22/09/2026
Excel is brilliant right up until the entire business is scared of Column G.
You know the spreadsheet. Fourteen tabs. Three versions called FINAL. One formula nobody may touch. And Karen is the only person who knows why December breaks the totals.
At some point, you’re no longer using a spreadsheet. You’ve built business software inside Excel.
That doesn’t mean every business needs custom software. If Excel is doing the job well, leave it alone.
But when several people need the same information, staff are copying data between systems, reporting takes far too long, or one person going on leave causes mild panic, it may be time to look at what the spreadsheet has become.
We’ve written about the signs that Excel has outgrown the job you originally gave it, and what replacing it can actually look like.
https://customcoding.co.za/replace-excel-with-custom-software/