Spreadsheet packages store, visualise and manipulate data, typically in the form of numbers.  In my role as a “Data Cruncher” I spend a lot of time delicately pushing, pulling, twisting and squeezing numbers, and a lot of my work is done right there in those spreadsheet packages.

Once I know what information I need to extract from the data, I set about doing what I do best…turning data into information.  After putting it through a series of checks to ensure that the data actually contains the information I’m after, I get to have what I call fun. 

There is an almost limitless number of ways that data can be “crunched”, this also means that there’s no typical way to deal with the data, every job is unique.  For me this has the added bonus that for many jobs I require customised tools to handle the data.  The bonus comes from creating these customised tools, I get to develop tools and methods which ensure the data is handled and analysed correctly and efficiently. 

Custom built tools allow for a complete understanding of exactly where every piece of data starts off, where it goes and what happens to it along the way to turning it into information.  The greatest disadvantage that a data cruncher, like myself, can have is to work with a “black box” tool, one in which you have no way of knowing what happens between one end of the system and the other. 

If you treat the numbers poorly the information can come out the other end bruised and battered, sometimes without any obvious signs of abuse.  The tools I build to handle your numbers have nice, clear perspex cases on them…meaning I can see what’s happening to your data, and stop it getting bruised. 

Spreadsheets are a good platform for data crunching, however with an expert user driving them coupled to completely customised software they become transparent, efficient data crunching powerhouses.