Not sure what 'journals' is supposed to mean here but “consolidation, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” does not mean operations day to day use, it means high level management reporting
My position is that the article (or the consultants who are trying to sell the ERP) are exaggerating the role of the spreadsheet.
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/HNZ-Financial-...
The phrase “consolidation, journals, business-critical reporting, and analysis.” is in the actual report referring to multiple spreadsheets (p60). But the Register has reported that as referring to the main spreadsheet. There's no way a top-level consolidated spreadsheet would also be journal entries for low level accounting.
And I note the report is by Deloitte who I trust about as far as I can throw them, although the organisation in question undoubtedly messed up here, Deloitte are angling for a nice juicy government ERP implenmentation lasting years and costing tens of millions