Is your business outgrowing spreadsheets?
31 July 2025
For many growing businesses, spreadsheets have been the default tool for managing clients, projects and day-to-day operations.
They’re easy to set up and familiar to almost everyone. But as your business grows in complexity spreadsheets often become a hidden source of inefficiency.
At a certain point, your business stops benefiting from spreadsheets and starts being limited by them. That’s when a database becomes not just a better option, but the right tool for the job.
What is a database?
A database is a structured system that stores, organises and connects information across your business. It’s designed for multi-user, multi-process environments where information needs to be linked, updated consistently and accessed securely.
While a spreadsheet stores data in a flat format (one sheet, one table), a database consists of multiple linked tables such as clients, quotes, projects, site visits or invoices. These tables are connected through defined relationships, so that information can be entered once and referenced everywhere it’s needed.
This design allows you to build systems that are not just data stores, but full operational tools. You can automate actions, restrict access by role, track workflow status and generate real-time reports something spreadsheets simply can’t do reliably at scale.
When to use spreadsheets and when to use a database
Use case |
Spreadsheets |
Databases |
| Financial modelling and one-off analysis | ✔ Ideal for budgets, forecasts and pricing scenarios where flexibility and free-form calculations are required. | ✖ Not needed for one-off, exploratory work. Databases are structured and not intended for ad hoc modelling. |
| Storing live client and project data | ✖ Risk of version errors, duplication and inconsistent formatting. Difficult to maintain once more than one person is involved. | ✔ Designed to store structured information with relationships between records. Keeps data accurate and consistent over time. |
| Managing operational workflows | ✖ Manual and error-prone. Requires human input to track status, send reminders or progress tasks. | ✔ Enables automated workflows, status tracking, and rule-based triggers that save time and reduce admin. |
| Team collaboration | ✖ Version control is difficult, and multiple users editing the same file can cause errors or confusion. | ✔ Allows secure, role-based access to live data. Multiple users can work in parallel with confidence. |
| Real-time business reporting | ✖ Requires time-consuming updates and manual calculations. Reports often out of date by the time they’re shared. | ✔Pulls data from the live system instantly. Dashboards and reports reflect current performance at all times. |
| Compliance and audit history | ✖ Offers limited access control and no audit trails. Difficult to prove who did what and when. | ✔ Built-in permission structures and audit logs provide full visibility and accountability across the system. |
| Integration with other systems | ✖ Very limited. Most spreadsheets are stand-alone and require manual import/export to move data. | ✔ Supports integration through APIs, allowing seamless data exchange with finance systems, websites and other tools. |
Spreadsheets are valuable tools for short-term tasks, isolated calculations or planning exercises. But when they become the backbone of your operations, the risks quickly add up. This includes lost data, missed follow-ups, broken formulas and time spent on repetitive admin.
A database-backed system like Flight brings the structure, automation and scalability that growing businesses need. It adapts to your processes, connects your teams and gives you the visibility to stay in control as you scale.
If your current setup feels stretched or fragmented, it may be time to ask: Have we outgrown spreadsheets?
Michael Lough
Categories
Productivity