There are many technology providers who recommend eliminating spreadsheets in order to remove manual data entry and rogue sets of data, but spreadsheet apps are popular with many business users. What if you can have the best of both worlds—user-friendly spreadsheets and integrated, accessible data?
At Laminin Solutions, we’ve found that using Interject as a custom solution platform enables businesses to use integrated data and automate processes. With automated spreadsheets, users keep their well-known interface, but multiple data silos can be eliminated. In fact, wherever you find manual spreadsheets in your business, there is an Interject opportunity to save time, money, and frustration.
Key Benefits of Automating with Interject
Microsoft Excel dominates the business world and that is not about to change. Even though there has been movement to centralize data analysis in systems like ERP, spreadsheets are still widely used to process and exchange information. Why? Because most business users find spreadsheets familiar and easy to use.
Instead of fighting against spreadsheets that users know and love, using a system like Interject can integrate these spreadsheets and their data with multiple sources for a consolidated system of information. The spreadsheet data remain connected to the source data.
Using Interject is faster and less costly than custom programming. In fact, internal IT teams can quickly master Interject development, because it leverages their knowledge of Excel. Using Interject, they can connect data, build reports, and further refine them with lookups, drilldowns, and more to quickly respond to changing business needs.
While Interject makes data accessible, it remains secure. Users must be authenticated before any data is pulled or updated even if the new spreadsheet is saved to a different location.
Interject as an Automation Platform
At Laminin, we don’t just use Interject for data integration, we use it as a platform to automate business processes across all systems and business areas. Using Interject as a platform allows us to create custom data portals, connections, and solutions. Here are a few examples of automation solutions that we’ve developed using Interject.
Accounts Receivable Automation: Generate Credit Memos
One of our Interject solutions involved integrating information in a company’s Epicor Enterprise ERP system with a workflow to bulk generate credit memos for partially paid invoices.
We used Interject to create unposted credit memos in Epicor from outstanding invoices. As you can see, the data spreadsheet included a custom field that allowed users to add comments for tracking. This automation saved the company hours of manual data entry.
Custom Project Billing
In another project, we consolidated data from across multiple sources to create a summary project billing report. The resulting spreadsheet, shown below, provides a powerful summary to determine project profitability. The automated process includes generating PDFs as invoice attachments that are sent to the customer.
Accounts Payable: 1099 Automation
In this project, we used Interject to generate and review 1099 data from multiple sources, including Epicor and Concur. Working in the integrated spreadsheet means that data in the Epicor and Concur systems remain the authoritative sources as any changes are made system wide.
In the resulting spreadsheet solution, users were able to add data, such as date paid, to Concur invoices and make adjustments as needed. Adjustments included reviewing and updating vendors’ 1099 data and updating 1099 tags on posted transactions. The project also automated data export in the format needed for third-party 1099 printing software.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the projects we have been able to quickly implement to integrate and consolidate data and automate business processes. At Laminin Solutions, we have a passion to improve the use of information. Interject is a key tool in our arsenal to make connections between information, systems, customers, suppliers, and staff.
About Arnie Cilliers
Arnie Cilliers is the CEO and Solutions Director for Laminin Solutions, USA. For more than 30 years, he has worked to bring IT and accounting together to increase financial effectiveness using technology. Contact Arnie.
