While the terms are often used interchangeably, the distinction lies in the focus of the engagement. An Excel Contractor is primarily execution-focused, brought in to build, fix or optimise specific assets (like a financial model) based on a defined scope. A consultant often operates at a strategic level, diagnosing workflow issues before prescribing a solution.

At Report Simple, our contractors bridge this gap. They are hands-on builders who also possess the strategic acumen to flag risks, ensuring you get technical execution with commercial awareness. You can read more about our approach on our about us page.

This depends entirely on the volatility of your backlog. If you have a single, high-priority deliverable (such as an annual budget model), a project-based engagement is most cost-effective. However, for IT Managers facing a constant stream of ad-hoc reporting requests from the business, a retained contractor offers better stability.

• Project-Based: Best for defined scopes with clear start and end dates.

• Retained Resource: ideal for ongoing maintenance and "business as usual" support.

• Scalability: We allow you to flex resources up or down, which is useful during peak periods like end-of-financial-year.

Absolutely. Our contractors are accustomed to working within established DevOps environments and adhering to strict version control protocols. We view ourselves as an extension of your internal capability rather than an external silo, meaning we adopt your coding standards, participate in stand-ups and document everything within your existing knowledge base (such as Confluence or SharePoint) to ensure a seamless handover.

Shadow IT is a nightmare for IT Managers. Our Excel contractors operate strictly within your governed environment, using approved remote access tools and adhering to your data loss prevention (DLP) policies. We never extract sensitive datasets to personal devices or unsecured cloud storage.

We also proactively secure the workbooks we build, implementing VBA lock-down procedures and user-level permissions to prevent unauthorised access. This focus on security is a core pillar of our broader data analytics consulting framework.

We offer flexible engagement models designed to fit OpEx budgets. Unlike recruitment agencies that add significant markup or placement fees, we provide transparent pricing based on the technical seniority required for your specific task.

• Day Rate: For staff augmentation where you direct the contractor's daily priorities.

• Fixed Price: For clear deliverables where we take on the delivery risk.

• Hybrid: A mix of both, which you can discuss with us by visiting our contact our team page.