So, you’ve been using spreadsheets since your training business first started. A spreadsheet for your clients; a spreadsheet for your invoices; a spreadsheet for your venues, the list goes on…
Spreadsheets are comfortable, and they get the job done. But with the increasing requirements of a growing training business and the need to streamline your time and energy, the question is this: have you outgrown the humble spreadsheet?
For a growing training business, specialist training software is a tool that can really level-up your efficiency. Ultimately helping you and your team to manage all aspects of the training process without lots of emails; exporting; miscommunications, and general faffing around.
But how do you know what the best move is for your training business right now? We have created a quick tell-tale guide, that will help you determine if you are ready to upgrade to training software. So, if this sounds like you, then you’re probably ready to ditch the spreadsheet and upgrade to an efficient training management system.
4 Signs That Your Business Has Outgrown Spreadsheets
1. Employees are making silly mistakes and/or wasting time on data entry
As your company grows, data entry becomes a huge time burden. Of course, data entry is a necessary evil; even with a sophisticated training management software package. But automating your systems can really go a long way to lifting the burden from you and your team.
Forbes called Excel “the most dangerous software on the planet”. This is because the majority of companies using spreadsheet data are making mistakes in their entries at some point in the process.
Imagine you’re tired, you’ve had a long day and just want to get home; you copy and paste that final column without really looking and then close your computer for the night, without noticing that you’ve pasted the wrong column! We’ve all been there, but for 1 in 5 large companies in the UK, this kind of error has had very real financial ramifications.
The difference when using training management software for your accounting, is that the integration with your other systems (online booking for instance) allows all your data to be automatically generated; leaving less room for costly human error and giving you and your team more time to focus on the important aspects of your training business.
2. You are constantly exporting and importing lists for marketing and training calendars
This again involves the issue of time-consumption and margins for error. Having your trainer or customer details on one list; venue details on another, and your timetable as a completely separate entity means a lot of copying and pasting or exporting and importing; especially as your company expands and you have more jobs on the books.
Integrating all these details into one interconnected system is the most efficient way of handling your customer, trainer and venue bookings, without the worry of overbooking or human error.
3. You're always worrying about who’s got the latest updated spreadsheet
There is a big problem with sharing spreadsheets between the team, or with your accountant etc… As well as a major security issue. With copies of your spreadsheet on various computers and email servers- how do you keep track of who’s got what version? With the constant need for updating; if you’re not careful, you could end up in a mire of old versions and copied versions- not knowing which one’s which!
Using cloud-based training software means that there is only ever one version of your data, shared in real-time with log-in capabilities for selected team-members… and breath!
4. You're finding the need to visualise and analyse with your team more important as you grow
There is one big thing that spreadsheets are just useless at; that is data visualisation and communication.
Modern employers more regularly feel the need to communicate and be inclusive with their staff when it comes to overall business performance. Being able to share selected data with your team in a visual and easy to dissect manner is not so simple when all your data is collated on vast spreadsheets, with time-consuming processes to create even a simple pie-chart.
Training software allows a much more visually diverse range of data communication, with real-time, central reporting tools that your team are able to access when required.
Has Your Training Business Outgrown Spreadsheets?
If any of these points have struck a chord, it may be time for your company to make the move to a more efficient way of working…
Further Reading:
- Course Admin Doesn’t Have to Be a Drag (But Here’s 8 Reasons Why It Is)
