Spreadsheets do not enable analysis
One of the top three needs of resource managers is a way to leverage massive amounts of data. Resource, project, and portfolio data only gains value when it gets turned into action.
Resource managers will tell you they’re looking for insights into where resources are overextended or underutilized.
They want to know how changes in one project will impact the whole portfolio, and they want easy-to-digest reports on everything from their resources’ updated skillsets to project and portfolio financials—and they want it to be visually appealing and accessible.
But too often, businesses resort to spreadsheets that are both difficult to analyze and primed for misinterpretation.
“People only familiar with spreadsheets and their associated tools tend to make charts and graphs that often distort data, including 3D graphs and pie charts, simply because the tool (like Excel) makes them easy to create.”
Moreover, they aren’t designed to store historical data, making it impossible to identify trends over time or generate truly useful insights.
Why spreadsheets don’t work for resource managers
Far beyond scheduling and timesheets, resource management has become a central feature of organization-wide strategic planning and execution. Without the right people, in the right place, at the right time, work doesn’t get done and targets aren’t hit. It all begins with resources.
Resource Managers themselves will tell you what they need, and that these are the very reasons they avoid using spreadsheets. Read ProSymmetry’s full list of Reasons to Avoid Spreadsheets in Resource Management to learn more about the kinds of tools resource managers really need and why they can’t be found in spreadsheets.
ProSymmetry was founded in 2007 by passionate resource management experts. Since then, we have continually strived to solve the resource management challenges that slow down, damage, and overwhelm organizations. We do this through our flagship product, Tempus Resource, which is used by Fortune 500 companies like Siemens, Airbus, Qualcomm and DELL, and was labeled a “resource management solution accessible to the masses” and was awarded the 2016 Cool Vendor by Gartner.
