1. Escape Excel Hell
10 Reasons to avoid using Excel as the go-to
solution for Budgeting and Planning
Presenters: Graham Finney, VP Services
Eric Normand, Director of Services
Justin McNeely, Account Executive

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3. Canadian consulting firm focused exclusively on SAP Enterprise Performance
Management solutions
Implementing SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation (BPC) since
2003
Currently support the majority of Canadian customers using BPC
Consultants located across Canada
Consultants have Finance background, CA, CGA, CMA, CPA
Services include: Evaluation, Design, Implementation, Project Management,
Training, and Support

4. Sample of Canadian SAP BPC
Customers

5. Excel Based Approach to Budgeting
and Planning
Today more than 75% of companies are using Excel as the go-to
solution for budgeting and forecasting
This leads to an ineffective and time consuming process (80/20).
Organizations experience frustration and a lack of confidence in
the data, and this can potentially result poor decision making.

6. Benefits of Excel
■ Widely used application
■ Easy to learn basics and availability of training
■ Control over report format
■ Flexible reporting capabilities (Graphs, Charts, etc.)
■ Robust functionality (Calculations, Modeling, etc.)

7. Introducing SAP BusinessObjects
Planning & Consolidation (BPC)
MS SQL SAP
Server NetWeaver

8. SAP BPC Approach to Budgeting and
Planning
Centralized database
Data is assembled in cubes for multidimensional capabilities
Facilitates a collaborative approach to Budgeting and Planning
Utilizes Excel while removing limitations of an “Excel only”
approach
User focused and process oriented

9. What the Industry Analysts are
saying…
Gartner SAP is a Market Leader and has the strongest vision
IDC SAP #1 in Performance Management Tools
Forrester SAP has the strongest offering in the Business
Performance Solutions market
Microsoft – SAP press release November 2009
Microsoft Corporation supports the SAP® BusinessObjects™ Planning and
Consolidation application, version for the Microsoft platform, as a preferred
solution for customers running their business applications on the Microsoft
platform.

10. 10 Reasons to Avoid Using Excel as
the Go-to Solution
■ Data is local to spreadsheets
■ Dis-synchronization of data
■ Manual updates introduce data quality issues
■ Collaboration and communication
■ No standardized approach
■ Versioning is difficult
■ Structural changes required time and efforts
■ Basic Difference in way formulas are built
■ Lack of meaningful audit trails
■ Data security is a challenge

11. #1 Data is Local to Spreadsheets
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Static version of the data All data and versions are stored centrally
Versioning is difficult Data accumulation in real time and
Understanding what numbers are correct automatic aggregation
Accumulation and consolidation of data is
manual and difficult

12. #2 Dis-synchronization of data
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Multiple versions of spreadsheets Single data repository provides a single
scattered on desktops and file servers version of the truth

13. #3 Manual Updates Introduce Data
Quality Issues
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Spreadsheet links Brings together financial and non-financial
Where does this number come from? data from a variety of sources
Is it updated?
Consistent presentation and aggregations
Maintenance of a multitude of
Embedded data validation rules
spreadsheets is difficult and error prone
Unified database removes the need for
spreadsheet links

14. #4 Collaboration and Communication
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Inability to easily share information Data is stored centrally with no need to
Sharing of final reports is generally facilitated email various reports/versions
by email
Multiple users can contribute to the same
Lengthy and inefficient update process when report/data simultaneously
multiple participants are involved in the
update of a report Step-by-Step process flows to guide users
Bringing data together from multiple files and Notes and commentary can be added to
data sources can be a challenge reports and aligned with data

15. #5 No Standardized Approach
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Loose and unstructured process requiring Business Process Flows to guide users
time to monitor step by step
Unstructured data Real time progress monitoring and
Lacks multi-dimensional view approvals
Reports with different formats and layout Corporate reports are locked down while
floating around ad hoc reports are flexible
Data aggregation is performed
consistently and across multiple
dimensions for better insight
Consistent look and feel can be applied
easily to all reports

16. #6 Versioning is Difficult
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
A saved spreadsheet represents a Versioning is possible with a simple drop
version down selection
Version comparisons and analysis In report drill down functionality to ease
involves a lot of manual manipulation root cause analysis
Version comparisons are facilitated with
out of the box reports
Unlimited number of versions
Security manages user access to versions
BPC has the built-in intelligence to
perform variance analysis

17. #7 Structural Changes are Difficult
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Multiple worksheets/workbooks require Structural changes are managed centrally
major updates for the simplest change Structural changes automatically reflected
Impact to formulas, links, charts, and graphs on reports
Very time consuming Instantaneous updates to reports and
input schedules
Integrity of reports is preserved (formulas,
graphs, etc.)

18. #8 Basic Difference in the Way
Formulas are Built
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Calculation formulas often differ between BPC formulas are defined and maintained
spreadsheets centrally
Increased maintenance Calculations can be defined once across
all budget versions and actuals, where
appropriate

19. #9 Lack of Meaningful Audit Trail
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Difficult to determine what and when Audit of data and application changes
changes have been made and by whom All details are automatically tracked
No tie back to source systems (changes in values, time stamp, user
Limited to keeping copies of files stamp, etc.)
Removes the need for multiple
spreadsheet copies

20. #10 Data Security is a Challenge
Excel Based Approach SAP BPC Approach
Security is mostly left in the hands of Role based security can be aligned to
each user teams or individuals for ease of
Typically all or nothing maintenance
Security on tasks that users can perform
and data they can access / update
Consistent security model between
budget / forecast versions and actual

21. 10 Reasons to Avoid Using Excel as
the Go-to Solution
■ Data is local to spreadsheets
■ Dis-synchronization of data
■ Manual updates introduce data quality issues
■ Collaboration and communication
■ No standardized approach
■ Versioning is difficult
■ Structural changes required time and efforts
■ Basic difference in way formulas are built
■ Lack of meaningful audit trails
■ Data security is a challenge

22. Keep Excel, Remove the Hell
■ Centralize data
■ Synchronize reports with real-time data
■ Remove need for extensive manual updates
■ Collaborate and communicate with others in the process
■ Standardize company processes, reports, calculations
■ Remove limitations with versioning
■ Manage structural changes centrally
■ Maintaining better control of calculations
■ Gain transparency into the data and audit results
■ Enhance security and controls

23. Thank you!
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Justin McNeely
Account Executive
Performance Analytics Corporation
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