The short version
- 64% of workers say they struggle to find the time and energy to do their job, Microsoft found.
- 68% say they don't get enough uninterrupted focus time.
- Repetitive data work in those conditions is where errors breed.
Picture the person who updates your weekly report. They start it between a client call and a delivery. A phone rings at row 140. They come back, carry on, and the formula they copy is now one row off.
That's how most spreadsheet errors happen. Not through carelessness, but through interruption.
The focus deficit
Microsoft's Work Trend Index found "nearly 2 in 3 people (64%) say they struggle with having the time and energy to do their job". Sixty-eight per cent said they "don't have enough uninterrupted focus time".[1]
Repetitive data entry is precisely the work that suffers most in those conditions. It's dull, it's easy to lose your place, and mistakes look exactly like correct answers.
The cost of a single cell
The European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group's catalogue of errors runs to pages, from a $331,074 county calculation mistake to a fund that lost about $92 million over "an incorrect date".[2]
Machines for machine work
Australian businesses are starting to respond. The National AI Centre found "data entry and document processing (27%)" is one of the most common business uses of AI.[3]
The goal isn't fewer people. It's giving good people fewer chances to make an honest mistake, and more time for work that needs a human.
Sources
- Microsoft WorkLab: Work Trend Index, Will AI fix work? (9 May 2023)
- European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group: Horror stories
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: AI adoption in Australian businesses, 2025 Q1
Sources checked 7 November 2026. Product features and prices change often, so check the vendor's site before you buy.