How do you know Excel has reached its limit?
Excel is a fine tool to start with. It becomes a problem once the file has become the core of your business. You recognise it by signs like these:
- the same data sits in three files, and they never all match;
- one colleague understands the formulas, and when he is on holiday the work stops;
- lists are printed to work from, and retyped afterwards;
- preparing invoices takes hours of searching every week;
- you do not know who changed what, or when.
With sensitive data, there is an extra risk. An Excel file has no permissions per user and is easily emailed or copied.
What was the situation at the transport company?
At a medical transport company, trip and order admin ran partly on Excel and printed lists, and partly on an outdated system. An order came in, was entered, printed for planning and processed again after the trip for invoicing. Data was entered several times, with a chance of errors at every step. Preparing invoices took hours every week.
How did we approach it?
We did not start with screens, but with the chain. From the incoming order to the invoice sent, we mapped every step: who does it, which data is needed and where it goes wrong today. That showed where most time was lost.
Then we built in steps. Each step delivered something the team could use in daily work straight away:
- 01Recording orders in one place, instead of in separate files.
- 02Planning trips and assigning them to drivers, without printed lists.
- 03Completing trips afterwards, so the data is right for invoicing.
- 04Preparing invoices per customer and cost centre automatically.
Because the data is healthcare related, security and privacy were part of the design from the start, not a final step.
What does the platform do now?
The platform digitises the whole operation: order, trip, driver and invoice. Orders are grouped per customer and cost centre and are ready for invoicing every Monday morning. Staff log in with two-factor authentication, and data is separated per organisation in the database. Everything runs on hosting in the EU.
What did it deliver?
The company saves 16 to 20 hours of manual admin per week. That is almost half a working week that now goes to planning and customers instead of retyping. There is one source of truth for planning and invoicing, and the system grows with the business.
In summary
- Excel becomes a risk once it is the core of your business: double entry, no permissions and knowledge held by one person.
- Start with the chain from order to invoice, and build in steps that are each usable straight away.
- The transport company saves 16 to 20 hours of manual admin per week, with security built in from the start.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We move the usable data to the new system and check it together with your team. Whatever is no longer correct, we clean up during the switch.
No. We work in steps, and the old and new system can run side by side for a while. That way work continues during the switch.
No. In smaller teams every hour of manual work counts even more. We start with the part that takes the most time.