Our client solutions

Excel Experts has delivered hundreds of solutions across various industries. Just as the needs of our clients, our solutions are diverse and varies greatly in terms of complexity and scope, based on the unique client requirements. We provide a summary of some actual client solutions, so that you get an idea of what a typical project looks like.

Below are some example of solutions we have built:

  • National budgeting solution for major government department
  • Quote and order solution
  • Internal control tool
  • Budgeting solution for a mining entity
  • Estimating solution

National budgeting solution for major government department

The client need

This department oversees key functions nationally and employees more than 3,000 employees.  They had a very inefficient and manual national budgeting processes (involving more than 350 managers), which consisted out of transmitting massive Excel files across the country, per region, to capture budgeting information.  These files would then be submitted back to finance in head office for manual data consolidation, and then ultimately manual compilation of a consolidated national budget. The process was very manual and very time consuming, with many back and forth iterations.

The solution

We developed a database (SQL) based budgeting database, which uses smart Excel forms to capture data easily and Excel VBA code to automate all rules and logic.  Users used the Excel front-end tool to capture budgeting detail, which then immediately populated the detail into the central database.  This allowed us to greatly control the quality of data captured by applying standards and norms, as well us fully automate full budget reporting and automated income statements per department and for the whole business.  We even allowed automatic publishing of the approved budgets to PeopleSoft, and performed that end-to-end system integration.

    The benefits

    The above budgeting solution transformed a completely manual process spanning many months into a more automated database-driven solution, taking a couple of weeks.  End user time required to capture budget data was greatly reduced, and data consolidation was no longer required.  We saved this client thousands of man-hours annually, and drastically reduced the time required to perform this once very onerous annual budgeting process.

       

      Quote and order solution

      The client need

      As an industrial technology supplier and installer, the client required a solution to manage customers, suppliers, products, stock, orders and prices. It was a very manual process to update each employee’s information to the latest changes. Sales representatives also needed a view of other representative’s quotations, when attending to the same customer.

      The solution

      We developed an Access database quoting solution, where latest information could be updated. Representatives had real time access to this information over the database on a shared drive, using an Excel front end and Excel VBA code to automate all rules and logic.

        The benefits

        The above quoting and ordering solution provided an automated database-driven solution, to improve on the manual and time consuming process.  End users now had access to the latest information on products, without the need of manually updating each users own set of information. They could also view and assist on other quotes by other users, without the need to correspond.

        National employee shift calculator

        The client need

        The company delivers food products nation-wide. They have about 1,000 drivers that deliver the products from various depots. All the drivers clocks their time using a biometric scanner when leaving and returning from the depots. Although the clocking system works fine, they only have total shift times for each driver and is not sufficient to calculate what each driver should be paid at the end of each week. These calculations should take lunch, overtime, short time and trip allowances in consideration to determine what each driver should get paid for.

        The solution

        We developed a Macro-Enabled Excel workbook that imports raw data from the clocking system. Then the solution calculates the different type of hours required to determine what the driver should get paid out at the end of each week. Some exceptions are highlighted for example when a driver had too much or too little if a certain type of hours based on what is typically expected. This can then be corrected on the clocking system. Finally a summary sheet is generated and exported in a format that is used to import into the company’s accounting platform.

          The benefits

          The solution eliminated all manual calculations done by each depot. It also ensured that all depots uses the correct company’s policy in order to determine what is considered as overtime, short time and night shift hours. Before the solution was implemented, each branch used their own interpretation of what is considered overtime, short time, etc. The time spent each week to calculate the hours has also been drastically reduced being that it is automated in the solution.

          Internal control tool

          The client need

          The company has to keep track of monthly exceptions that occurs within the business for various focus areas. Each business unit needs to submit these exceptions so that reporting can be done and to stay in compliance when an audit is performed. Additionally the company needs to know when exceptions is recurring over months to escalate when appropriate.

          The solution

          We developed an easy to use exception capturing tool that each business fills out each month. The capturing tool consist of data validation and data quality checks to ensure that the correct information is submitted. This capturing tool is completed by roughly 45 business units each month. Each business unit need to submit exceptions for their relevant centres which totals to about 300. When capturing is done, an automated email is generated from the capturing tool here the raw data is emailed to a support email address. These files is then imported into the main reporting tool where reporting can be performed.

            The benefits

            The solution aids the business units to submit completed and relevant information by performing data quality checks before exceptions is submitted. The company can now track the amount of exceptions submitted and also indicates when a business unit has not submitted the exceptions for a month or even when they submitted it too late. This also allows the company to track exceptions on a monthly basis and when specific exceptions is recurring. When auditing is done, the company can now show the number of exceptions captured each month and escalate when a specific focus area is causing too high a number of exceptions.

            Budgeting solution for a mining entity

            The client need

            This department oversees key functions in 5 companies in the mining sector.  They had a very inefficient and manual national budgeting processes, which consisted out of transmitting massive Excel files across the country, per region, to capture budgeting information.  These files would then be submitted back to finance in head office for manual data consolidation, and then ultimately manual compilation of a consolidated national budget. The process was very manual and very time consuming, with many back and forth iterations. And this also caused lots of errors due to formula references and many workbooks linked together.

            The solution

            We developed an excel solution which can be configured by the Administrator(adjust the budget, Actual and Forecast periods). Once the configurations are completed, the Administrator can generates the budget templates per company per division. These templates will be created with the cost center applicable to that division. Users will then input their budgets figures and save the excel files in the same folders created by the tool. The Administrator will use the Master tool to easily and quickly consolidate all files for the 5 companies and create a consolidated report.

              The benefits

              The above budgeting solution transformed a completely manual process spanning many months into a more automated excel-driven solution, taking a couple of weeks.  End user time required to capture budget data was greatly reduced, and data consolidation was completely automated .  We saved this client thousands of man-hours annually, and drastically reduced the time required to perform this budgeting process.

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              Contact us by using the below form, or phone us at +27 11 540 0100 and ask for Invantage, our company name.

              You are also welcome to send us an email to contact@invantage.co.za.