There is no doubt that spreadsheets are a fantastic tool for analysis and automation of certain tasks. They are easy to set up and use and this ease of use can be seductive.

In many cases the unique requirements of a business that is not fulfilled by a standard software package may be handled by a simple spreadsheet or similar. Beware of this approach when several staff are involved and need to rely on this information.

Because of their single user, create many copies nature spreadsheets should rarely be used for core business processes. Their use should be considered a temporary measure, but they can however be very effective as a prototype for a properly integrated solution. If you are relying on too many spreadsheets, it is probably wise to think about changing your core system of even consider some custom programming.