Spreadsheets aren't the problem
Almost every business starts on spreadsheets, and that's sensible: they're flexible, cheap and everyone knows them. The trouble starts when several people depend on the same numbers.
Five warning signs
- Files called “final”, “final v2” and “final REAL”.
- One person is the only one who understands the formulas.
- The same data is typed into two or three different sheets.
- Mistakes are found weeks later, after decisions were made.
- You can't tell who changed a number, or when.
“If a number matters, it should live in one place and have a history.”
What to do next
You don't have to replace everything at once. Start with the process that hurts most, often stock, invoicing or payroll, and move it into a proper system with one shared record and an audit trail. Keep the spreadsheets for analysis, where they shine.