Almost every business starts on spreadsheets, and that’s fine. But there comes a point where the spreadsheet starts costing more time than it saves.
1. Several people edit the same file
When three people work in one file, someone eventually overwrites someone else’s work.
2. There are five versions and none agree
“Final”, “final v2” and “final USE THIS ONE” are a sign the business has outgrown the file.
3. Reports take hours
If pulling together a monthly report takes half a day, a database with live dashboards will pay for itself quickly.
4. Only one person understands it
If the spreadsheet is a risk every time that person goes on holiday, it’s time to move.
5. A mistake could cost real money
Spreadsheets have no permissions, audit trail or validation by default. A database does.
What moving involves
We clean and move your data, build the screens your team needs, check the numbers with you, and keep Excel exports so people can still work the way they like.
If you’re weighing up options, read custom software vs off-the-shelf: how to decide. Field teams still on paper may also need a mobile app.
Not sure if you’re there yet? Talk to us about custom database development.
