Why Are People Still Using Spreadsheets?

Your boss presents you with a plethora of new data consisting of names, business titles, and addresses. Where’s the first place you chose to export your data? If you said Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets- you’re just like the 2 billion¹ other users utilizing these very tools. Let’s explore some of the good- and the not-so-good- reasons why people are gravitating towards these solutions.

Familiarity.

Excel has been used for over 35 years by organizations ranging from small teams to multibillion-dollar corporations alike for a variety of reasons, but it has not grown with the ever-changing world we now live in. Google Sheets has quickly incorporated itself into businesses with its look and feel resembling closely to Excel.

Availability.

The cost-effectiveness of Excel and the free access to Google Sheets allows even the smallest budgets to organize their data. And, with Google Sheet’s webpage-based interface, it deems itself accessible on any device; no matter where you are. That can also be deemed a problem when you’re an organization vying for privacy and confidentiality of the information.

Desirability.

Excel and Google Sheets alike give users the necessary tools needed to do data collection, list organization, and more. They are both used across all business functions and at companies from small to large.² If you look on any given job description, ranging from Admin to CEO, you’ll find the call for ‘efficiency in Excel’.

The Downsides to using Familiar Spreadsheets

Excel is now used in more ways than it was originally purposed. It’s familiar, available, and desirable; but it can be entirely restrictive. Although both Excel and Google Sheets contain similar designs that give users the ability to transition from one to another with relative ease, many users run into the problem of its complex commands.

Excel is typically used to organize data and perform financial analysis. When you step outside of those functions, you are left attempting to avoid organizing data that could be ruined by an accidental inputted equation or formula. Using either platform as a database requires you to constantly pull from various sources and make sure that your information is the most up-to-date.

A big concern that worries larger organizations is security. Execs worry about the information piled into spreadsheets being shared without proper security in place. Personal information regulations and guidelines, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), require the proper processing of individual information which isn’t necessarily covered within Excel.

Alternate Solution

Lineup takes all of your data on your volunteers, SMEs, or employees, and in just minutes, give you profiles instead of columns and rows. While spreadsheets are siloed and cumbersome, this platform provides data transparency and the ability to search and filter without needing complicated formulas like you do in Excel. The database is filterable, searchable, and actionable to give the customer the insights they need into their volunteer pool. Learn more: here.

Lineup | build teams, not spreadsheets
www.lineupteams.com

Sources:

(1)- https://www.axios.com/google-g-suite-total-users-9a6d3df6-c990-4866-9efc-ba6756ba3c4d.html
(2)- https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/excel/study/excel-definition-overview/