Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet software products are powerful analytical tools for your business. They are great for lists and 1 time reports. They are no substitute for a fleet maintenance software system.
However, the logical progression for many companies was to use spreadsheets to log and manage their fleet's maintenance activities. It’s a free solution. Or is it? There are risks and exposures associated with managing fleets and heavy equipment repair using spreadsheets.
Lack of edit checking
While some advanced functions inside Excel and other spreadsheets allow you to protect cells, rows, and columns, there is nothing to prevent data entry errors. Fleet Harmony online fleet maintenance software, for example, allows you to have a customized set of edit checks to ensure all required information is captured and complete.
Lack of data consistency
The lack of consistency between maintenance entries can make it difficult to get clear and consistent reporting. The descriptions and names of parts, service shops, unit information, and maintenance tasks can all be spelled differently and/or abbreviated. The design of Fleet Harmony online fleet management software eliminates data inconsistency so the reports are consistent and accurate.
Data entry errors and omissions
It’s easy to make mistakes on spreadsheet formulas. Inserting and moving rows and columns can lead to errors in summary totals and calculations. Additionally, spreadsheets can easily be shared; resulting in outdated or obsolete versions being used in the decision making process. It is estimated that between 3% and 5% of all spreadsheet entries have some form of error or omission. Fleet Harmony is a software application, not a spreadsheet. While the software can be accessed by multiple people and the reports can be shared, the controls within the application prevent data entry errors and omissions.
Excessive data entry time
Maintaining spreadsheets for fleet management is labour intensive. Multiple spreadsheets or tabs within a spreadsheet are needed to capture related information. If you are entering fleet maintenance records, fuel purchases, odometer, and usage readings usage in a spreadsheet, it’s probably time to consider fleet maintenance software. Fleet Harmony will save you time and money in tracking and managing your fleet's maintenance costs with minimal data entry.
Time consuming Search and audit
Spreadsheets do not lend themselves well for search and audit. More often than not, historical search is relegated to searching through your accounts payable records and combining this information with your spreadsheets. It is not unusual for specific inquiries to take hours or days to complete. With Fleet Harmony, you can run a report in minutes with only a few clicks of a button.
Lack of paperwork as required by DOT (Department of Transportation)
While it is easy to print and file a spreadsheet, the level of detail that is generally recorded is inadequate. Therefore, those that use spreadsheets also tend to have a handwritten maintenance form that may or may not have any resemblance with the data that has been entered into the spreadsheet. With Fleet Harmony, the spreadsheet goes away and maintenance forms are generated by Fleet Harmony to be filed accordingly.
Affordable fleet maintenance software options are available.
Many companies are often unaware that affordable fleet maintenance software options are available; even for small and medium sized fleets. Fleet Harmony online fleet maintenance management software is one such option. Fleet Harmony is a leader and pioneer in online transport solutions.
And if you really must work with your data using spreadsheets, you can always export to Excel or use our software design services to create a custom report just for you. We also design windows-based software, along with our shipment tracking software.