Spreadsheet Automation is the use of predefined algorithms to automate sets of keystrokes on Excel and other spreadsheet platforms. This process replaces manual activity with coded instructions, allowing for increased speed and precision and decreased risk of human error. It also provides a standardized approach to computations and tasks, allowing for more consistent results and formatting presentation. Macros work by imitating a set of keystrokes and performing them in repetition and on demand. They are especially useful when dealing with large sets of data as they offer a seamless way of structuring and organizing. Using Excel is a task that one can complete with minimal training due to the simplicity of design. Due to it’s easy to use interface, many companies and individuals don’t prioritize its automation.
By not automating Excel, companies save on short-term training and development time, but in the long run they lose out on many more hours of improved productivity and efficiency. Automating Excel has many other benefits as well, including reducing errors and improved reporting.
Small companies, small business units, and government organizations are especially vulnerable to lost productivity from not automating Excel. Often they don’t have the resources or capacity to hire a full-time developer. Instead these groups could benefit from the assistance of Blue Hen Analytics.
Who uses Spreadsheet Automation?
All companies should use Spreadsheet Automation to produce an improved return on investment, by allowing the machine to complete tedious and/or repetitive tasks. Blue Hen Analytics can create a program that uses one distribution sheet as a template for creating the rest, which saves the company time, resources and risk of error. Businesses that perform Data Analysis use Spreadsheet Automation to clean up and format large chunks of data at once. In the Construction and Development Industry, macros can be used to automatically and consistently update progress and forecast budgets. Spreadsheet Automation is also used by Public Relation Firms and E-commerce Marketers to send bulk e-mails to a list of recipients. This is often done with little or no intervention from humans once the script has been designed and tested.
