Replacing spreadsheets with business software: where to start?
Shared spreadsheets are useful… until the day they start holding the organisation back. Here is a four-step approach to moving to real business software.
Published on 1 min read Administrateur
The spreadsheet is often a team’s first management tool: it is flexible, familiar to everyone and immediately available. But as activity grows, versions multiply, formulas become fragile and nobody knows which data is the reference any more.
1. Identify the most costly process
Rather than trying to replace everything, start with the most painful process: the one that requires the most re-entry, generates the most errors or most often blocks a decision.
2. Describe the real work, not the theoretical work
Observe how teams actually use the file: repurposed columns, hidden tabs, colour codes that carry meaning. These workarounds reveal the real needs.
3. Deliver a focused first version
A first version limited to the essentials, delivered within a few weeks, is better than an exhaustive specification. It lets you validate choices with users and correct course quickly.
4. Migrate the data and support users
Migrating historical data and training users determine adoption. Plan for them from the outset, just like development.