Document cover
White Paper: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Ditch Those Spreadsheets: Here's 4 Ways You Can Create Better Design Worksheets

SPONSORED BY:

Most engineers begin their careers using Excel to perform quick calculations and document their design thinking. But as projects grow in complexity, Excel's limitations become clear—advanced math is hard to express, errors are tricky to catch, and team collaboration becomes inconvenient.

Engineers are turning to modern calculation software to realign processes into the way engineers think, and finding improvements in productivity, and even data reliability!

This paper highlights four areas where Maple Flow outperforms Excel as a calculation tool, purpose-built for engineering workflows. With Maple Flow, engineers can gather their supporting design data in one place, show their workings, and use built-in commands to streamline calculation steps. Whether you're optimizing a design or sharing calculations for review, Maple Flow offers a smarter, faster, and more intuitive way to work.

Download this E-book to find out more.

Topics:
Machinery Manufacturing & Prototyping Mechanical Components

Don't have an account?

Overview

The white paper discusses the limitations of using Excel for advanced engineering calculations and advocates for the adoption of specialized software like Maple Flow. It highlights the inherent risks associated with spreadsheet errors, particularly in complex documents where the likelihood of mistakes can be as high as 94%. The paper cites research indicating that a significant portion of errors in spreadsheets stems from mathematical inaccuracies and incorrect cell references, exacerbated by Excel's design, which often hides formulas and calculations.

The document outlines four key areas where Maple Flow outperforms Excel in supporting engineering tasks:

  1. Transparency and Traceability: Maple Flow allows users to see the origins of inputs, assumptions made, and the rationale behind decisions. This transparency is crucial for maintaining an accurate audit trail, reducing the risk of errors, and facilitating a robust internal review process.

  2. Natural Math Notation: Engineers prefer to work with equations that utilize variables, constants, and operands in a logical manner. Maple Flow supports this by enabling users to express problems in standard mathematical notation, making it easier to work through complex calculations.

  3. Documentation and Knowledge Retention: The platform serves as a living document that captures the entire workflow of a project, preserving organizational knowledge. This is particularly valuable when employees leave or when questions arise about project decisions, ensuring that critical information is not lost.

  4. Enhanced Review Process: Maple Flow provides a structured environment for verifying assumptions and reproducing calculations, which is essential for compliance with international engineering standards. Unlike Excel, which can obscure the underlying calculations, Maple Flow promotes clarity and accuracy, allowing for a more thorough review process.

In conclusion, the paper argues that while Excel is a useful tool for basic data handling, it is inadequate for the complexities of engineering calculations. Engineers need a dedicated, interactive mathematical system like Maple Flow to minimize errors, streamline workflows, and enhance productivity. By adopting such tools, engineering teams can ensure that they deliver better products in less time and at lower costs, ultimately supporting innovation in their projects.