{"id":8738,"date":"2014-12-30T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T16:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/?p=8738"},"modified":"2022-11-22T13:21:06","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T19:21:06","slug":"3-common-business-problems-you-can-solve-in-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrc-productivity.com\/blog\/2014\/12\/3-common-business-problems-you-can-solve-in-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"3 common business problems you can solve in 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Education\"Summary: What are your company’s new year’s resolutions for 2015? What pressing issues would you like to solve in the coming year? In this article, we highlight 3 common (yet fixable) problems facing many companies today–along with a simple solution for each one.<\/em><\/span>
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\nThe new year is right around the corner. Have you made any business resolutions for 2015? <\/p>\n

I highly recommend it. Pick one (or more) pressing business issue, and resolve to fix it in the next year. Identify a problem and map out the steps you need to take. <\/p>\n

Why is this so important? If you don\u2019t make a plan, you\u2019ll come to the end of next year with the same problems as you\u2019re facing now.<\/p>\n

What type of issues should you focus on? Let me answer that question with another question: Which issues would provide the most business benefit if resolved? Which problems harm productivity or hurt sales? <\/p>\n

To get you started on the right foot, I\u2019ve identified 3 common business problems (and their solutions) below. While I can\u2019t possibly list every problem facing every company, these issues affect many businesses today. Does your business face any of the problems listed below? <\/p>\n

1. Are spreadsheets out of control in your company?<\/h3>\n
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photo credit: subflux<\/a> via photopin<\/a> cc<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s an all-too-common problem: Spreadsheets are used as multi-user and multi-department tools. Users create, edit, and share spreadsheets uncontrolled. There\u2019s no way to keep track of them.<\/p>\n

Why is this a problem?<\/b>
\nWhen stored in spreadsheets, data is unmanageable. You can\u2019t control who edits or shares your business data. You can\u2019t keep the data clean. You don\u2019t know who can access your data, or where it\u2019s stored. <\/p>\n

Besides the obvious problem of data leaks, spreadsheets also pose another threat: Data integrity. How bad is this problem? Studies find that over 80% of spreadsheets contain serious errors. The bigger problem: Many businesses use spreadsheets for reporting and BI purposes. How many of their decisions are based on faulty data?<\/p>\n

What should be happening?<\/b>
\nYour spreadsheet data should be securely stored in a database. With the right tools, employees can upload spreadsheets to your database, and then create web apps over that data. This helps your business in a few ways:<\/p>\n