Billion Dollar Bugs: When and How to Test a Spreadsheet NEW

The world has become increasingly dependent on computer-based models to make informed decisions. These models may be financial or engineering based and often are built with spreadsheets. We may not think of spreadsheets as software and therefore tend to overlook applying robust testing techniques to them. However, spreadsheet error rates are often ten times those found in rigorously tested commercial software. The consequences of spreadsheet failure can range from overspending the family budget, to designing a physical structure improperly, to accounting errors of all types, some costing billions of dollars. Spreadsheets have become so complex that spotting errors is no longer an easy or intuitive task. Spreadsheet users, who may not be domain or testing experts, may not be able to tell the difference between a reasonable answer and a bogus one. To improve the quality of your organization’s spreadsheets and the decisions based on them, Greg Pope shares spreadsheet defect prevention methods, some built-in auditing tricks, and manual and automated testing techniques.