Microsoft Excel is one of the most recognizable spreadsheet applications since its introduction in 1980. Business professionals, as well as casual users, have been using this tool due to its extensive data storage capabilities. However, at a certain point, you might have noticed that more and more disordered spreadsheets are affecting day-to-day productivity.
Further, being simple and not cost-demanding, Excel can’t solve the problem of sharing information with multiple users. And, it isn’t intended with a team where each member should work using a centralized database. Probably, you must migrate from MS Excel to the web database.
So, if you find that you’ve outgrown Microsoft Excel, and it’s causing you to work harder, it’s time to work smarter now. Here are the five signs you must turn your spreadsheets into an online database-
Multiple Users Try To Edit The Spreadsheets Simultaneously
One of the major problems of using Excel in a team environment is that only one person can edit a file at a time. If another person must open the file, other people either have to wait or save a new version or combine the changes later. Though there are alternatives, such as using MS Excel Online with Office 365 account, it’s limited to the desktop version. Also, you can’t apply data validations, run macros, or create charts.
You Need To Consolidate Everyone’s Changes Into One File
Weeding through the several versions of the same file and merging all the changes into a single file is a tough task. The result is delayed production and declined work quality. Further, if all the file names share the common name ‘Updated File,’ you aren’t even sure which one is the most updated. It creates unnecessary chaos.
Data Security Is A Concern For You
If you are managing sensitive data, move it from Excel to web applications as soon as possible. Though you can add a password to a spreadsheet, still the protection is low. It provides only a thin line of defense for the new users using the file. It’s not uncommon to find so many free programs on the Internet designed to crack into the Excel. Thus, Excel’s vulnerability makes it crucial to integrate spreadsheets with web pages or external databases. You can seek help from the database support forum while switching from Excel to web database.
You Have Been Using The Same Massive Excel File For Years
Some organizations use Excel as a warehouse, adding new sheets or cells to the same file. Until they commit a manual error, they don’t realize how big a file has grown. One wrong variable on the cell, and it gives incorrect results, compromising the data quality you use to make important decisions. Besides, the massive size of a file can also cause data loss if the program crashes while opening the file.
You Struggle With Sharing Or Linking The Spreadsheets
Though Microsoft has added several features for a team to work using Excel, you may still face a lot of restrictions while linking or sharing the sheets. Changing the layout of a file or renaming it can break the links between the spreadsheets. If you save a file as a ‘shared workbook’ on your network, you can’t modify the formulas, insert, merge or split cells, or change the formatting. You have to create links between multiple files to make it easy for the people to edit it at the same time. But, these links easily break if the data layout changes.
If you find any of these signs, it means you have outgrown the Excel tool. And, it’s time to switch to an online database.
