We focus a great deal of energy on governing our data and BI Tools but usually completely ignore the elephant in the room, Excel. In most organizations, users continue to rely heavily on Excel reporting for analytics and yet this user-generated content is left completely ungoverned. Excel reports are typically emailed between users without versioning or enforcement of data quality and without controls around the sharing of sensitive data. In terms of governance, this is a recipe for disaster.
This presentation will explore the reasons why Excel is appealing to users as a reporting tool and will provide a roadmap for including user-generated reporting into your BI Governance solution.
We will discuss:
- Why the problem is not going away: The drivers that make Excel appealing as a reporting tool
- The consequences of leaving Excel Reporting out of a governance strategy
- How to make governance of Excel appealing to your business users
- Key aspects of a governance solution for Excel