The Cobbler’s Children – Why are Million dollar IT Projects Run Through Excel & Word?

While sales managers, HR managers, and marketing managers work in modern and automated systems such as CRM and HR systems, many larger IT projects are still managed using Excel, Word, and email. We ask – why are million dollar IT projects run using tools that have hardly developed since the 80s? Is it because they are good enough, or because we have a hard time embracing new solutions?

When Excel and Word were introduced in the mid-80s, they created fantastic new possibilities for working with information. Since then, the number of systems we use has dramatically increased. ERP, CRM, HCM, and CMS systems are examples of systems that most large companies use today, replacing Word, Excel, and even Sharepoint.

Today, it would be unthinkable for a sales manager to keep their customer list in Excel. Instead, the CRM system has become key for efficiently managing customers and the sales process. Similarly, an HR manager wouldn’t accept job applications via email. Modern organizations now use an HCM system.

Common to all modern systems is their aim to facilitate collaboration, manage and streamline specific workflows and processes. Additionally, these systems help ensure the security of the information handled, such as access control and backup.

Enterprise Systems – An Industry Lagging Behind
In the enterprise systems industry, we haven’t reached this point yet. As a SaaS company, we often encounter large corporations that run IT projects worth tens, sometimes hundreds of millions, using Word, Excel, and email. Many times, they are even eagerly encouraged by their consultants.

The result, unfortunately, is that many projects get delayed, budgets fail, and the purpose of the project is lost along the way. Because “I think it was in an email or a spreadsheet on the project manager’s local computer,” and “who really has the latest version?” The more complex the project, the greater the risks and more money can be lost.

Is this a case of the cobbler’s children?

The reasons IT project managers take a long time to adopt new technology can vary:

• The available tools for IT projects aren’t good enough.
• Methods and processes don’t match the functionality in the tools.
• There’s a lack of clear ownership for this type of system.
• There’s an absence of both methodology, strategy, and competence on how IT projects and management should function.

Reqtest solves some of these challenges, but there always needs to be a push from within the organization, and sometimes support from outside, to move away from old habits and start managing IT projects professionally.

If you’re interested in how your organization could use Reqtest to succeed better with your IT projects, contact us, and we’ll show you how it works. Need expert skills? We have a network of reputable consultants who all have Reqtest’s seal of approval.

And if you have a boss who doesn’t understand why you need a tool for IT projects, we’ve compiled this list to give you concrete reasons why excel, word, and email are things of the past when managing larger IT projects.

1. Centralized Storage for Easy Collaboration: Reqtest offers a central place for all requirements, tests, and bugs, facilitating collaboration and accessibility for all team members.
2. Customized Workflows for IT Projects and operations: Unlike Excel, which is a generic tool, Reqtest can be customized to match your team’s specific workflow in your IT project and operationms.
3. Increased Security: Reqtest offers advanced security measures to protect your data, including regular backups and encryption.
4. Built-in Traceability: With Reqtest, you can easily link requirements to test cases and bugs, providing a clear overview of the project as a whole, ensuring nothing gets overlooked.
5. Version Control: Reqtest provides version control, allowing you to track changes over time and restore previous versions if needed.
6. Integration Possibilities: Reqtest can integrate with other tools like JIRA/Azure DevOps, enabling a more seamless workflow.
7. Access Control: Reqtest offers detailed user rights control, so you can limit access and editing rights more intricately than Excel.
8. Real-time Collaboration: In Reqtest, all team members can work simultaneously on their tasks. They plan, execute, document, and communicate all in one place.
9. Built-in Reporting Tools: With Reqtest, you get access to built-in reporting tools, offering insights into project status and progress without the need for complicated Excel charts.
10. Scalability: With Reqtest, you can create templates and reuse everything you create, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in future projects.

Still not convinced? Consider how successful your organization’s digital transformation will be in 10 years if you continue to work as you do today using Excel, Word, and email.

Learn more about quality assurance for IT projects