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Is Your Spreadsheet Holding You Back?

 

By Christopher Goodwille

There have been many key discoveries and inventions throughout human history. The wheel, the printing press, electricity, and of course the spreadsheet. I assume people had handwritten spreadsheets throughout the centuries to tabulate and track whatever it was they wanted to quantify.

Spreadsheets are amazing tools, and they add value in a wide variety of scenarios. Whether you’re assembling a simple personal budget or putting together complex project estimates for a contractor, spreadsheets are tools that we can use to gain clarity and make better decisions.

As we humans build out our spreadsheets with fancy formulas and pivot tables, we begin to become emotionally attached to these digital works of art that have been borne out of years of tinkering and adjusting. Your Excel file may have been rudimentary at the start. But after years of learning and iterating, it has become the masterpiece it is today.

Our spreadsheets may have taken us from startup to millions in revenue. The business may be profitable and growing. And maybe we have used nothing more than Excel to put together takeoffs and bids.

But what if there’s a better way?

There’s a saying, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Let’s say I have a flip phone that still charges and makes calls. It’s not broken, so there is nothing to fix. But should I replace it? Can an iPhone help me be more productive compared to a flip phone?

I’ve been listening to a podcast about World War I recently. An overarching theme of this pivotal period is the transition from the old world to the new and the ushering in of the modern mechanized era.

At the beginning of the conflict, cavalry units were still relevant. The war ended with the first tanks. When the First World War began, caps were worn instead of helmets in many cases. By the end, a soldier without a helmet would have been an outlier in most armies.

At the beginning of this major clash between nations, the militaries still used old methods that had been part of their processes in the past. Why change? If it’s not broken, then why fix it?

The weaponry and firepower had progressed to a point where old methods and equipment caused the armies that would not adapt to fall behind. The old ways had brought these countries to the 20th century, but would they last to the 21st without adapting?

So, back to spreadsheets. I love spreadsheets. You can bring data to life with them. They give you direction.

However, relying solely on spreadsheets and manual methods to perform complex takeoffs may not be the way forward.

 

5 Questions to Consider Regarding Spreadsheets:

  1. How easy is it to find a mistake by just looking at a slew of numbers? Numbers are great, but are errors easy to find? What if something is mistyped, and there are no parameters to flag the mistake?
  2. Your spreadsheet gives you numbers, but what about visuals? Does your spreadsheet magically morph into a 3D visual tool?
  3. How accurate is it? Just as many parents view their children as the most well-behaved, we may think our spreadsheet is the best. But does it account for the nuances of a complex job?
  4. Is it easily shareable? Your spreadsheet may be the best. But is it easy to explain to a new estimator? Are the results of the calculations easy for your team to understand and draw value from?
  5. Does it require the use of other programs to make sense? It’s great to calculate total linear feet of pipe and depth brackets in Excel. But what led to those numbers? Are you getting measurements from another 2D takeoff program or by hand? Then are those numbers being typed into your spreadsheet, thus creating another step and additional room for error?

Just like sending a kid off to college or selling your very first car, moving on from your spreadsheet may be an emotional and difficult process. It has been with you through thick and thin and has helped you grow.

But eventually, the child must spread their wings and leave the coop. And someday you may want to consider upgrading your original two-door hatchback to a newer vehicle with four doors.

There may be a time to consider whether there is a better way to do takeoffs so that you can bid and win more work. The question is, is now that time? Because after all, you don’t want to ride a horse into battle when the competition is driving a tank.

If you’d like to learn how AGTEK can help you power up your construction takeoffs, get in touch!