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Anyway, I'm sure there are better tools to aggregate a small number of relatively small spreadsheets but isnt the issue here more about process and quality control rather than the tool in use?
Seeing as you moved the chat over here, I'll reply here.
Part of the points that I made on the other thread were that using Excel as your tool for this job makes the process and quality control harder if not impossible.
Lack of granular change control tools.
Lack of good software engineering and automated testing tools.
Lack of data type and structure checking.
Etc.I think that most, if not all of the implications that I listed still hold up to scrutiny.
mashton
@Stonehedge
Have any of you guys actually looked into what they are using Excel for?
Had a chat with somebody who does Covid data for the Cabinet Office earlier
The testing labs have relatively disparate systems but they all have the option to provide extracts in csv or XLS or XLSX.
Those are submitted and Excel is used to aggregate the data from the (ten or so I think) spreadsheets into a single spreadsheet. From there, the process changes depending on who is using it. The CO use R to transform the data from that point. No idea what PHE do although it sounds like Access is involved which really is stupid.
Anyway, I'm sure there are better tools to aggregate a small number of relatively small spreadsheets but isnt the issue here more about process and quality control rather than the tool in use?
Note I'm not even trying to defend the possibility that Access is involved. That really is inexcusable.