Excel is not the problem. The process is.
When someone in a company says “Excel is killing us”, they are rarely talking about Excel. They mean that nobody knows which file is the latest, that data is copied in from messages and that only one person understands how it all fits together. The spreadsheet is simply where these problems become visible.
The short answer
A spreadsheet is an excellent tool for one user, well-structured data and analysis. Problems start when several people enter data at once, from several locations, without clear rules. Before you replace Excel, fix the process: one source of data, clear roles and data entered where it originates. Only then decide whether you need a different tool.
Signs the problem is not the spreadsheet
- There are several versions of the same file, such as “orders_FINAL_new2.xlsx”.
- Only one person fully understands the file. When they are on holiday, work stops.
- Data is retyped by hand from emails, text messages or paper.
- In meetings, everyone brings a different number for the same thing.
- Formulas break because someone added a row in the wrong place.
These are all signs of an unclear process. An expensive tool will not remove them on its own.
What happens if you only change the tool
The company buys a new application and moves the same confusion into it. People still do not know who may change what, so they keep the old spreadsheets “just in case”. A few months later the company has two places with different data and a monthly bill for a tool nobody uses fully.
When a spreadsheet is perfectly fine
Excel or Google Sheets is a good choice when:
- one person or a small team in one place works with the file,
- there is little data and it is clearly structured,
- the work is mainly calculations, analysis or one-off reviews,
- changes do not need anyone else’s approval.
For this kind of work a new application often just means more clicks.
When it is time for a dedicated tool
A different tool makes sense when:
- several people enter data at the same time, from different locations,
- changes need someone else’s approval (for example a manager approving an order),
- you need a history of who changed what and when,
- data is entered in the field, on a phone or tablet,
- data has to flow on automatically, for example to a supplier or to accounting.
An example from hospitality
A typical case: a business runs three venues. Each venue messages the manager with its order, the manager copies everything into Excel and then phones the suppliers. That takes several hours a week, and mistakes only show up at delivery.
When we talked to venue owners and managers about this, the same three questions came up every time: who may place an order, who approves it, and how orders are combined by supplier. Only once those answers are clear does it make sense to move ordering into a dedicated application. Those conversations are where our Refilo came from.
Three steps before you replace Excel
- One source of truth. Decide on one place that holds the valid data. Everything else is a copy or a report.
- Clear roles. Write down who enters data, who approves it and who only reads it.
- Entry at the source. Data should be entered by the person where it originates, and only once. Every retyping is a chance for a mistake.
Once these three steps are in place, you often find Excel works better than before. If not, you know exactly what the new tool has to do.