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TECHNOLOGY


What we can learn from the Excel blunder that missed 16,000 Covid cases


Darren Turner (pictured), head of business intelligence at Air IT, explains the IT issues that caused almost 16,000 Covid-19 cases to be missed and how it could have been avoided with the right technology.


HOW THE RESULTS WENT MISSING There was much publicity last month surrounding the IT blunder that caused 15,841 coronavirus cases to be left out of the daily UK figures between 25 September and 2 October. As it turned out, rather than


using a bespoke data reporting system, Public Health England had been using a legacy system in which lab test results were being transferred to Microsoft Excel templates. It was using an old file format


(XLS), which was limited to a certain number of cases and, when any further cases were added, it simply failed to update.


THE CONSEQUENCES Those with positive tests results were notified, but the test and trace team was not – so thousands of people were oblivious to the fact they had potentially been exposed to Covid-19 and in fact should have been isolating.


Though the issue has since been


fixed, it leaves critics of the test and trace system in even more doubt, and begs the question: why was Excel thought to be fit for purpose in the first place?


THE PROBLEM WITH EXCEL Excel is favoured by many companies due to its versatility and ease of use, but it presents limitations when it comes to larger datasets and important reports. It’s commonly used for analysis,


but it is not a database and shouldn’t have been the solution for data collection on such a large scale. Even if Excel was the only


available tool, PHE should have opted for the latest file format, XLSX, which could have handled much more data. Or, at the very least, sufficient


monitoring processes should have been implemented to ensure action was taken once the XLS file was approaching its maximum data limit.


AN AVOIDABLE MISTAKE In an age where big data and artificial intelligence are part of our everyday lives, it’s astonishing that Excel is being used to manage such a huge and important dataset. Of course, a national testing and


tracing effort on this scale was never going to be simple, but this glitch was completely avoidable, and it boils down to outdated technology. There are a whole host of robust methods engineered by data


The error could have been avoiding by using up-to-date technology


experts to help manage and transform data, with appropriate security measures. Using applications such as


Microsoft Forms or PowerApps – and avoiding Excel – would have enabled data to be fed directly from the source into a central database. Ultimately, had the data been


handled with as much care as the tests themselves, the outcome could have been very different.


AI project to create ‘data powerhouse’


Artificial intelligence will be used in an innovative new project to build the clearest and most comprehensive picture yet of business in the East Midlands. East Midlands Chamber and De


Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have been awarded £121,000 Government funding to create a new Regional Business Intelligence Unit, which aims to improve competitiveness and productivity across the region, highlight business strengths and ultimately, win more investment. They are partners in a new


Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a type of project in which academics and researchers work alongside businesses. It is funded by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which supports UK research and innovation programmes. DMU is home to experts in enterprise, economics,


66 business network November 2020


business intelligence and AI, and will combine those strengths to identify new opportunities in the digital economy and help the Chamber create a data powerhouse that will raise the profile of the region as a great place to do business.


‘This will give us better data, better intelligence and lead to better decision- making for the region as a whole’


By developing and enhancing


economic and business intelligence for enterprise, the East Midlands will be able to inform policymakers such as Government agencies, local enterprise partnerships, All-Party Parliamentary Group of East Midlands MPs, local authorities and


the East Midlands Development Corporation, as well as individual businesses and communities. Professor David Rae, director of


DMU’s Centre for Enterprise and Innovation, said: “This will give us better data, better intelligence and lead to better decision-making for the region as a whole. “We know the East Midlands


voice is less strong than other regions. Having the Chamber as the business partner in this, with its networks across the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, will ensure we can work together at a regional level and create a comprehensive business intelligence unit.” The DMU team is made up of


Prof Rae and Professor Ed Cartwright, of Leicester Castle Business School, and artificial intelligence expert Dr Mario Gongora, of the Institute of Intelligence.


The Chamber, which is also


providing £60,000, will appoint a postgraduate research associate to work solely on the project. AI and machine learning will be


crucial to the project, analysing a wealth of data to spot patterns, look for opportunities and suggest improvements – whether it is making supply chains more effective, boosting environmental performance or optimising business competitiveness. Actionable insights will be pulled


out and delivered as recommendations to businesses. A business support programme


will also be developed during the KTP. Scott Knowles, chief executive of


the Chamber, added: “This is a very exciting project to be involved with and we believe the insights it will produce could be extremely useful for informing those making decisions at the highest levels.”


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