{"id":19292,"date":"2025-07-23T07:44:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T05:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/news-events\/vom-excel-chaos-zur-digitalen-transparenz-warum-der-neue-werksleiter-bei-cosmino-anruft\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T10:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T09:27:46","slug":"from-excel-chaos-to-digital-transparency","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/news-events\/from-excel-chaos-to-digital-transparency\/","title":{"rendered":"From Excel chaos to digital transparency \u2013 when homemade solutions reach their limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\">[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_js]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[\/vc_raw_js][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]At COSMINO, we\u00b4ve been saying for years: <strong>\u201eExcel is the most widely used MES in manufacturing.\u201c<\/strong><br \/>\nBecause we repeatedly encounter self-build PDA-solutions with Excel, Access, and macros when speaking with prospective customers.<\/p>\n<p>At first, this often seems effective: quick to set up, flexible, and low-cost. But in day-to-day practice, we regularly see how it becomes a risk:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>High manual effort <\/strong>for data entry, correction, and maintenance<\/li>\n<li><strong>No real-time information<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Missing authorization and change management<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Uncertainty during audits and for IT<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dependence on individual people<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Incorrect or incomplete data<\/strong> \u2013 leading to <strong>poor foundations for decision-making<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\n<h3><strong>Risk 1: Dependence on individuals<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Often, there is exactly one person responsible for managing macros, formulas, and analyses. As soon as this person is unavailable\u2014due to vacation, illness, or retirement\u2014a real problem arises..<\/p>\n<p>In the case of one client, this employee was already retired but still employed for a few hours a month to maintain the system.<\/p>\n<p>This is exactly the point at which we are often called in: when it becomes clear that sustainable transparency cannot be achieved without a professional solution\u2014and companies risk falling behind in the competition as a result.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;19495&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;19499&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;3\/4&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\n<h3><strong>Risk 2: Incorrect analyses and poor decision-making<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Equally critical is the quality of the data. Homemade solutions often provide incomplete or simply incorrect information\u2014and analyses based on this inevitably lead to wrong decisions.<\/p>\n<p>In all projects where we replaced a homemade solution, it became clear afterwards that the cycle times of many products deviated by up to 30% from reality. This alone leads to significant inaccuracies in the analyses.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, without machine integration, plausibility checks, or support functions, operators often only enter the times that justify a shift\u2019s production target. How reliable the documented downtime and its causes are then depends heavily on the individual employee.<\/p>\n<p>This results in analyses that may seem plausible at first glance but are actually far off\u2014creating a fatal basis for investment or process decisions..[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]\n<h3><strong>The move to a Professional Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Our answer is a MES or PDA solution from COSMINO. This replaces isolated solutions with a robust and future-proof platform\u2014transparent, auditable, and with clear authorization concepts.<\/p>\n<p>The benefits our customers gain are clear:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reliable transparency<\/strong>: Decisions are based on facts, not gut feeling<\/li>\n<li><strong>Up to 75% less effort <\/strong>for manual data entry and corrections<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on improvements: <\/strong>Valid data shows where continuous improvement is worthwhile<\/li>\n<li><strong>10\u201320% efficiency gains <\/strong>are realistic\u2014this is consistently observed in our projects<\/li>\n<li><strong>Future-proof: <\/strong>Our solutions are continuously developed and improved<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;19421&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]The experience gained from homemade solutions provides a valuable foundation\u2014data acquisition guidelines, master data, and reporting requirements can be carried over. Teams will also perceive the new solution as a noticeable relief and experience its benefits quickly.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]<div class='wpb_row '><div class=\"related_module\"><div class=\"bordered_div alltext_height custom_space wpb_column column_container vc_span3 \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper module_box\" ><div class=\"title_wrapper\" ><span class=\"module_icon\"><img src=https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/quality-2.png class=\"module_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"module_title icon_title\">When capacity is lacking \u2013 why crises are the right time for digitalization<\/span><\/div><div class=\"vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_el_width_100\"><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><br><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper dynamic_height\"><p>Crises often put investments on hold \u2013 including digitalization. Yet especially when capacity is tight, looking ahead pays off. Using a real-world example, the article shows why waiting can be costly and why challenging times may be the better moment to start a structured digital journey.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid home_btn_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_span12 wpb_column column_container\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><a class=\"wpb_button_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/news-events\/when-capacity-is-lacking-why-crises-are-the-right-time-for-digitalization\/\" title=\"Read More\"><span class=\"wpb_button wpb_wpb_button wpb_regularsize custom_btn\">Read More<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"related_module\"><div class=\"bordered_div alltext_height custom_space wpb_column column_container vc_span3 \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper module_box\" ><div class=\"title_wrapper\" ><span class=\"module_icon\"><img src=https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/quality-2.png class=\"module_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"module_title icon_title\">Increase efficiency 10\u201320% using OEE software \u2013 even when production seems to run well<\/span><\/div><div class=\"vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_el_width_100\"><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><br><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper dynamic_height\"><p>Production may appear to be running smoothly, yet many losses are neither measured nor analyzed. This creates a blind spot that in some cases accounts for up to 50% of total downtime. Choosing greater transparency can therefore lead to significant efficiency gains, even in well-running production environments.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid home_btn_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_span12 wpb_column column_container\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><a class=\"wpb_button_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/news-events\/invest-as-usual-or-finaly-invest-in-sustainable-benefits\/\" title=\"Read More\"><span class=\"wpb_button wpb_wpb_button wpb_regularsize custom_btn\">Read More<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"related_module\"><div class=\"bordered_div alltext_height custom_space wpb_column column_container vc_span3 \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper module_box\" ><div class=\"title_wrapper\" ><span class=\"module_icon\"><img src=https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/quality-2.png class=\"module_icon\"><\/span><span class=\"module_title icon_title\">Cosmino Panteo Functional Overview for PDA, MDA, and MES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_el_width_100\"><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><br><span class=\"vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r\"><span class=\"vc_sep_line\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper dynamic_height\"><p>Cosmino Panteo is both a software and a toolbox that we use to optimally implement your project requirements. Below you will find a list of core functions that are frequently used in projects.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid home_btn_wrapper\"><div class=\"vc_span12 wpb_column column_container\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><a class=\"wpb_button_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/projects-and-experience\/\" title=\"Read More\"><span class=\"wpb_button wpb_wpb_button wpb_regularsize custom_btn\">Read More<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_js]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[\/vc_raw_js][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]At COSMINO, we\u00b4ve been saying for years: \u201eExcel is the most widely used MES in manufacturing.\u201c<br \/>\nBecause we repeatedly encounter self-build PDA-solutions with Excel, Access, and macros when speaking with prospective customers.<\/p>\n<p>At first, this often seems effective: quick to set up, flexible, and low-cost. But in day-to-day practice, we regularly see how it becomes a risk:<\/p>\n<p>High manual effort for data entry, correction, and maintenance<br \/>\nNo real-time information<br \/>\nMissing authorization and change management<br \/>\nUncertainty during audits and for IT<br \/>\nDependence on individual people<br \/>\nIncorrect or incomplete [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":8032,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19292","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","groups-gruende-und-nutzen-cosmino-en","groups-reasons-and-benefits"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19292"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19292"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19507,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19292\/revisions\/19507"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cosmino.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}