The 6 most heard Excel complaints in our demos

Edgar de Wit

The finance calendar almost always seems overfull. Endless month-end closings mean Excel files are eternally multiplying. Especially in multi-entity accounting firm or healthcare organisations operating across entities and cost centres, this is a familiar reality. We often see how a single export can turn into multiple spreadsheets. One adjustment creates a new version. One management question sends you back into formulas, reconciliations, and checks.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Excel is not the problem

Excel is a powerful finance tool. The real issue is the process built around Excel, a process that was never designed to deliver reliable, scalable KPI reporting for growing finance organisations.

KPI dashboards matter

Leaders rely on a small set of core KPI metrics to steer the business. These KPIs enable finance departments to compare entities, identify trends, and support faster decision-making. When KPI reporting depends on manual Excel work and inconsistent structures, confidence in the numbers suffers.

6 reporting errors every finance team recognises

1. "Is this the final version?"

In multi-entity reporting, one file quickly becomes dozens. Checking the latest version wastes time and erodes trust.

2. Manual chart of accounts mapping

Mapping accounts manually across entities is error-prone. Differences in structure affect KPIs like EBITDA.

3. Fragile formulas

Nested formulas and interdependencies break easily. Small changes lead to hours lost verifying calculations instead of analysing results.

4. Endless reconciliation loops

Export, adjust, re-export, reconcile… again.

5. Manual data gathering

Trial balances are exported, cleaned, and pasted repeatedly. Auditability and traceability are lost once numbers leave the source system.

6. No real-time insight

By the time reports are done, management questions require starting over.

The real cost of Excel-based reporting

For a finance team reporting on four entities, manual Excel-based reporting consumes 20–35 hours per month, not including the hidden cost of slower decision-making, reduced trust, and key-person risk. Over time, maintenance outweighs analysis.

The logical next step: modern KPI dashboards

Modern KPI dashboards don't replace Excel expertise—they fix the process around it. Dashboards update automatically and tick these boxes:

• 1. Centralises financial data
• 2. Standardises chart of accounts mappings
• 3. Automates currency conversion and intercompany logic
• 4. Defines KPIs once for consistent use

Getting started is the easy part

With assisted setup, existing Excel files, charts of accounts, and reporting needs are translated into a smarter reporting structure. Moving to a faster, simpler process from day one, without losing the logic.

Want to see what that looks like in practice? Request a free demo and discover reporting without Excel chaos.