{"id":12851,"date":"2025-08-05T08:44:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/?p=12851"},"modified":"2025-08-05T08:44:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:44:28","slug":"still-using-spreadsheets-for-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/still-using-spreadsheets-for-planning","title":{"rendered":"Still Using Spreadsheets for Planning?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;12854&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the recent<\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ibf.org\/events\/chicago2025\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IBF S&amp;OP and IBP Global Conference<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it was clear that <\/span><b>many companies still use spreadsheets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They use these tools for <\/span><b>supply chain planning and production scheduling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quiet truth many admitted with frustration. Spreadsheets are familiar, but they\u2019re also outdated, fragile, and holding businesses back. As one attendee put it, \u201cEveryone can explain how complex their Excel system is, and how terrible it is at the same time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, Excel technically \u201cgets the job done.\u201d In today\u2019s fast and complex manufacturing and supply chain world, it\u2019s like <\/span><b>using your shoe to hammer a nail<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You might get a result, but not without damaging the tools and exhausting the user.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So why are companies still relying on the wrong tools?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Why Are We Still Using the Wrong Tools?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not about capability\u2014it\u2019s about comfort. Spreadsheets feel flexible, low-cost, and familiar. But that comfort comes at a steep operational price.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As <\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/stevebanker\/2022\/02\/04\/supply-chain-planning-for-dummies\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forbes contributor Steve Banker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> points out, \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supply chain planning is too complex for spreadsheets. Planners may be good at building Excel macros, but that\u2019s not the same as running a synchronized planning process across sites, suppliers, and markets.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People use spreadsheets for a few common reasons. They are familiar, easy to access, and do not need IT approval. But these perceived conveniences hide major business risks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The person who created the scheduling and planning spreadsheets <\/span><b>often understands them alone<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This creates a risk when staff are not available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excel-based planning relies on <\/span><b>tribal knowledge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making it hard to train backups or onboard new team members<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planners waste hours manually manipulating data instead of focusing on proactive decision-making<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your business grows in complexity (multi-site operations, multi-tier suppliers, multiple product attributes), Excel falls further behind.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s the Real Cost of Staying the Same?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using spreadsheets for demand planning, supply balancing, and production scheduling introduces risks that grow over time:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Slow, Manual Workflows<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/capabilities\/operations\/our-insights\/the-winning-recipe-for-transforming-advanced-planning-systems\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McKinsey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> says that companies with old planning processes waste too much time on <\/span><b>manual data work<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This leaves them with little time for making <\/span><b>strategic decisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or modeling different scenarios.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Limited Visibility and Collaboration<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spreadsheets are siloed by nature. When demand, supply, finance, and production teams each manage their own files, it is hard to align plans or respond to changes. As<\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/capabilities\/operations\/our-insights\/to-improve-your-supply-chain-modernize-your-supply-chain-it\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McKinsey notes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>fragmented IT landscapes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lead to data latency and poor coordination between business functions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Reactive Instead of Resilient<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s volatile environment, supply chain planning must be dynamic and proactive. But spreadsheets don\u2019t support real-time data, alerts, or simulations. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means planners often find themselves <\/span><b>reacting after the fact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than preventing disruption.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Poor Fit for Finance and Supply Chain Integration<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building integrated planning models across supply chain and finance teams is extremely difficult in Excel.<\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/councils\/forbescoachescouncil\/2023\/08\/31\/10-considerations-for-building-a-finance-supply-chain-planning-model\/\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forbes<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suggests using special tools that provide clear visibility, real-time forecasts, and what-if evaluations. These tools help connect operational and financial planning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Real-World Consequences of Spreadsheet Dependency<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two recent case studies from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scheduling Processes, Systems, and Software<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> illustrates this well:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a large-scale pet food company, planners spent <\/span><b>all day making a schedule in Excel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, their plans often <\/span><b>caused delays<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Either upstream production had to stop because of full bins, or downstream packing lines sat idle because of starvation. Once they adopted specialized scheduling software, they completed the schedule by 11 a.m., and planner effort dropped by 30%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A detergent maker improved<\/span><b> production efficiency by 5%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just by using a special scheduling tool instead of Excel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These may seem like small wins. But a 5% gain in efficiency can mean<\/span><b> millions in output value <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">each year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Spreadsheets Are Not Built for Scheduling<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to industry research and practitioner experience, Excel fails in several critical areas for modern planning:<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=&#8221;12853&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Stop Settling. Start Planning Better.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not just about eliminating errors. Giving your teams the right tools allows them to do their jobs more effectively, efficiently and confidently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If you&#8217;re still planning in Excel, it&#8217;s time to ask yourself:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is it costing us in lost productivity?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Excel truly costing us in lost time and missed opportunities?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How often are we firefighting because of preventable gaps?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many firefighting hours could we eliminate with the right tools?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How much could we gain by replacing our spreadsheets with real-time, intelligent tools?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What would 5% more efficiency mean to our bottom line?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Time to Upgrade the Toolbox<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planners juggling complex Excel models, custom macros, and reactive adjustments deserve better. They need tools that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automatically align supply, demand and capacity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Account for constraints and changeovers dynamically<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enable real-time, cross-functional collaboration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support scenario modeling and financial integration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scale with operational complexity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/solutions\/qad-digital-supply-chain-planning\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>QAD Digital Supply Chain Planning<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/solutions\/qad-advanced-scheduling\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>QAD Advanced Scheduling<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> promise a better future for manufacturing. They are an integrated solution for Advanced Planning and Scheduling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Don\u2019t Let Spreadsheets Limit Your Growth &#8211; Let\u2019s Build a Smarter Planning Operation<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Say goodbye to bruised fingers and broken formulas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Let\u2019s discuss how QAD can help you plan smarter, schedule better, and move faster. <\/b><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/request-a-demo\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Book Your Demo Now<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;12854&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][vc_column_text]At the recent IBF S&amp;OP and IBP Global Conference, it was clear that many companies still use spreadsheets. They use these tools for supply chain planning and production scheduling. A quiet truth many admitted with frustration. Spreadsheets are familiar, but they\u2019re also outdated, fragile, and holding businesses back. As one attendee put it, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":12854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[182,2045],"tags":[3139,2960,1515,411,2492,1402,175,223],"class_list":["post-12851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-supply-chain-trends","tag-advanced-planning","tag-advanced-scheduling","tag-data-driven-planning","tag-digital-transformation","tag-integrated-business-planning","tag-operational-efficiency","tag-sop","tag-supply-chain-planning"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Still Using Spreadsheets for Planning? | QAD Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Relying on spreadsheets for planning introduces risk, delays, and hidden costs. 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