Is it time to retire your Excel spreadsheets?
To be honest, it’s probably telling if you’re even asking, “Is it time to retire your Excel spreadsheets?” That question alone probably means you’ve outgrown them. But, if you need more explanation and reassurance that you can – and should – bin the green X forever, here are a few use cases where a database is better:
Running into errors
If you’re running macros or opening your sheet and you get an error (especially one around memory), then it’s probably time to switch to a database. Other errors that can be problematic are data entry ones that mean you end up with odd, unstructured records or incorrect entries in your pool that go overlooked. This happens because spreadsheets usually lack the necessary data validation to keep entries uniform. Databases are much better at being prescriptive in this way, ensuring your users’ input data is in the right format to keep everything running in tip-top shape.
Need to collaborate
If you need multiple people working with your data at one time, then a database is the best way to solve these sorts of business challenges. Sure, you can have multiple users on a sheet, but the changes aren’t tracked very well, and it’s easy for version control to go awry. When you use a database, every update is logged and you can restrict changes and access to customised user levels.
Disparate data sources
What if you have data coming from the front-line team, admin in head office and via social channels or your CRM? That’s a lot of data sources going into one sheet, and it’s bound to cause issues. It’s time to retire your Excel spreadsheets if you want to connect multiple data sources from across your IT landscape. Proper databases will have full API integrations which quickly link all your data sources in and pull them into a standardised view.
Worried about security
What if you need to share this data with external sources? A simple sheet password isn’t going to cut it. (Let’s ignore the fact that many companies don’t even bother taking that security step.) Moving to a database where you can set access levels, remove permissions and watch for threats makes sense in this case as well.
Business is growing
Or what if you’re just getting bigger? That’s probably one of the main reasons that companies move from Excel spreadsheets. They just can’t handle the volumes. Databases like the ones we make on Laravel grow and scale with you, so you’ve always got the right tool for the job.
Want real-time processing
Last, but definitely not least, if you want to start working with data in real-time, you need a database. Feeds into Excel spreadsheets are usually on a 24-hour delay (at the very least), so you’re never making decisions with the most up-to-date information. If that matters to you, it’s time to retire your Excel spreadsheets.
Ready to take that first step toward a better data landscape? Talk to us today about your needs and we’ll help you bin the sheets for good.
