Reducing the Risk of Spreadsheet Usage - a Case Study

The frequency with which spreadsheets are used and the associated risk is well known. Many tools and techniques have been developed which help reduce risks associate with creating and maintaining spreadsheet. However, little consideration has been given to reducing the risks of routine usage by the "consumers" - for example when entering and editing data. EASA's solution, available commercially, ensures that any routine process involving spreadsheets can be executed rapidly and without errors by the end-users, often with a significant reduction in manual effort. Specifically, the technology enables the rapid creation and deployment of web-based applications, connected to one or more centralized spreadsheets; this ensures version control, easy and error free usage, and security of intellectual property contained in spreadsheets.Comment: 10 Pages, 7 Figure

The Future of Spreadsheets in the Big Data Era

The humble spreadsheet is the most widely used data storage, manipulation and modelling tool. Its ubiquity over the past 30 years has seen its successful application in every area of life. Surprisingly the spreadsheet has remained fundamentally unchanged over the past three decades. As spreadsheet technology enters its 4th decade a number of drivers of change are beginning to impact upon the spreadsheet. The rise of Big Data, increased end-user computing and mobile computing will undoubtedly increasingly shape the evolution and use of spreadsheet technology. To explore the future of spreadsheet technology a workshop was convened with the aim of "bringing together academia and industry to examine the future direction of spreadsheet technology and the consequences for users". This paper records the views of the participants on the reasons for the success of the spreadsheet, the trends driving change and the likely directions of change for the spreadsheet. We then set out key directions for further research in the evolution and use of spreadsheets. Finally we look at the implications of these trends for the end users who after all are the reason for the remarkable success of the spreadsheet.Comment: 13 Pages, 1 Tabl