3 - SCOPE reduces Risk of using corrupted data

Background

Wherever possible FP Analysts usually try and reuse previous counts stored in previous spreadsheets as a template to save time in recording the count ‘documentation’ quoinformation and count

Microsoft Excel Counting

If the Analyst is able to find a spreadsheet to ‘reuse’ the fields entered by a previous count, this usually requires manipulation of the spreadsheet deleting and inserting rows to only include the processes and data impacted by the current project or deleting all previously used inform ation. Typically the formulas have been set to derive totals from a pre-defined range of cells, these formulas are often corrupted when the analyst inserts new rows outside this range or deletes rows or columns or clears fields used for validation or providing static v alues. In a recent audit of Excel counts from a Global Outsourcing Organisation it was found that in every count the total FPs calculated by Excel were different than the actual manually counted project size (in once case 300% l ower). In this case, the formula for summing the totals was only totalling 30% of the rows in the count. In another count rows had been ‘hidden’ unknown to the FP Analyst these ‘hidden’ rrows were being incorrectly included in the project size. When the project is large, or the count is completed quickly, the errors in calculations are frequently overlooked by the analyst who relies on Excel to calcu late correctly. Other issues occur when an Analyst accidently reuses a count that was later corrected and therefore incorporating the previous counting errors into the latest count.

SCOPE Counting

SCOPEwas specially built to optimise count reuse but at the same time all its formulas are protected and it has inbuilt expertise to ‘check’ counts. e.g. SCOPE will automatically derive complexity of functions based on the number of FTRs and Dets linked and automatically derive whether a file is Internal or External based on how the processes acces s it. The only errors that can be inadvertently introduced into SCOPE counts are human errors introduced by the FP Analyst failing to correctly record if a Process or Data Group was impacted by the requirements of a project.