5 reasons why spreadsheets can be your business’s worst nightmare

Paper forms and excel spreadsheets are accessible tools that are widely used for audits and various checks across businesses. However, they are not necessarily the most efficient way to conduct these activities. Digital inspections/audits can offer a number of advantages over traditional methods, including speed, accuracy, and improved data management. Here are some top reasons why you should consider digitising your processes:

1. You can save time on data entry and processing

Doing this organizations are saving up to 80% of the time they were previously spending on inspections, audits and reporting by taking advantage of automated document generation and assessment which AuditDAT provides. With inspections and audits done directly on a mobile device, all these steps are unnecessary. You can immediately attach pictures from your device, tap the responses and notes, and add more comments later at the office, if required. Then simply click a button, and a professional-looking report is automatically generated, ready to be shared or stored.

2. You can improve the accuracy of your data
Each individual fills in forms and updates spreadsheets at the best of their ability and understanding. This becomes a problem when trying to keep track of document creation, naming conventions, tracking the last modification date and by whom.. this all becomes a challenge. When using spreadsheets there is no easy way to provide the right guidance and constraints, such as mandatory photo evidence for certain questions, a particular colour-coding etc. You will also find that no spreadsheet document maintained by different owners will be the same.

Additionally, when you update your document templates, you need to make sure that all your team members use the latest version going forward. Over time, version control can really become a problem, especially in larger teams.

3. You can make it easier to share and collaborate with others

Inspections / Audits performed on spreadsheets or paper can be quite inefficient due to the need for good communication and version control. If reports are not properly shared or reviewed in a timely manner, issues can quickly become unmanageable.

Digital inspections/audit can help to solve these problems by providing instant notifications and reminders when new findings are available. This allows for quicker turnaround times and faster resolution of issues.

4. You can know if your inspection/audit findings have been actioned

As a quality or safety inspector, it is important to not only identify potential issues, but also to ensure that corrective action is taken to mitigate these risks. However, this can often be difficult to track, as information can be lost in email chains or accountability may not be clear. Additionally, daily emergencies can often take precedence.

Our digital inspection app aims to mitigate these issues by offering task management capabilities. When an issue is identified, it can be immediately assigned to the responsible party, who will then receive notifications, reminders, and can discuss the issue directly within the app.

5. You can make it easier to track and analyse data over time

Report data is often scattered across different forms or spreadsheets, making it difficult to retrieve past inspections/audits and compile summaries. This exercise can be time-consuming and result in outdated information.

With all the report data in the system, it’s easy to see trend charts over time, across locations, inspectors or report category types. The information is available in real-time, all you need to do is open the dashboard and select the criteria you want to view. This allows you to proactively drive business improvements.