1. The same number lives in three files
When stock, orders or prices are copied between sheets, they drift apart, and nobody knows which one is right.
2. One person is the system
If only one person understands the main workbook, the business stops when they are on leave.
3. Someone spends hours combining sheets
Weekly reports built by copying and pasting are time that could be spent acting on the numbers.
4. Mistakes come from copying, not from the work
A wrong formula or a missed row is a data problem, not a people problem.
5. You cannot tell who changed what
Without a history of changes, mistakes are found late and fixed by guesswork.
6. Customers wait while you check
“Let me check and call you back” means the answer is in a file someone has to open.
7. You avoid growing because the sheets cannot cope
When a new product line or branch feels risky because of the paperwork, the tools are holding the business back.
What should you move first?
Move the process that causes the most trouble into one system where everyone works on the same record: usually inventory, orders or enquiries. Keep Excel for analysis, and export to it whenever you like.
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