Comparisons
Spreadsheet or business tool
A spreadsheet is excellent for exploring. It becomes dangerous when it runs the company, because nobody knows which version is authoritative.
The switch comes with three signs: several people edit the same file, a formula error has already cost money, and consolidation takes more than an hour a week.
| Criterion | Spreadsheet | Business tool |
|---|---|---|
| Working together | Competing versions. | One source, role-based rights. |
| Reliability | A broken formula goes unnoticed. | Rules checked, history kept. |
| Consolidation time | Manual, every week. | Automatic, at the chosen time. |
| Cost | Free on the surface, paid in hours. | An investment priced up front. |
Our reading
Keep the spreadsheet for one-off analysis. Leave it as soon as a file becomes the company's official memory.
Frequent questions
Yes. History is imported and checked at start-up, and the files stay readable after the switch.