cost cutting with excel reporting

Tim Schojohann

Why Excel based reporting is inefficient for cost cutting programsand how Xeraphic addresses these issues

Issues with Excel based Cost-Cutting Programs

• Consolidation (Integrated)– “Project plans/budgets are spread across project managers with Excel files” (no transparency)– “A lot of time and effort involved to consolidate information as well as to keep it updated” (lost time)– “No guarantee that consolidated Excel files are consistent and represent the latest versions”(data integrity)

• Visibility (Business)– “Difficult to compare individual projects and programs in terms of business contribution” (unclear value)– “Additional resources and investments involved to analyze the current spending” (must invest)– “Consolidated reports have poor data quality and detail questions need to be investigated manually” (unreliable data)

• Control (Planning)– “Investments must be shifted quickly towards projects that result in immediate cost savings” (shift focus)– “Cutting costs might impact the organizations performance – becoming counter productive” (high risk)– “Consolidated information not detailed enough to understand impacts of cutting costs” (actions unclear)

Integrated (Consolidation)

“Project budgets are spread across project managers with Excel files” (no transparency)

Before Xeraphic

Understand Project Budgets

Aggregated view of all projects with the ability to drill down

Integrated (Consolidation)

“A lot of time and effort involved to consolidate information as well as to keep it updated” (lost time)

Clarifications/Updates

Clarifications/Updates

Fully automated consolidation and aggregation

Clarifications via drill down into cost items

Before Xeraphic

Integrated (Consolidation)

No guarantee that consolidated Excel files are consistent and represent the latest versions (data integrity)

Human Error

File Version?

No History of Adjustments

Correlations?

Before

No comments

Historic View

CollaborationCorrelations

Enter data once Reminders

Single Source of Truth for Reliable Data

Integrity

Xeraphic

Business (Visibility)Difficult to compare individual projects and programs in terms of business contribution

= EBITDA?

= EBITDA?

Before Xeraphic

Gather business case relevant project information through custom scorecards

Business (Visibility)Additional resources and investments involved to analyze the current spending

Analysis

InvestigationClarification

Ad-hoc requests

Ad-hoc requestsInvestigationClarificationAnalysis

Before

Fast, accurate and fully automated data

processing

Xeraphic

Fast, accurate and fully automated data processing

Business (Visibility)Consolidated reports have poor data quality and detail questions need to be investigated manually (unreliable data)

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Before Xeraphic

Centralized view on initiatives down to line items

Planning (Control) Investments must be shifted quickly towards projects that result in immediate cost savings

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+NPV -NPV

-NPV +NPV

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Before Xeraphic

Planning (Control)

Before

Cutting costs on consultants

Hire key players back AFTER impact

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Xeraphic

Consolidated information not detailed enough to understand impacts of cutting costs

Create what-if analysis and track movement of resources

Planning (Control)

Before Xeraphic

Cutting costs might impact the organizations performance – becoming counter productive

Understand dependencies of cost items such as contractsUnderstand dependencies of cost items (e.g. contracts)

How Xeraphic can helpLeverage Xeraphic to consolidate and maintain data from individual projects for analysis, setting the foundation for next steps in transformation.

Faster• Automated consolidation of project data – Don’t wait for information to be processed• Less effort for project managers to maintain accuracy – more timely reporting• Solution can be up and running within a few weeks – Excel-like interface speeds up enablement

Cheaper • Solution comes at monthly price similar to consultants (Quick ROI on consolidation and investigation efforts)• Entering data into centralized tool removes shadow book keeping – immediate identification of savings• Different views, filters and aggregation levels on data without spending resources on reworking Excel

Improved Quality• Consistent data quality which can be related back to individuals (creating more accountability)• Ability to comment/add information on cost items (e.g. must have consultant for project to prevent EBIT impact)• Holistic view and ability to slice and dice information fosters informed decision making

First Personal MeetingUse Case Discussion

Product Introduction

Business Value Assessment

Budget Validation

Proof of Value

Adoption

Day 1 5M

6M4M

3M2M1M

FIND PERSONAL VALUE STEP BY STEP