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> This spreadsheet was the primary data file >> - as crappy as that is, thats pretty common. No. This is not a common practice. An Accounting / ERP system wi

> This spreadsheet was the primary data file >> - as crappy as that is, thats pretty common. No. This is not a common practice. An Accounting / ERP system with full audit trails and data entry compliance is. Exporting data from such a system into Excel for analysis is. But Excel as the [re-reads] Primary data file is not a practice at all.

campl3r 2y ago
I've worked on dozens of Excel to ERP migrations. Excel is way more common as the primary data source including financial data. If you only look at financial data by volume (and not count) maybe ERP win, but I wouldn't be sure.
tempaway64457 2y ago
> and was used for “consolidation, journals, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” Not sure what 'journals' is supposed to mean here but “consolidation, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” does not mean operations day to day use, it means high level management reporting My position is that the article (or the consultants who are trying to sell the ERP) are exaggerating the role of the spreadsheet.
- CodeWriter23 2y ago
  "primary", I hope as a commenter out here you understand what that means.
- staticautomatic 2y ago
  In accounting, a "journal" is a chronological record of financial transactions.
  - tempaway64457 2y ago
    Ok going back to the report https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-Review-Report.pdf https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-... The phrase “consolidation, journals, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” is in the actual report referring to multiple spreadsheets (p60). But the Register has reported that as referring to the main spreadsheet. There's no way a top-level consolidated spreadsheet would also be journal entries for low level accounting. And I note the report is by Deloitte who I trust about as far as I can throw them, although the organisation in question undoubtedly messed up here, Deloitte are angling for a nice juicy government ERP implenmentation lasting years and costing tens of millions
    - staticautomatic 2y ago
      Ok yeah that’s a good point! Probably not an accounting journal then.

campl3r 2y ago

I've worked on dozens of Excel to ERP migrations. Excel is way more common as the primary data source including financial data. If you only look at financial data by volume (and not count) maybe ERP win, but I wouldn't be sure.

tempaway64457 2y ago

> and was used for “consolidation, journals, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” Not sure what 'journals' is supposed to mean here but “consolidation, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” does not mean operations day to day use, it means high level management reporting My position is that the article (or the consultants who are trying to sell the ERP) are exaggerating the role of the spreadsheet.

CodeWriter23 2y ago
"primary", I hope as a commenter out here you understand what that means.
staticautomatic 2y ago
In accounting, a "journal" is a chronological record of financial transactions.
- tempaway64457 2y ago
  Ok going back to the report https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-Review-Report.pdf https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-... The phrase “consolidation, journals, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” is in the actual report referring to multiple spreadsheets (p60). But the Register has reported that as referring to the main spreadsheet. There's no way a top-level consolidated spreadsheet would also be journal entries for low level accounting. And I note the report is by Deloitte who I trust about as far as I can throw them, although the organisation in question undoubtedly messed up here, Deloitte are angling for a nice juicy government ERP implenmentation lasting years and costing tens of millions
  - staticautomatic 2y ago
    Ok yeah that’s a good point! Probably not an accounting journal then.