Professional Support

Spreadsheet modelling started as a do-it-yourself activity. It was not, and is still often not, considered to be ‘real’ programming by IT departments who expect users to navigate ubiquitous software packages such as Excel for themselves. As spreadsheet modelling is rarely part of an administrative assistant's skill set, executives frequently construct their own models, despite this being an inefficient use of their time and expertise. 

Furthermore, as a relatively new discipline, spreadsheet engineering has only recently benefited from having a standards organisation. In the past, senior management had little guidance when looking for help, and high-quality professional support was not readily available at affordable rates. This situation was exacerbated by legitimate concerns of losing control of the model when enlisting outside assistance.

For reasons that include quality standards, risk management and efficiency, the process of spreadsheet engineering is now receiving the recognition and technical support it deserves. Well-developed professional recommendations and standards are now available, while specialist firms such as our own are dedicated to the provision of affordable professional support and training in spreadsheet engineering. 

By developing techniques of model construction, such as the split role approach, senior management can retain complete control of financial modelling without having to dedicate time to laborious tasks beyond their immediate area of expertise.