Stork Delivery
Could the business run without its spreadsheet expert?
A process that depends on one person remembering every exception needs a practical handover before it needs a large transformation.
The problem: one person's spreadsheet knowledge keeps work moving
The person who understands the order workbook takes a week off. The team knows how to enter routine work, but a supplier changes a code and the export no longer behaves as expected.
The business does not have a spreadsheet problem alone. It has a knowledge concentration problem.
Start by making the process teachable. You may discover a small improvement is enough, or you may find a clear case for a more structured application.
A practical approach
Observe a complete cycle
Ask the experienced person to work through a normal case and an awkward one with a colleague. Record the decisions, not just the clicks.
Why is a value changed? How is a mismatch recognized? Which exception can wait, and which one needs a phone call? These are the rules a screen recording may not explain.
Use a safe copy or a suitable test environment if walking through the process could change live orders.
Identify the hidden dependencies
A workbook may rely on a local folder, an emailed attachment, a saved database connection, or a macro that only runs on one machine.
Write down those dependencies and who controls them. Check whether another authorized person can obtain the required access through an approved process.
Do not solve continuity by circulating shared passwords. The goal is repeatable access with accountability, not more copies of a credential.
Try the handover
Have the colleague perform the process from the instructions while the expert observes. Every question is useful evidence of a missing explanation.
Choose a realistic exception for the second attempt. If the instructions only work when everything arrives correctly, the team remains dependent on the original expert for the most valuable part of the job.
Give unresolved questions an owner rather than letting them become unwritten lore again.
Decide what deserves software
Automate stable, repetitive checks where they reduce mistakes or waiting. Keep human judgment visible when the rules are still being worked out.
If the process now needs concurrent editing, controlled approvals, or a reliable audit trail, a small application may be appropriate. Use the handover work to define what that application must preserve.
The immediate objective is that another qualified person can complete the work safely. A process that can survive an ordinary absence is a better starting point for custom software than one whose rules exist only in someone's memory.
The result: a process another qualified person can run
Give a colleague the documented procedure and approved access, then have them complete a normal case and a realistic exception in a safe environment. Record every point where the expert has to intervene. Close those gaps and repeat the difficult steps. The immediate deliverable is a working handover; use its remaining control and collaboration needs to judge whether an application is justified.