The system went live in March. The spreadsheet is still the source of truth.

When a new system installs cleanly but never displaces the workaround it was bought to replace, the reason is rarely training, and rarely the software.

By Steve 5 min read
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A finance system, a CRM or a job-management platform goes live. Data is migrated, training runs, the project is signed off. Six months later the weekly numbers are still assembled in a spreadsheet that one person maintains, and when the spreadsheet and the system disagree, the spreadsheet wins. Nobody is defying anything. The system is used: logins are healthy, records are created. It simply is not the place where the business decides what is true. This is the most common way systems investment fails, and it is almost never diagnosed…

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Important: General information only. Rialto Bridge articles describe patterns and considerations that may apply to a business; they are not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice, and they take no account of your particular circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a qualified professional before acting.

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