Still Stuck in Version Chaos And Poor Data Quality?

From an information security and data quality perspective, a functionality perspective and in terms of collaborative features Excel is not a suitable solution. Instead, you should consider a real business application. No-code platforms, on the other hand offer a powerful, secure and flexible alternative ideal for collaboration, that can handle huge data volumes without slowing you down.

In this article, we will explore why most spreadsheets should be replaced by applications and how modern no-code platforms can help you do that and at the same time prevent potential disasters, one spreadsheet at a time. Get an overview of the most important benefits – and why it is worth taking the next step.

Obvious Limitations

First, let’s look at some of the limitations of spreadsheets. While spreadsheets are good for basic calculations and organizing relatively limited amounts of data, they can quickly become unwieldy and ridiculously slow as the data volume grows. Spreadsheets are also prone to errors, as it is easy to accidentally delete or overwrite important data.

Additionally, spreadsheets are not collaborative, and it can be difficult to track changes made by different users. Spreadsheets have little or no measures in place to keep the data inside them secure which makes spreadsheets a bad solution for many problems and purposes.

Applications, on the other hand, can be designed specifically for certain tasks and can handle large amounts of data more efficiently. Applications can also be designed to prevent errors, with built-in validation rules and data entry requirements. Applications can be cloud-based or hosted on-premise depending on your preference. Moreover, they can be optimized for collaboration, allowing multiple users to access and work on the same data simultaneously.

Another benefit of using applications is the ability to integrate with other systems. For example, an application could be integrated with your CRM to automatically update customer information, or with your ERP to update or take advantage of financial data. Such integrations save time and reduce the risk of errors.

Relational Data Models

One of the biggest advantages of an application is the ability to use relational databases. Where Excel primarily consists of flat spreadsheets, relational models allow you to divide data into separate but connected tables. For instance:

• In a CRM system, you can have one table with customers, one with orders and one with products – and these can be linked to each other
• This provides a better overview, less risk of errors and a much better opportunity to maintain data without repetition
• Relational models create a sustainable and scalable data structure, which is crucial as the company's needs grow

Real-time Collaboration – No Versioning Chaos

Modern applications are typically web-based and designed for collaboration. Multiple users can access and edit data simultaneously, without the risk of overwriting each other's work. This solves one of the classic problems with Excel - versioning chaos. In many organizations, several versions of the same spreadsheet quickly arise:

• "Customer Overview_v3_final.xlsx"
• “Customer Overview_v3_ny_final.xlsx”
• “Customer Overview_FINAL_FINAL_corrected_march.xlsx”

With a central application, everyone works in the same, updated version. Changes are saved immediately, and users can easily see who did what – and when.

History and Traceability

When working in a modern web-based application, you typically have access to a full history of changes to data. This means that you can:

• View previous versions of data
• Keep track of who changed what
• Roll back if an error has occurred

Excel has no built-in revision history (unless you use it in combination with, for example, SharePoint and version control), and it can be a hassle to find the cause of errors or unwanted changes.

Automation and Integration

No-code applications can integrate with other systems and platforms and automate repetitive tasks. For example, you can automatically:

• Import data from ERP/Accounting Systems
• Send notifications when certain changes occur
• Generate reports and dashboards without manual effort

Excel often requires manual updating and is extremely vulnerable to human error.

Shift Gear with Modern No-code

Digital transformation requires efficient data management that goes far beyond the traditional spreadsheets. Modern no-code platforms such as TS No-code Platform offer a wealth of data type components, powerful workflow engines and the flexibility to effectively collect, organize and analyze complex business data.

TS No-code Platform is a hybrid no-code platform for developing secure web applications, meaning that non-technical business users benefit from its ease of use and flexibility, while developers benefit from the ability to extend the built-in functionality with custom code units. With an intuitive user interface and extensive customization options, TS No-code Platform provides businesses with everything they need to meet even their most advanced requirements. Thanks to API support, you can seamlessly integrate applications built on the platform with other systems and access them anytime, anywhere.

Microsoft Excel – The Go-to Spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for spreadsheets and data analysis. Since its introduction, it has established itself as the go-to spreadsheet tool in most companies. Excel provides numerous functions for crunching numbers and presenting data, including charts, pivot tables, and a variety of formulas. However, Excel is primarily designed for manual data management and quickly reaches its limits when it comes to managing relational data.

While TS Applications and Microsoft Excel share some commonalities in terms of organizing data in lists of records, they differ significantly in terms of functionality, flexibility, and relational modeling. Not to mention security, scalability and collaboration. The way data are stored in Microsoft Excel inevitably leads to data silos and poor data quality. The risk of user errors essentially renders Microsoft Excel unsuitable for processing business-critical data. Non the less, handling critical information in spreadsheets is a common practice in many companies.

Why no-code applications are the better alternative

Business processes are increasingly reliant on real-time data, making reliable data management essential to successful process execution. These requirements go far beyond spreadsheet capabilities. TS Applications offer a comprehensive alternative to spreadsheets particularly in areas with relatively complex data structures and when customization options are required.

In contrast to Excel, which often requires in-depth knowledge of advanced formulas and functions, TS No-code Platform lets non-technical business users create and manage complex data models with ease.

Key features of TS No-code Platform

Digital transformation requires efficient data management that goes far beyond the traditional spreadsheets. Modern no-code platforms such as TS No-code Platform offer a wealth of data type components, powerful workflow engines and the flexibility to effectively collect, organize and analyze complex business data.

• Ease of Use: TS No-code Platform allows non-technical business users to easily create and manage complex data models. This is particularly valuable for companies that need the ability to adjust and/or extend databases quickly without relying on external experts every time
• Flexibility: TS No-code Platform allows you to quickly customize fields, forms and templates in your applications, to match your current requirements.
• Integration: In addition to the built-in integrations, TS No-code Platform can be seamlessly integrated with other systems and web services, ensuring easy integration with existing processes.
• Mobility: TS Applications are device independent and readily available anywhere, allowing users to access applications anytime from any device. This provides additional flexibility for mobile work environments and field workers.
• Validation: Field validation Is crucial when recording data. Without clear rules and controls, you risk errors, inaccurate information, and duplicates. Validation ensures that data is entered in the correct format, follows defined standards, and is complete. It provides higher data quality, strengthens the decision-making basis, and reduces the need for manual cleanup.
• Data Protection and Access Control: A dedicated application gives you better control over who can see and change what data. You can set up different access levels, log user actions, and ensure that sensitive data doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Excel files sent via email or stored locally pose a much greater security risk.

TS No-code Platform vs. Microsoft Excel

It's a bit of a stretch to compare the platform to Microsoft Excel as they are two fundamentally different things, but from a usage perspective we have put together a list that compares some of the features.

Not that we usually recommend it, but we should mention that it is possible to attach an Excel file to an entity in a TS Application and use that file to perform calculations based on field values and return the result(s) in one or more designated fields. This can be useful if you have created some very complex calculations that will be overly time consuming to rebuild on the platform. This way you can eliminate the risk of users introducing errors, since they do not interact directly with the Excel file. That said, TS No-code Platform offers both features and a pricing model that makes it a great alternative to Microsoft Excel.

Seamless Collaboration

TS Applications allow teams to work on the same database simultaneously and in real time, no matter where they are. Together with workflow automation, this promotes collaboration and increases efficiency as all changes are synchronized immediately. In contrast, Excel is more restrictive when it comes to collaboration, especially when files are shared and synchronized manually.

Workflow Automation

With TS No-code Platform, you can automate repetitive tasks and processes, minimize manual intervention and reduce errors. For automation, Excel provides macros, but creating and managing macros often requires advanced VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) skills, that the regular business user rarely poses. And if macros are disabled, automations will not work.

Dashboards and Reporting

TS No-code Platform provides advanced data visualization and reporting capabilities that go far beyond the basic Excel charting and graphing options. With TS No-code Platform, you can create context specific dashboards and reports that are tailored to meet your exact business needs.

Enterprise Class Security

TS No-code Platform stores all data centrally and offers enterprise class security, including policy-based access control, access, activity and revision logging, fine-grained permission management, encryption at rest and in transfer, regular backups, built-in multi-factor authentication, etc. to the tune of OWASP Level 2 Compliance.

Easy Integration

TS No-code Platform offers out-of-the-box integrations like e.g. MitID, E-boks, DocuSign and E-conomic, and is easy to integrate with existing systems and web services. This enables friction-less data transfer and synchronization.

Key Take Aways

Free yourself from the uncertainty and chaos of Excel attempts to manage critical data. Compared to Microsoft Excel, a modern web-application offers a secure, flexible, future-proof and user-friendly way to manage large data volumes. Convert your Excel files into small lightning-fast no-code applications or consolidate and optimize in accordance with your data management needs.

Microsoft Excel is great for quick studies of sample data, comparisons and performing calculations. However, it is not intended for data management or processing. It may be less expensive in some cases, depending on your subscription plan, but if you want to create a secure, scalable, and collaborative home for your data it’s time to take the step to a real IT system. In return you’ll get structure, automation, better collaboration, and a solid history of your data — all of which can save time, reduce errors, and support the growth of your business. Take advantage of the technology leading no-code platform in Europe, and say goodbye to the fear, uncertainty and doubt that should haunt your dreams if you are still managing essential data in spreadsheets.