Spreadsheet Overload
Adam Smith’s famous book, The Wealth of Nations, published in Great Britain in 1776, distinguished between the outputs of what he termed “productive” and “unproductive” labor.
Spreadsheet for Everything
Low Cost
Spreadsheets (e.g., Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets) and whiteboards involve minimal upfront costs. Many small businesses already have access to these tools, making them an affordable solution.
Ease of Use
Spreadsheets are widely used and familiar tools that require little to no training for most employees.
Whiteboards are simple, intuitive, and don’t require technical expertise.
Customisable
Spreadsheets can be created for specific operational needs (e.g., scheduling, task tracking, and budgeting).
Whiteboards can be used for brainstorming or as a quick, visual representation of the day’s workflow.
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“We just use spreadsheets.”
No development invoice. No obvious system cost. But that does not mean the process is free.
What are you actually paying for?
Just one wasted hour per person, per day
Five employees × 1 hour a day × 5 days × 48 weeks = 1,200 hours every year.
A custom-built system has a visible price.
Spreadsheets often have an invisible one.
The question isn't simply “What will a new system cost?” It's “What is our current way of working already costing us?”