one place

Excel

Excel relies on manual input, which increases the risk of errors and incorrectly configured formulas. An incorrect formula will cause mistakes to pile up over time. As Excel files are often saved on local drives, they are also vulnerable to accidental deletion, hardware failure or corruption.

Monitor ERP

Monitor ERP integrates multiple business processes (manufacturing, sales, purchasing, stock, time recording and accounting) into a single system, centralizing data, reducing silos, and ensuring that everyone in the company has access to the same up-to-date information. With real-time updates, decision-makers can access accurate information, allowing them to make quick, flexible decisions and react to market conditions.

2. Create effective internal cooperation

Excel

Sharing Excel files between employees, teams and departments can cause major problems. And when more than one person is working on a spreadsheet, it's easy to lose the latest version, or worse, accidentally overwrite someone else's work.

Monitor ERP

Monitor ERP enables different teams and departments to work together seamlessly. By giving employees access to shared data and resources, collaboration is improved. Orders, operations, transactions, and tasks can be tracked and managed across the company, helping to streamline workflows and prevent bottlenecks. In addition, user rights can be assigned based on individual roles in the company, ensuring that the right people are working with the right data.

3. Optimize reporting and analysis

Excel

Excel has basic analytical capabilities, but lacks the more sophisticated features of Business Intelligence tools that can drill down in detail into analysis and enable informed decisions.

Monitor ERP

Monitor ERP's Business Intelligence feature transforms enterprise data into valuable business insights, helping managers track and analyze data and trends, create compelling visualizations, and make smarter decisions. In today's business climate, data-driven decision-making is increasingly important for manufacturers striving to gain a competitive advantage.

To find out more about the possibilities of Monitor Business Intelligence, we recommend watching our webinar.

4. Smooth customer and supplier management

Excel

Excel simply wasn't designed to manage and track orders and interactions with customers – even though many people use it for this very purpose. You might get by with a small number of customers, but as soon as your customer base grows, you can quickly lose control. The same goes for managing suppliers.

Monitor ERP

Monitor ERP includes CRM (customer relationship management) functionality to manage all contact with customers: activities, statistics, quotes, sales orders and invoices linked to selected sales representatives. It also facilitates supplier management, from comprehensive contact data to activities and supplier status, enabling faster order processing and better customer service.

5. Protecting and tracking data

Excel

Excel does not have a built-in audit trail, so there is no way to track who made changes and when they were made, nor is there an easy way to revert to previous versions. This makes it harder to maintain accountability and identify errors. Many industries require audits to meet regulatory requirements and Excel makes it difficult to meet these standards, which can expose companies to legal risks.

Monitor ERP

Monitor ERP has robust security features that allow companies to manage which employees have access to specific types of information and areas of the system. With Monitor ERP's cloud-based solution, all data is protected with the highest security, encryption and daily backups. This means you don't have to worry about data breaches and cyberattacks. In addition, the system is always up-to-date and you automatically get access to new features.

You can find more information about Monitor ERP's cloud solution here. In the Monitor Trust Center you can read more about how Monitor works with security, compliance and privacy.

6. Save time and reduce costs

Excel

Compiling data from multiple spreadsheets in Excel is both time-consuming and labor-intensive, which negatively impacts a company's profitability. Reporting is also less efficient because working in Excel requires manual formatting and preparation, which takes up valuable time, especially when you need to produce reports frequently.

Monitor ERP

By streamlining processes such as production planning and order management, and centralizing workflows under one system, Monitor ERP ensures that resources are channeled to where they are needed most. It also optimizes inventory management so you always have the right level of stock and don't tie up capital unnecessarily.

Summary

Excel is a powerful tool for organizing and visualizing data in spreadsheets. For small data sets, it works well as a simple database for storing and retrieving information. But when it comes to the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing company that manages large amounts of data for customers, suppliers, inventory, materials and users, Excel is simply not enough.

This is exactly what Monitor ERP was designed to do. It simplifies and automates routine tasks such as sales, order management, inventory management, invoicing and accounting, which reduces the need for manual entry and saves time. This improves collaboration, leads to better customer service, lower costs and stronger profitability for manufacturing companies.