The Battle with the Legendary Excel File

Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
This column is written mainly based on my field experience.
After being on site for over 10 years, there are truly many things that happen. I’m writing about things I remember, as they come to mind.
Well, please read it casually, like “Oh, so that’s how other factories are.”

The Cry of the Excel Craftsman

“Hey! This sheet isn’t working!”
Haven’t you heard this scream somewhere in your company? The source of this voice is typically an employee wrestling with a “legendary Excel file” where multiple sheets are intertwined and macros and complex functions are spread like a spider’s web.
And I am one of the endangered species called “Excel craftsmen.”
Why did it come to this?
It’s simple. Everything started with the words, “We want to systematize it, but there’s no budget, so make it work with Excel somehow.” Initially, I thought, “This should be easy enough.” How naive I was…

The End of Craftsmanship

For many years, I’ve created numerous “Excel monsters” to improve efficiency in plant factory operations. What started as a simple harvesting schedule spreadsheet had somehow evolved into a beast named “Environment Control-Compatible Automatic Harvesting Prediction-Personnel Allocation-Cost Calculation Integrated File 2.0.”
I still can’t forget the look of terror that appeared in my colleague’s eyes when I explained, “This references more than 10 separate sheets, so don’t touch it.” From that day on, that file became legendary within the company as “the cursed Excel file that brings misfortune if touched.”
As a practical matter, such files can only be maintained by the person who created them. No, to be precise, they can only be maintained by “the person who created them within three months.” After that, even I, the creator, end up shouting, “Why did I write such code? Oh past self, why didn’t you leave comments!”

The Dream of Systematization

This is where the savior of “internal systematization” emerges.
“If we introduce a dedicated system, we can say goodbye to Excel hell!”
Everyone has this illusion at least once, right? Indeed, if there were proper specifications and a system designed by professionals, many problems would be solved. I myself dreamed of it so much. “A program that automatically predicts harvesting amounts, calculates optimal worker allocation, and even places orders…”
However, reality is not so sweet.

The Pitfalls of Systematization

Work at a plant factory involves dealing with living things. Unexpected situations are everyday occurrences.
For example, one day the site supervisor suddenly says, “From today, we’re increasing the number of cultivated items and adding work processes.” With Excel, you can respond on the spot by adding new columns. But with a dedicated system? “Submit a system modification request, get budget approval, wait for the developer’s schedule to open up…” By the time all that happens, the planned shipping date will have long passed.
Or similarly, when you want to “adjust the growth prediction algorithm because the LED light arrangement has changed.” With Excel, you can respond immediately with craftsmanship. With a system… just imagining it gives me a headache.
Once, I heard about another department successfully implementing systematization and felt envious. However, six months later, they were lamenting that “the system can’t keep up with changes in the field,” and eventually fell into the nightmare of double work, “Excel management alongside the system.”

The Illusion of the Perfect System

Ideally, it would be wonderful if we could create a perfect system in one go. However, this requires enormous time and budget. Moreover, plant factories have completely different equipment specifications from company to company. A success story from Company A cannot be directly applied to Company B.
The wish for “a universal plant factory system” is like asking for “clothes that fit perfectly on everyone once worn.” It’s lovely but lacks realism.
And the greatest irony is that Excel files created as “temporary bridges” during system development somehow get promoted to “indispensable core systems.” What was supposed to be a “temporary solution” is still going strong even after 5 years… I have a mountain of such files on my computer.

Hope for the Future

Nevertheless, automation technology is certainly advancing. With the development of sensor technology and AI, tasks that previously required human judgment are gradually being automated.
The future I dream of is a plant factory where human flexibility and system stability are brilliantly integrated. The day may come when the skills of Excel craftsmen and the wisdom of programmers combine to create a “smart system” that can also adapt to changes in the field.
Until that day comes, it seems I’ll continue my daily struggle with Excel. Hoping there are comrades among you…
…By the way, the other day, an Excel file I saved as “Final_Confirmed_AbsolutelyNoMoreChanges_ver5.3.xlsx” had transformed into “Final_Confirmed_AbsolutelyNoMoreChanges_ver5.3_Corrected_New.xlsx” by this morning. There is no end to the battle of the Excel craftsman.

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